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Persuasive Essay Exercise

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Imagine a warm Saturday in July. You are walking on your favorite hiking trail, with nothing but your clothes, a map, and a backpack filled with essentials. The only sounds you can hear are the leaves and branches crunching beneath your shoes, the wind rustling through the trees, and the distant melody of singing birds. Or perhaps you are wading through a lake, the cold water engulfing you, the sun warming your face. How do you feel? Stressed out and anxious? Or relaxed and peaceful? If you are like most people, you probably feel relaxed and peaceful. Exercising, especially outdoors, is a great way to not only get in shape physically, but also to reduce stress and improve your overall quality of life. Most experts agree that just two and a half hours per week of an aerobic physical activity, such as swimming, cycling, or running, can decrease your risk of contracting a chronic illness such as heart disease, diabetes, or cancer. Even moderate exercise throughout the week can improve depression and anxiety, though. Increasing your heart rate can reverse stress-induced brain damage by stimulating the production of neurohormones, which improve your brain function and mood. Exercise also forces the body’s nervous systems to communicate with each other, which improves the body’s ability to respond to stress. Exercising also increases your body temperature, which can have calming effects on the mind and lead to better sleep. Exercise helps regulate your circadian rhythm, which

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