"If exercise could be packed in a pill, it would be the single most widely prescribed and beneficial medicine in the world" - Robert N. Butler, M.D. - Former Director, National Institute on Aging. That is a pretty bold claim, but as we will see below it is true.
We all have experienced having a “good” day
versus a “bad” day and it all starts with your attitude. Exercise immediately affects your attitude
towards yourself, your day and everyone you meet in an extremely positive
way! Exercise directly and measurably affects
your brain chemistry, and has been shown in several studies to be more
effective than anti-depressant medication in treating depression.
Proven Benefits of
Exercise and Consequences of Inactivity
Exercise is very helpful for preventing and treating anxiety.
Exercise boosts brainpower, ability to learn and memory and helps create new brain cells by increasing levels of brain derived neurotropic factor.
Exercise helps prevent age related cognitive decline by boosting chemicals that support and prevent the degeneration of the hippocampus.
Exercise boosts productivity - studies show that workers who take time for exercise on a regular basis are more productive and have more energy than their more sedentary peers.
Exercise can help control addiction by boosting release of dopamine, the reward chemical.
Exercise reduces stress response and increases your ability to relax.
Lack of activity is the single most significant modifiable risk factor for all causes of disease!
According to the CDC “more Americans are at risk of heart disease through physical inactivity than through high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or smoking.”
6 out of 10 Americans are at risk for heart disease because they do not get enough physical activity!
Exercise reduces your risk of type 2 diabetes and can help reverse the condition if you have it.
Exercise strengthens your muscles and bones and is very important for preventing osteoporosis.
Proper exercise can help prevent falls which are a leading cause of injury and death in seniors.
In the Harvard Alumni Study the data showed that exercisers between the ages of 35 – 79 increased their longevity by .7 years for each increment of 500 calories per week in leisure-time activity they performed.
Exercise is proven to improve sleep both in terms of making it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep through the night.
Exercise is proven to help prevent and treat impotence in men, and lack of sexual desire in men and woman.
Exercise is one of the only ways proven to increase HDL (Good) cholesterol.
Exercise can help to lower blood pressure.
Exercise helps control the symptoms and pain of arthritis and helps reduce the need for pain medication and anti-inflammatory medication.
Exercise improves many cases of low back pain.
Regular exercisers automatically do a better job of matching calorie intake to calorie output – meaning they tend to naturally not overeat.
The fitter you become the easier exercise gets so unlike diets the results of exercise improve over time!
Although diet without exercise can result in significant weight loss – ALL diets become less effective over time as the body always adjusts resting metabolic rate down in response to any and all forms of calorie restriction so without the addition of exercise all diets ultimately fail!
Exercise is very helpful for preventing and treating anxiety.
Exercise boosts brainpower, ability to learn and memory and helps create new brain cells by increasing levels of brain derived neurotropic factor.
Exercise helps prevent age related cognitive decline by boosting chemicals that support and prevent the degeneration of the hippocampus.
Exercise boosts productivity - studies show that workers who take time for exercise on a regular basis are more productive and have more energy than their more sedentary peers.
Exercise can help control addiction by boosting release of dopamine, the reward chemical.
Exercise reduces stress response and increases your ability to relax.
Lack of activity is the single most significant modifiable risk factor for all causes of disease!
According to the CDC “more Americans are at risk of heart disease through physical inactivity than through high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or smoking.”
6 out of 10 Americans are at risk for heart disease because they do not get enough physical activity!
Exercise reduces your risk of type 2 diabetes and can help reverse the condition if you have it.
Exercise strengthens your muscles and bones and is very important for preventing osteoporosis.
Proper exercise can help prevent falls which are a leading cause of injury and death in seniors.
In the Harvard Alumni Study the data showed that exercisers between the ages of 35 – 79 increased their longevity by .7 years for each increment of 500 calories per week in leisure-time activity they performed.
Exercise is proven to improve sleep both in terms of making it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep through the night.
Exercise is proven to help prevent and treat impotence in men, and lack of sexual desire in men and woman.
Exercise is one of the only ways proven to increase HDL (Good) cholesterol.
Exercise can help to lower blood pressure.
Exercise helps control the symptoms and pain of arthritis and helps reduce the need for pain medication and anti-inflammatory medication.
Exercise improves many cases of low back pain.
Regular exercisers automatically do a better job of matching calorie intake to calorie output – meaning they tend to naturally not overeat.
The fitter you become the easier exercise gets so unlike diets the results of exercise improve over time!
Although diet without exercise can result in significant weight loss – ALL diets become less effective over time as the body always adjusts resting metabolic rate down in response to any and all forms of calorie restriction so without the addition of exercise all diets ultimately fail!
So get started today and remember doing something is way better than doing nothing! Just a short walk is a start and if you can make it a habit it will start to make a difference in how you feel which can help provide the motivation to do more exercise. Exercise has proven to be a keystone habit meaning many people who start exercising find it much easier to make positive changes in other aspects of their lifestyle as well!