Exercise is much more than just burning calories. The
calories burned during exercise, unless you're a professional athlete,
make up a very small portion of our total calories burned for the day;
what we eat has a much greater influence on our body weight. So why should we bother to exercise? Because burning a few calories is just one of the many benefits of exercise.
The heart:
Regular physical activity reduces the risk of coronary heart disease and diabetes by 30-50%. 1When you exercise, your heart muscle is getting a workout too. Over
time, the heart becomes more efficient, allowing the resting heart rate
to decrease - beneficial, since a high resting heart rate is a risk
factor for cardiac mortality.2, 3 Regular exercise helps to increase production of nitric oxide, a key regulator of blood pressure. In addition to reduced blood pressure, this results in improved blood flow to skeletal muscle and the heart. 4,5
The brain: Exercise is a natural mood elevator, shown to be just as effective as (and of course much safer than) anti-depressant drugs.6, 7, 8-10 Physical activity has been consistently linked to cognitive abilities and mental alertness.6 In older adults, regular walking was shown to decrease the risk of cognitive impairment,11 and strength training also produces cognitive benefits.
12
The whole body: Muscle
strength is the best predictor of bone strength - exercise protects
against osteoporosis. Exercise is associated with decreased risk of
colon, breast, and prostate cancers, and this is thought to be in part
due to effects on the insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) system. 13 Exercise builds up the body's antioxidant defenses.4 Exercise enhances sleep.14,15 Exercise protects against chronic inflammation.
16
References:
1.
Bassuk SS, Manson JE. Epidemiological evidence for the role of physical
activity in reducing risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular
disease. J Appl Physiol 2005;99:1193-1204. 2. Duncker DJ, Bache RJ.
Regulation of coronary blood flow during exercise. Physiol Rev
2008;88:1009-1086. 3. Verrier RL, Tan A. Heart rate, autonomic markers,
and cardiac mortality. Heart Rhythm 2009;6:S68-75. 4. Kojda G, Hambrecht
R. Molecular mechanisms of vascular adaptations to exercise. Physical
activity as an effective antioxidant therapy? Cardiovasc Res
2005;67:187-197. 5. Brown MD. Exercise and coronary vascular
remodelling in the healthy heart. Exp Physiol 2003;88:645-658.6. Medina
J: brain rules. . Seattle, WA: Pear Press; 2008. 7. Hyman M: The
UltraMind Solution. New York, NY: Scribner; 2009. 8. Gill A, Womack R,
Safranek S. Clinical Inquiries: Does exercise alleviate symptoms of
depression? J Fam Pract 2010;59:530-531. 9. Uebelacker LA, Epstein-Lubow
G, Gaudiano BA, et al. Hatha yoga for depression: critical review of
the evidence for efficacy, plausible mechanisms of action, and
directions for future research. J Psychiatr Pract 2010;16:22-33.10.
Saeed SA, Antonacci DJ, Bloch RM. Exercise, yoga, and meditation for
depressive and anxiety disorders. Am Fam Physician 2010;81:981-986. 11.
Erickson KI, Raji CA, Lopez OL, et al. Physical activity predicts gray
matter volume in late adulthood: the Cardiovascular Health Study.
Neurology 2010;75:1415-1422. 12. Davis JC, Marra CA, Beattie BL, et al.
Sustained Cognitive and Economic Benefits of Resistance Training Among
Community- Dwelling Senior Women: A 1-Year Follow-up Study of the Brain
Power Study. Arch Intern Med 2010;170:2036-2038. 13. American Institute
for Cancer Research: The Exercise Factor
[http://www.aicr.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=7651&news_iv_ctrl=0&abbr=pub_
] 14. Atkinson G, Davenne D. Relationships between sleep, physical
activity and human health. Physiol Behav 2007;90:229-235. 15. Montgomery
P, Dennis J. Physical exercise for sleep problems in adults aged 60+.
Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2002:CD003404. 16. Mathur N, Pedersen BK.
Exercise as a mean to control low-grade systemic inflammation. Mediators
Inflamm 2008;2008:109502
Written by dr. Joel Fuhrman
www.drfuhrman.com
www.diseaseproof.com
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