The
best medicines are those that prevent disease and improve quality of life and
your daily well-being. You may not think
of physical activity as medicine, but in fact, it is powerful medicine when
performed daily! “We do not stop
exercising because we grow old. We grow old because we stop exercising or
moving.” Dr. Kenneth Cooper – The Father
of Aerobics, Cooper Institute.
Do
you have a family member or friend who has suffered a heart attack? In a Harvard study of 80,000 nurses, those
that walked at least 30 minutes daily, five or more days each week, reduced
their risk of heart attack by 50%.
Walking strengthens your heart, mind, and body, so work towards 30 or
more minutes of walking daily to keep your heart healthy, mind focused, and
stress level reduced. Regular physical
activity helps to prevent cognitive decline and dementia as we age. One study documented that older persons who
walked regularly, gardened, or went jogging, were 50% less likely to develop
dementia five years later compared to sedentary people. Research has strongly
demonstrated that light physical activities and movements such as walking or
stepping can significantly improve your health and well-being.
Want
to prevent or better manage your diabetes?
In a 15 year study, researchers followed nearly 2,500 young adults
(younger than 30) and discovered that those who became physically active were
60% less likely to develop diabetes.
Physical
activity (daily) helps prevent insulin resistance, which is the underlying
cause of type II diabetes and metabolic syndrome. One study showed that for every two hours a
person watched TV daily, their risk of diabetes increased by 14%. Imagine the impact on the health of our nation
and health care insurance costs if every inactive person became physically
active and moved more daily?
Has
cancer touched your family’s life? Learn
and practice lifestyle habits to prevent cancer. One study showed a 40% decrease in cancer deaths
in high fit persons compared to low fit persons. A recent report by the American Cancer
Society states that regular exercise may be helpful in preventing breast,
colon, prostrate and endometrial cancer by as much as 20% to 40%.
Did
you know that by not smoking or using smokeless tobacco, being physically
active for 30 or more minutes five days each week, and by eating five or more
servings of fruits and vegetables each week, you could reduce most cancer risks
for you and your family’s body by 66%?
Other
benefits to being physically active include:
Live
by these principles to maintain an active lifestyle and manage your daily
well-being:
-
Choose
activities that you enjoy daily.
-
Ask
someone to walk, lift weights, go swimming, jog or go biking with you. An exercise partner helps you to be
accountable and more regular with your program, not to mention have more fun.
- Be
physically active in the morning or late in the day and drink plenty of fluids
at least 40 ounces of water or more daily (fresh filtered water), slowly
working towards half of your body weight in ounces.
-
Get
good walking shoes with arch support and wear comfortable clothing such as dry
fit materials.
- Set
SMART goals and keep a journal or record of what you are doing and how you are
feeling.
-
Look
for ways to be more active and move in your daily life at work, home and while on
vacation too.
- Join
a gym or fitness class in Siouxland or wherever you call home.
-
Do
some fun and functional strengthening exercises at least three times per week. Your body, muscles, joints, bones, and mind
with all thank you.
Sources:
1)
Physical
Activity is Powerful Medicine by Wellsource 2007. Check out their website at www.wellsource.com
2)
The
Hazards of Inactivity from WellSource Making Healthy Choices Newsletter 2006.
3)
Welcoa www.welcoa.org Physical Activity Summit
in Omaha, NE Sept 8-9, 2010 Resources.
4)
Fitness
That Works –Simple moves to make exercise happen from 9 to 5, by Sean Foy MA,
and published in 2012 by the Wellness Council of America (WELCOA) www.welcoa.org