As a chiropractor who has treated thousands of patients since 1986, I have observed a noticeable difference in the overall health and well being of individuals who make exercise and physical activity a high priority in their daily lifestyles. Not only do these patients usually heal at a more rapid rate than less active patients, but they often also have a higher level of energy and enthusiasm, and seem to instinctively understand that the exertion of energy through exercising actually creates more energy to help them get through their busy days.
I have personally enjoyed the positive benefits of consistent exercise throughout my own life and have always been fascinated by its powerful physiological effects on the human body. Our amazing bodies were designed to be active, and everything in them, including the joints, bones, and organs simply functions better when we keep moving on a regular basis. If you are having trouble staying motivated to exercise, please keep the following information in mind.
“I have personally enjoyed the positive benefits of consistent exercise throughout my own life and have always been fascinated by its powerful physiological effects on the human body. Our amazing bodies were designed to be active, and everything in them, including the joints, bones, and organs simply functions better when we keep moving on a regular basis. If you are having trouble staying motivated to exercise, please keep the following information in mind.”
The Surgeon General’s Executive Summary on Physical Activity and Health recently confirmed what most of us have known all along, that lack of physical exercise and activity is detrimental to your health. The key finding of this report is that people of all ages can improve the quality of their lives through a lifelong practice of moderate physical activity. The report also concludes that regular physical activity enhances mental health, greatly reduces the risk of dying from coronary heart disease, and also decreases the risk of developing diabetes, hypertension, and colon cancer. As recent research indicates, being inactive and unfit is nearly as significant a risk factor for death as smoking.
Exercise and physical activity improve the overall function of the cardiovascular system, particularly the pumping action of the heart muscle. This is especially important for people over age thirty, because it is normally at this age that the blood pumping capacity of the heart muscle begins to gradually decline. Also, regular exercise can help raise the “good” HDLs and lower the “bad” LDLs, which reduces the risk of deadly cardiovascular disease.
Several types of cancer, such as breast, colon, and kidney, have been linked to obesity. Since exercise is an integral part of combating obesity, it can help reduce the risk of these cancers.
If you suffer from either the inflammatory type of arthritis (rheumatoid) or the degenerative type (osteoarthritis), you may find it encouraging to know that recent research suggests that some people with these types of arthritis can benefit greatly from certain types of moderate exercise.
Some other positive news is that exercise stimulates bone growth and can help prevent osteoporosis by increasing bone mass. Weight bearing exercises such as walking and weight training appear to be very effective in preventing osteoporosis. More than four hundred muscles help keep your body firm and strong. Fortunately, the stronger your muscles are, the more they help protect and reinforce the joints they support .
Here are some important facts to consider if you are attempting to lose excess bodyfat. Aerobic exercise, which is the most effective way to directly burn excess bodyfat, is a powerful component in maintaining a strong, physically fit body. When combined with the right foods from the correct sources, regular aerobic exercise has specific health promoting benefits. Aerobic literally means “in the presence of oxygen” and aerobic exercise include activities such as walking, running, biking, and other exercises which cause you to breathe deeply and with added effort.
Combining weight lifting with aerobic exercise doubles your chances of attaining a body that is not only physically attractive, but healthy and disease free on the inside. Sufficient aerobic activity is necessary to supply oxygen to the body so that it can metabolize (burn) fat. Regular aerobic exercise also increases the level of calorie consuming enzymes inside the muscle. Aerobic exercise does more that just burn calories, however. Aerobic exercise actually changes the body’s chemistry making it easier to burn fat, rather than simply store it.
Not only does physical activity raise your metabolic rate and increase your amount of metabolically active muscle tissue, but physical activity also speeds up vascular and lymphatic flow. All of the systems of your magnificent body, including the nervous, digestive, circulatory, and respiratory systems, simply function more efficiently when you make exercise a regular part of your lifestyle.
Muscle mass increases metabolism. The more lean muscle mass that your body contains, the more metabolically active it is. When you significantly increase your muscle mass through weight training and exercise, your body naturally burns more calories, even when you are sleeping!
Many people spend fifteen or twenty minutes performing some type of aerobic exercise and mistakenly believe that they are burning fat the entire time. The process of burning fat as a fuel is a little more complicated than is commonly believed, however.
In the warm up phase of aerobic exercise, you use mostly glycogen from carbohydrates. The longer you continue exercising, the more you will burn fat as a source of fuel.
Only after about twenty minutes does your body start to use fat as its primary energy source, so to begin truly burning from your fat stores, you may need to stay with it a little longer than you are accustomed to. (2)
Anyone who exercises regularly knows what a powerful ally physical exertion and movement can be in counteracting stress. As a specific response to stress, certain glands of the body produce stress hormones, which can build up and cause anxiety. Exercise can stimulate the release of substances that counteract the negative effects of stress hormones. This reaction is a beautiful illustration of the body’s natural ability to balance itself under the proper conditions.
In the past few years, I have been extremely pleased to see the increasing popularity of “mind-body” exercises such as yoga and Pilates. Every day, more people are living their dream of creating a healthier lifestyle by integrating exercise and activities into their life, and balancing and strengthening the connection between their mind, body and spirits.
- American Cancer Society’s “Nutrition, Common Sense, and Cancer”
- Reference: “Exercise Physiology (Energy, Nutrition, and Human Performance)” McArdle, Katch, & Katch
About the Author:
Since 1986, Dr. Suzanne Osborne, aka Dr. Suzy, has earned a reputation as
one of the nation’s leading holistic health and fitness experts. Her sincere and passionate “Back to Basics” philosophy has helped countless individuals across the world create healthier, stronger, and more energetic lifestyles.
Photo by Luis Quintero on Unsplash