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Bodytalk
Question: My husband knows that regular exercise increases a person's energy, preserves muscle and helps maintain a healthy body weight. Exercise is key
to good health, spiritsUnfortunately, these reasons aren't enough to convince him to start. In hopes of motivating him, can you describe some of the other benefits of regular exercise?
Answer: There are heaps of reasons to exercise other than the three you mentioned. First, let's look at exercise and mood.
People who experience mood swings, anxiety or even depression often feel better after a bout of exercise. Exercise can curb symptoms, possibly by releasing natural substances that work like opiates.
It's common knowledge that regular exercise, both aerobic and anaerobic, helps lower your risk of heart disease. Exercise oxygenates the heart muscle by expanding existing arteries and creating new blood vessels.
It lowers the bad LDL cholesterol and raises the good HDL cholesterol. In all these ways, exercise helps prevent blood clots from forming.
High blood pressure responds positively to exercise. If your blood pressure is moderate to high, exercise can help lower it. If your blood pressure is normal, exercise can help keep it that way. Brisk walking, two to three hours per week, can lower a man's risk of benign prostatic hyperplasia (enlarged prostate) by 25 percent, compared to a man who seldom walks.
The more active you are, the lower your risk of adult onset diabetes. This is especially true if you're already at risk because of high blood pressure, being overweight or having parents with diabetes.
Exercise, especially weight-lifting, can help increase bone density in older people, thus reducing your risk of osteoporosis. Older individuals are less likely to fall and fracture their bones if they lift weights regularly. Strength training helps prevent falls and broken bones by improving muscle and joint strength and flexibility, gait, balance and reaction time.
Active people have a 30 percent lower risk of developing gallstones than their sedentary counterparts. Gallstones appear to be the result of a sedentary lifestyle.
People who exercise tend to sleep better. The overall quality of their sleep, the length of time they're able to sleep and the ease with which they fall asleep often improve with regular exercise. Why? Possibly because regular exercise reduces stress and relaxes the body.
People who live an active lifestyle have a lower risk of developing certain cancers. A sedentary lifestyle is a major risk factor in colon, breast and prostate cancers.
Finally, let's look at exercise and arthritis. Regular to moderate exercise, whether it's aerobic or strength training, can reduce joint pain and swelling in people with arthritis, and it helps those without arthritis to stay that way.
Keep in mind that later in life, it will take a lot more time to deal with medical problems, such as heart disease, diabetes and osteoporosis, than it will to take the time to exercise now.
An active lifestyle speaks for itself. Once you've arrived, you'll never go back. Being inactive just doesn't feel as good. To quote my husband: "Daily exercise helps me feel my best physically and emotionally.
"It keeps my immune system operating at peak levels so I rarely even get a cold. My energy level is high all day because I start the day out with exercise. And I feel better about myself because I like the way I look."
There you have it!
Health Events
Stephenie Karony is a certified health
and fitness instructor, a personal trainer and the author of
"Body Shaping with Free Weights." Send questions to her at
P.O. Box 262, Wailuku Hi. Her column appears on Wednesdays.