Many of you have heard about or experienced the benefits that regular exercise can have to your overall health and well-being. Research is proving that regular exercise can improve our health in many more ways than we expected.
Exercising regularly can boost the body’s immune system, increasing the circulation of natural killer cells that fight off viruses and bacteria. This can help the body fight off colds and flu, reduce the risk off certain cancers and chronic diseases, and slow the process of aging. Exercise has also been proven to improve the body's response to the flu vaccine, which makes it more effective at keeping the virus at bay.
Some of you may wonder what is considered as "regular exercise". It can be as simple as a brisk 30-45 minute walk five times a week. The Department of Health and Human Services recommends that adults get at least 2 1/2 hours weekly of moderate intensity aerobic physical activity or 1 1/4 hour weekly of vigorous intensity aerobic exercise.
Some people who are at a healthy weight don't find it necessary to exercise because they do not need to lose weight, however even lean men and women who are inactive are at a higher risk of death and disease. Medical experts say that inactivity poses as great a health risk as smoking, contributing to heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, cancer, depression, arthritis and osteoporosis.
Studies have shown that regular exercise:
- Lowers the risk of stroke by 27%
- Reduces incidence of diabetes by approximately 50%
- Reduces the risk of high blood pressure by approximately 40%
- Can reduce mortality and risk of recurrent breast cancer by approximately 50%
- Can lower the risk of colon cancer by over 60%
- Can reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's by approximately 40%
- Can decrease depression as effectively as Prozac or behavioral therapy
