Picture this, you’re crouching in a field of grass, stalking a wild deer that will be your tribes dinner for that night, you inch by inch move closer to the point where you are just about to throw your spear when suddenly a herd of buffalo come charging your way.  Like the deer you are off and running for your life to escape the way of the charging heard, you just make it to safety, then your back to the deer hunting.  

Yes, once upon a time this is how we lived, and this is how our bodies were used.   

Our physiques were superb and fitness spectacular.   Now we spend the majority of our time sitting at a screen, and are considered to be health conscience if we make the effort to exercise 20 minutes twice a week.   Many of us are out of breath after walking up a flight of stairs and would probably have to take a rest after walking a kilometre or two.  

A Sedentary lifestyle is considered the biggest contributor to disease alongside poor diet.  It’s a shame to think that many health conditions can be prevented just by exercising, yet so many people are yet to make exercise part of their daily life. 

Five Reasons to exercise that you probably didn't know about...

1.        Regular exercise supports and maintains your immune system, making your body’s ability to fight off colds and infections stronger.  Studies show that regular exercise done by postmenopausal women decreased three-fold with just three months of exercise.  This is because doing as little exercise as a 30-minute walk can increase levels of the white blood cells that fight infection in your body.  Americans suffer an estimated 1 billion colds each year, imagine how many less colds would be suffered if everyone did a little bit of exercise a day? ⁽¹⁾⁽²⁾

2.   Exercise fights memory loss and grows new brain cells! Now who wouldn’t want more new brain cells?  Research has always shown that people who exercise do better on memory tests and now we know why.   In a study by Columbia University Medical Centre they have for the first time discovered that exercise actually stimulates the growth of new brain cells.  How about that, exercise the body and grow the brain at the same time, have you ever heard of a better two for one deal? ⁽³⁾

 3.         Exercise fights against the debilitating pain of arthritis symptoms.  Millions of people suffer the debilitating pain of arthritis which causes it’s sufferers pain so bad that it often of makes them bedridden makes them dependent upon pain killers.  Arthritis symptoms were shown to be greatly decreased by older women exercised just 75 minutes per week, and symptoms decreased even more for women who exercised 150 minutes per week.  ⁽⁴⁾ 

 4.      Exercise makes you happy and cures depression by releasing and moderating the chemicals in the brain that elevate mood and make you happy.   Regular Exercise has been shown in studies to produce mood elevating effects equal to that of anti-depressant drugs.  Imagine how many billions of dollars would be saved from anti-depressant drug expenditure if everyone exercised regularly. ⁽⁵⁾⁽⁶⁾

 5.      Exercise releases endorphins, which are your natural pain-killing chemicals.   An essential part of pain management is exercise, whether it is the core-strengthening yoga or pilates, or simply going to gym or for a walk, all exercise releases endorphins.   Endorphins begin to be released just after a few minutes of starting exercise, and can relieve a headache much faster than any painkiller medication.    Regular Exercise is your best insurance to a life of good health.

References

1.      Woodward, K. 2006, ‘Regular, Moderate Exercise Reduces The Risk Of Colds In Postmenopausal Women’, The American Journal Of Medicine, Elsevier.

2.      Chubak, J et al . 2006, ‘Moderate-Intensity Exercise Reduces the Incidence of Colds Among Postmenopausal Women’ The American Journal Of Medicine, vol 119 issue 11 pp937-942.

3.      Columbia Researches 2007,  New Reason To Hit The Gym: Fighting Memory Loss, Columbia University Medical Centre.

4.      Heesch et al 2007, ‘Relationship Between Physical Activity And Stiff Or Painful Joints In Mid-Aged Women And Older Women: A 3-Year Prospective Study’, The University Of Queensland, Biomed central.

5.      ‘Depression And Exercise’ 2001, Quantum, ABC television, Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

6.      Exercise Rated First On Self-Help List For Depression, News Release, 18 February 2007, Black Dog Institute.

 Photos by Jeff Kubina, Jepoirrier, Loligense (Flickr)

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