Exercise, A Critical Factor for Wellness

Exercise to Feel Better

We feel better when we move. Not only do our minds perk up, but all kinds of great health sustaining processes are triggered within our bodies. At first, when we are out of shape, it may be difficult to muster the gumption to get up and move. The key is to push through this time of transition. Start slow and make steady progress. If you add just one minute of exercise per day, it will take you only two months to reach a level of one hour of daily exercise.

Improve Productivity

When we move more easily, daily tasks take on a whole new perspective. Instead of dreading that yardwork, we can enjoy it. The long morning of traversing aisle after aisle on that epic shopping trip is tolerated better with less soreness and faster recovery. That treasured time with the grandchildren and their boundless energy can be more fully enjoyed as ability to interact improves.

Inactivity Equivalent to Smoking or Heart Disease

To test the impact of fitness on risk of mortality, researchers assessed the aerobic fitness of over 120,000 people using a treadmill and then followed them for an average of 8.5 years. This began in 1991. By 2014 enough time had passed to summarize data and make some conclusions about fitness and mortality.  Here is what the researchers determined.¹

• The higher the aerobic fitness the lower the risk of mortality
• Inactivity carries the same risk as smoking or heart disease for mortality
• Health care professionals should encourage patients to maintain high aerobic fitness
• The effect is strong in folks 70 years and older

It’s never too late or too early to start moving. We all know how damaging smoking is. That time spent sitting in front of the TV or staring at your smart phone when exercise could be happening is roughly equivalent to sucking deadly smoke into your lungs on a daily basis. Take the first step and make the decision to get up and move! There are beautiful places waiting for you.

‍

Sources:

¹ Mandsager K JAMA Netw Open. 2018