5 Reasons To Exercise

The foundation of this course is based on exercises in various forms. Does anybody still doubt the value of exercise?

There can't be too many people left who do. The issue is usually finding the motivation and making the time to start exercising and to keep doing it.

Here are 5 good reasons why you should exercise.

1. You'll Enjoy A Better Quality Of Life

You'll feel better and look better and your body and back will work better

Quote from a paper In a paper in the Canadian Medical Association Journal in March 2006, UBC researchers Darren Warburton, Crystal Whitney Nicol, and Shannon Bredin cited research detailing a multitude of health benefits from physical activity.

"There is incontrovertible evidence that regular physical activity contributes to the primary and secondary prevention of several chronic diseases and is associated with a reduced risk of premature death". 

2.  Improve Your Health

"There appears to be a graded linear relation between the volume of physical activity and health status, such that the most physically active people are at the lowest risk.

However, the greatest improvements in health status are seen when people who are least fit become physically active."

3.  Live Longer

The same UBC researchers reported that men and women who increased their levels of physical activity and fitness reduced their overall risk of premature death by about 20 percent to 35 percent.

Furthermore, their chances became even better with cardiovascular-caused deaths, where being fit or active was associated with a drop in mortality of more than 50 percent.

Other quotes from the report:

• "As little as one hour of walking per week could reduce the risk of cardiovascular-related death in women".
• "Modest enhancements" in fitness levels in people who were sedentary have been linked to "large improvements" in health:
• "In another study, people who went from unfit to fit over a 5-year period had a reduction of 44% in the relative risk of death compared with people who remained unfit."

4.  Reduce Your Risk of Cancer

The same Canadian Medical Association Journal paper highlighted over 100 epidemiological studies that linked routine physical activity with a reduction in certain types of cancers.

For example:

• Cancer-related mortality rates were 29 percent higher for inactive middle-aged women than for their peers who were physically active.
• For men and women who were active, the relative risk of colon cancer fell 30 to 40 percent, and for women who were physically active, there was a 20- to 30-percent reduction in the relative risk of breast cancer.

The CMAJ study reinforced Wong's advice in this area. It reported that "modest enhancements" in fitness levels in people who were sedentary have been linked to "large improvements" in health:

"For instance, in another study, people who went from unfit to fit over a 5-year period had a reduction of 44% in the relative risk of death compared with people who remained unfit."

5.  Reduce Your Risk of Diabetes

The UBC researchers reported that "moderately intense levels of exercise" can prevent Type 2 diabetes. 

Aerobic and resistance exercise have also been associated with lower risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, which is characterized by a shortage of insulin to regulate blood sugars.

Most junk foods and processed foods have high content of processed sugars - corn syrup etc that upset your body's blood sugar regulation mechanism.

Ultimately, sustained high blood-sugar levels can lead to diabetic complications, including limb amputations, cardiovascular disease, blindness, and kidney failure.