{"id":60298,"date":"2018-07-25T06:09:09","date_gmt":"2018-07-25T11:09:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/?p=60298"},"modified":"2018-09-04T07:14:21","modified_gmt":"2018-09-04T12:14:21","slug":"exercise-its-a-must","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/health\/exercise-its-a-must\/","title":{"rendered":"Exercise &#8211; It\u2019s a Must!"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">It\u2019s 2018 and there is still a terrible misconception regarding exercise and activity or the absence thereof.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>This was typified this past week when a consultation came into my office.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Yonah is age 49.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>He came to talk about a few health issues he is having.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Fatigue, tiredness, pre-diabetes and borderline high blood pressure.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Yonah is NOT overweight.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>We briefly spoke about things like overall diet and particularly hydration and fruit and vegetable consumption.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>And then I asked Yonah about his daily exercise routine and about his activity in general.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>He said that \u201cI\u2019m not fat, what do I have to exercise for?\u201d<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>I tried to explain that exercise is not just for the overweight and obese, it\u2019s actually a vital part of maintaining good health for everyone regardless of weight.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>He looked surprised, but his reaction didn\u2019t surprise me.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Over the last few decades we have made a lot of progress in getting more and more people to include exercise as part of their lives.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>But still only about 20% of people in western countries exercise according to minimal standards.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Yet those who do exercise and search for ways to be active end up with countless benefits to their health and increase their odds greatly against countless diseases\u2014both in the realm of physical and mental health.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>When we do inculcate good heathy behaviors into our everyday life, we cut the odds of illness and disease substantially. So when you start walking briskly 6 days a week, build some muscle twice a week and change to healthier eating (and as a consequence, lose some weight if needed) you improve your likelihood of a better life. Let\u2019s take a closer look at what decades of research has shown us about making exercise a priority in our lives, and review the multiple advantages an exerciser has in his\/her battle against the myriad of illnesses and diseases that can strike at a moment\u2019s notice.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s1\">If you are pre-diabetic or have a history of diabetes in your family and you exercise, you cut down the odds of getting diabetes by 58%! <\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s1\">A study followed 10,000 alumni from Harvard University showed that the risk of premature death went down 23% for exercisers.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s1\">Do you have osteoarthritis?<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>If you\u2019re older and have some of those aches and pains, particularly in your knee and you start walking 6 days a week, your pain and disability can be reduced by up to 47%.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>That\u2019s right\u2014without painkillers. So if you do that, your reliance on medicine for pain reduction becomes substantially less.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s1\">Exercise plays a key role in the prevention of Alzheimer\u2019s.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Even if someone is in the early stages of Alzheimer\u2019s or dementia, exercise can slow progress by 50%&#8211;that is a very significant number. <\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s1\">For people with anxiety, you can reduce your anxiety by 48%<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s1\">For depressed people moderate exercise relieves symptoms in 30% of patients and for those who could be more intense in their workouts, 47% got out of their depressive state.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s1\">Do you suffer from fatigue?<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Exercise is the primary treatment for that too.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s1\">Exercise can help you quit smoking. Exercise may make it easier to quit smoking by reducing your cravings and withdrawal symptoms. It can also help limit the weight you might gain when you stop smoking.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s1\">It helps keep your thinking, learning, and keeps your judgment skills sharp as you age. <\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s1\">It strengthens your bones and muscles. <\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s1\">It reduces your risk of some cancers.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s1\">It reduces your risk of falling. <\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s1\">It can improve your sleep<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s1\">Most of all, the strongest predictor of death is plain and simple, low cardio-respiratory fitness<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">New research is coming out all the time verifying previous findings.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>We also know that exercisers are less likely to get a common cold that those who don\u2019t exercise. It is a key ingredient in keeping our immune system functioning as well as possible.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>And now we find out that its relationship in weight loss and weight control is more than just expending calories.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">One of the many reasons we are eating more than ever is that our hormones that control hunger and feeling full are not functioning properly.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>There are a few theories as to why it takes 20 minutes after we are full for our brain to send that signal to our stomach so we stop eating.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>One of them is the mass consumption of foods with high fructose corn syrup.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>But whatever the reason, it is causing overconsumption.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Very recent research examined the fact that as people lose weight through standard diet, hunger increases due to the fact that the hunger hormone ghrelin increases and satiety decreases.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>But after exercise-induced weight loss, hunger hormones also rise, but satiety climbs as well.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>This may be a key reason why people who are losing weight together with exercise are more likely to sustain their losses. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">So here we have all the reasons in the world to make exercise a part of our life.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>You might want to ask yourself if there is any really good reason not to exercise.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Just today, an older woman who is doing well in our program said that she really gets no great satisfaction from exercise.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>She looks at the whole thing as a big bother and doesn\u2019t enjoy it.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>We examined various modes of aerobic exercise and we decided that it\u2019s more enjoyable for her to exercise in a group setting than to do things on her own.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>She signed up for a group fitness class 3 times a week and walks (even though she doesn\u2019t like it that much) three other days\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">It\u2019s good to compare exercise to medicine you might have to take on orders from your doctor <span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>I take it every day as directed even though I don\u2019t like the taste. <span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>There are plenty of day I don\u2019t enjoy it.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>But when I am done with a session I feel really good.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>More important, it keeps my health in check and it will keep your health in a good place also.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>The research bears this out beyond a doubt.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>It might be the most important prescription you every fill. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Yona decided to heed my advice and we worked on a home exercise program.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>He built up gradually and methodically and it was only 4 weeks later that he really started seeing benefit.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>He found renewed energy, his sugar went way down and his doctor decided to hold off on blood pressure medication. <span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Yonah didn\u2019t invest any money in order to execute his new program yet it increased the quality of his life and probably will extend his life also.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>So, why all the excuses?<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Time is still the number one reason people give for not exercising.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>But getting sick or sitting in doctor\u2019s offices takes even more time.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Exercise will actually give you more time and it will \u201c<b><i>add hours to your day, days to your year, and years to your life.\u201d <\/i><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s 2018 and there is still a terrible misconception regarding exercise and activity or the absence thereof.\u00a0 This was typified this past week when a consultation came into my office.\u00a0 Yonah is age 49.\u00a0 He came to talk about a few health issues he is having.\u00a0 Fatigue, tiredness, pre-diabetes and borderline high blood pressure.\u00a0 Yonah<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":469,"featured_media":60542,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-60298","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Exercise - It\u2019s a Must! - OU Life<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Only 20% of people in the western world exercise. Those who are active gain countless benefits to their physical &amp; mental health and increase their odds against countless diseases.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/health\/exercise-its-a-must\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Exercise - It\u2019s a Must! - OU Life\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Only 20% of people in the western world exercise. 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