A Little Exercise: Weight Loss is
Just One of Many Benefits
Regular low-intensity exercise confers important health
benefits, both physical and emotional. On the physical
side, exercise physiologists say it:
Helps control weight. In addition to burning extra
calories while you're exercising, physical activity
boosts "basal metabolic rate," the rate the
body burns calories while at rest. When you're physically
active, you continue to burn extra calories even after
you stop exercising. "You may not lose 20 pounds
taking leisurely strolls," says John Duncan, Ph.D.,
former associate director of the Cooper Institute for
Aerobics Research in Dallas, "but you'll be better
able to maintain your current weight. With low-intensity
exercise and a low-fat diet you'll probably lose a few
pounds. And if you take long brisk walks and eat a
low-fat diet, you'll lose more."
Improves love life. James White, Ph.D., a
professor emeritus in the department of physical
education at the University of California at San Diego
and director of the human performance laboratory there,
recruited 95 healthy but sedentary men, average age 47,
into one of two exercise programs four days a week. One
group engaged in low-intensity 60-minute walks. The other
participated in an hour of aerobics. After nine months,
both groups reported increased sexual desire and
pleasure. The aerobics group registered greater gains,
but the low-intensity exercisers also reported increased
sexual desire and more orgasms.
Reduces risk of heart disease. Heart disease is
the nation's leading cause of death. Low-intensity
exercise helps prevent it by strengthening the heart,
reducing blood pressure, lowering cholesterol, and
combatting obesity and diabetes.
Reduces risk of stroke. Stroke is the nation's
third leading cause of death. (Cancer is number two.)
High blood pressure is a key risk factor, and
low-intensity exercise helps reduce it.
Helps
preserve bone. Regular moderate weight-bearing
exercise (walking, gardening, dancing, etc.) helps
prevent bone-thinning osteoporosis, a major health
problem for women over 50.
Builds strength, flexibility, and stamina. As you
exercise, your muscles become stronger, your joints
become more supple, and you can remain active longer
without tiring. In other words, the more you exercise,
the more you can exercise, the less taxing it
feels, and the more likely you are to enjoy it and stick
with it.
Improves recall. Do you ever have trouble
remembering names? Kathleen Beckman Blomquist, Ph.D., a
postdoctoral scholar at the Sanders-Brown Center on Aging
at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, tested
fitness and name-recall in 66 adults aged 18 to 48. Those
in the best shape had the best memories. Then she
encouraged all the participants to increase their
physical activity. After 12 weeks, those whose fitness
improved showed enhanced ability to recall names.
Improves resistance to the common cold.
Low-to-moderate-intensity exercise boosts the immune
system, according to David Nieman, D.H.Sc., chair of the
department of health science at Loma Linda University in
Southern California. Dr. Nieman assigned 50
non-exercising women to one of two groups. Half continued
their sedentary ways. Half took brisk walks for 45
minutes a day. After 15 weeks, the exercisers reported
only half as many days with cold symptoms.
Helps people quit smoking. Exercise helps replace
the nicotine high of smoking. Exercise also helps
ex-smokers stay that way.
Improves sleep and minimize insomnia. Exercise
feels invigorating, but several hours later, it helps the
body wind down to seep. Many sleep disorders experts
recommend low-to-moderate-intensity exercise to improve
sleep and treat insomnia. Just don't exercise shortly
before bed, or you may wind up feeling more invigorated
than sleepy.
Helps manage arthritis.Exercise moves the major
joints through their full range of motion, which helps
keep them pain-free. Exercise also releases endorphins,
the body's own pain-relieving chemical.
Modest exercise also produces significant emotional
benefits:
Mood elevation. The endorphins released by exercise
have an antidepressant effect. Many mental health
professionals encourage exercise as a natural complement
to other treatments for depression.
Greater self-confidence. Exercise provides
feelings of accomplishment, which boost self-esteem.
Less stress and anxiety. People who exercise
regularly say they feel better able to cope with stress
and tension.
|