Why Exercise Could Be The Key To Your Health

A recent study published in the Journal Neurology investigated the relationship between physical activity in women and the development of Parkinson Disease, a longstanding debilitating disease that affects the nerves and one’s ability to move properly. Tracking over 95,000 women for nearly 3 decades, the study found that getting regular exercise could reduce a woman’s chance of developing Parkinson Disease by 25 percent.

Parkinson Disease is one of just many diseases and health ailments that can be mitigated or prevented by exercise. Regular exercise is most commonly linked to reducing two of the most common leading causes of death in America, heart disease and stroke. According to a study in PLOS Medicine, individuals who participated in moderate or vigorous intensity exercise had an average reduction in risk of heart disease between 48 and 57 percent. Even more striking was that there was no threshold for the amount of exercise and the benefits for cardiovascular health. In other words, those that exercised most had the lowest risk of heart disease in this study that examined data on more than 90,000 adults.

There is no ceiling on the benefits of exercise and we continue to learn each day about different diseases that can be mitigated through regular exercise. Regular physical activity can prevent the onset of Type II Diabetes, reduce blood pressure and cholesterol levels, strengthen bones and muscle, prevent falls in the elderly and lower your risk of developing many common cancers like breast, lung and colon.

So how much exercise is necessary to realize health benefits, and what is meant exactly by moderate intensity exercise? According to the American Heart Association, to be healthy, adults should participate in 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic exercise per week or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity aerobic activity per week. This equates to 30 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic exercise 5 days per week, or 15 minutes of vigorous intensity aerobic exercise 5 days per week. According to the American Heart Association, only 1 in 5 adults are getting enough exercise weekly to maintain good health.

Moderate intensity aerobic exercise may be easier than you think. Examples of such exercise would include walking briskly, playing badminton, gardening, or mowing the lawn. Examples of vigorous intensity aerobic exercise include jogging, running, weight-lifting, and playing competitive sports like tennis, basketball and soccer. All individuals can benefit from exercise, no matter what their weight, height, gender, ethnicity, race, or state of health.

An optimal and effective healthcare system must prioritize preventative measures in curbing the onset of serious health conditions to advance public health. Too often, diseases and conditions are addressed after diagnosis and when it is too late. Instead of focusing on developing treatments like Insulin to treat Type II Diabetes, a larger focus should be on education and lifestyle prevention measures like exercise in preventing the onset of the disease itself, which is largely preventable through regular exercise and a carbohydrate-restrictive diet. A reactionary health system that focuses on the treatment of diseases once diagnosed is at risk of becoming a “sick care” system, as opposed to a true “healthcare” system that optimizes the prevention of such ailments.

According to the CDC, nearly 110,000 deaths per year could be prevented if American adults aged 40 and above increased their physical activity by a small amount, even by just 10 minutes. 4 in 5 American adults not getting enough moderate intensity exercise per week to maintain good health should never be acceptable to us from a public health perspective. A very practical way to meet the American Heart Association guidelines is by increasing our daily steps, which can be tracked by most smart phones. Tomorrow (June 10) is Family Health and Fitness Day, so all of us should make a concerted and intentional effort to get up and exercise.