"Why Is Exercise Important?"

Why is exercise important? Anyone who's watched tv, or picked up a magazine in the past decade can answer this question. Go ahead... give it a go.

What'd you come up with?

Exercise burns calories, helps you lose weight, strengthens muscles and bones, increases energy levels? All 100% true. However, the benefits of exercise are vast... as vast as our waistlines!

It's time to get movin'!

If you don't start shakin' your groove thing, there's gonna be some serious consequences! Can't remember what your groove thing is? Start exercising. It'll all come back to you.

Skeptical? (I knew I liked you.)

Check out this 73-page fitness report by the World Health Organization (including 13 pages of references to scientific studies). They've got my back on this one. The report says that exercise stimulates cognitive function... and suggests that moderate physical activity can actually prevent or even delay the onset of dementia and Alzheimer's. Brings a whole new meaning to "jogging your memory" doesn't it? [1]

The truth is, improving your memory and dodging dementia represents a very small fraction of the health benefits connected with staying active. Check it out.

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Why is Exercise Important?

• Exercise improves functional health - creates stronger muscles & bones, improves posture, helps with weight loss, increases energy levels, staves off depression, improves your quantity and quality of life.

• Reduces the risk of chronic diseases - like diabetes, and heart disease

• Reduces the risk of other major health issues - like hypertension, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, sarcopenia, high blood pressure, obesity, depression, metabolic syndrome, stroke, peripheral arterial disease, colon cancer, and breast cancer. [1] (Read More...)

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What Types Of Exercise Should I Do?

How Much Is Enough?

Minimum recommendations for adults are 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise 5-7 days a week (18-65 years). Individuals trying to manage body weight or prevent weight gain should shoot for 60 to 90 minutes a day.

Sound daunting?

Not to worry. The current definition of physical activity is more inclusive than you think. The effects of exercise are cumulative. Doing short bouts of physical activity is sufficient as long as it's in 10-minute chunks. [3]

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Why Is Exercise Important?

Compare What the Experts Say...

• The American College of Sports Medicine/ American Heart Association
  30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity five days a week or 20 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity at least three days a week. Read this article - it's worth it. [4, 5]

• US Department of Health and Human Services
  30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity most days of the week. 60 to 90 minutes are recommended for individuals maintaining weight loss. [6]

• Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology
  Accumulate up to 60 minutes of light effort physical activity everyday - like strolling, or stretching or 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity, four days a week) Canada's Physical Activity Guide. [2]

• World Health Organization
  WHO adopted the American College of Sports Medicine's recommendations.[3]

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Couch Potato Protocol

If it's been a while since you've broken a sweat, start off slowly. When you reach the 30-minute goal, continue to challenge yourself by increasing the duration and intensity of your workouts. After all, you can't go from couch potato to exercise enthusiast overnight... at least not without some serious repercussions.

For more information read the article, Before Increasing Your Physical Activity and be sure to complete the Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire developed by the British Columbia Ministry of Health and revised by the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology. [7]

REFERENCES:

1. Ilkka Vuori. Physical Inactivity as a Disease Risk and Health Benefits of Increased Physical Activity. Perspectives, 2004, Volume 6. World Health Organization Website. Accessed March 2009. http://www.who.int/moveforhealth/publications/pah_vuori_health_benefits.pdf
2. Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP) Website. Canada’s Physical Activity Guide to Healthy Living. Download or order free hard copies in French/English. Accessed June 2009. http://www.csep.ca/english/view.asp?x=723
3. World Health Organization Website. Physical Activity. Accessed Jan 2009. http://www.who.int/topics/physical_activity/en/
4. World Health Organization Website. Diet and Physical Activity Recommendations. Accessed Feb 2009. http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/factsheet_recommendations/en/
5. American Heart Association Website. Updated Physical Activity Guidelines.. Updated Aug 2007. Accessed Jan 2009. http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3049282
6. US Department of Health and Human Services Website. Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Physical Activity, chapter 4. 2005. Accessed April 2009. http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2005/document/html/chapter4.htm
7. Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology Website (CSEP). PAR-Q Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire Forms. English and French version available. Accessed May 2009. http://www.csep.ca/english/view.asp?x=698