THE IMPORTANCE OF EXERCISE: (Inspired by Dr. Mark Hyman)
Exercise, movement, and longevity combined with the right diet, is the most powerful tool for staying healthy and extending your life. When you start incorporating movement and exercise into your life, the benefits are unmatched.
Exercise is a key to unlocking the body’s regenerative and reparative systems. It activates all the longevity switches, increases the body’s antioxidant systems, and improves cognitive function and mood. Exercise reduces chronic inflammation, supports mitochondrial health, helps balance hormones, and lowers cortisol.
Exercise keeps your body strong as you age , supports detoxification, circulation, and lymphatic flow, and increases overall happiness and satisfaction with life.
Exercise improves heart and cardiovascular health. It decreases the risk of heart disease and improves the outcomes of those with heart disease. Exercise has been proven to prevent certain types of cancer, it improves outcomes during treatment, and it even prevents the recurrence of cancer.
It is a powerful treatment for diabetes, improves blood sugar, and is key to improving insulin sensitivity. Most importantly it helps you build and improve muscle function and mass. There are countless ways you can begin to exercise without expensive gym fees. You can purchase some weights and resistance bands, and designate an area in your home as a ‘Gym Room” or “Gym Area”. There are countless online workout app that you can follow. You can also take 5 minutes when you get out of bed, to stretch. For example, if you are a coffee drinker spend the time it takes to brew your cup to do some whole body stretching. Take a walk or a nice bike ride. Whether you work from the office or at home, invest in and use a standing desk to reduce the amount of time you spend in your chair every day or invest in a stability ball.
Make your leisure time “active time”. Instead of watching your favorite movie on the couch, set up a stationary bike in front of the TV and ride it while watching. You can also mount the TV in front of your treadmill and get some good walking or jogging in while watching your favorite show. Or put in a pair of headphones and listen to a quality podcast or audio book instead. You can also meet up with a few friends for a walk or hike to keep yourself accountable or join a local pickleball league, soft ball league or play with your dog, kids, or grandkids at the park.
Whatever activity you decide to do, always remember…. “Something is better than nothing”.
