With the stresses of society, many people have developed one or two (or more) ongoing health issues. Busy lifestyle, sedentary work environments and home life, the mass emergence and consumption of “convenient” food, general life stress and other factors can lead to medical problems.
High blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, obesity and depression are common health problems seen around the world. Many of these conditions usually begin to present themselves around middle age, especially in those who don’t do much to look after their health…….such as getting regular exercise!
But for those who are suffering slightly poor health, who decide to begin regular exercise, what can they expect to occur? Well, lots of positives!
To begin with, weight loss will usually be seen. If you don’t increase your food (or energy) intake at all and begin to exercise, there is a good chance the kilos will start to shift. Combine your exercise with a well balanced diet, and they will just melt off! But please don’t use the common thought process of “I just went to the gym, I’ve earned an extra slice of cake”…..it will get you nowhere.
In association with the weight loss, over a relatively short period of time, many people will also find their blood pressure and cholesterol problems become much more stable. In consultation with their GP, many people even find their medications to control these conditions can be reduced in dose, or in some circumstances, even stopped completely!
Exercising regularly, in combination with the benefit of weight loss, can also result in a much improved metabolism. This is good news for sufferers of type 2 diabetes….you may just find your sugar levels are more easily controlled. In a similar fashion to what can happen with blood pressure and cholesterol medication, better blood sugar control may also lead to a reduction in the dose of diabetes medication. Once again, medications may even be ceased, with the diabetes being kept under control with a continued exercise and diet program.
As for mental health? Well, exercise releases endorphins into your body, which produce a great feeling while you are out and moving, as well as helping improve things like stress and sleep. Exercise also increases levels of serotonin, one of the key chemicals to help with depression. Regularly exercising has been shown to help people with depression manage their condition much more effectively.
Beginning an exercise program can produce some great benefits for your health. Gradually building up to around 30 minutes of exercise a day, regardless of the type of exercise you are doing, can have some fantastic benefits for your health. Even a walk around the block every night after work is better than doing nothing at all! So what’s your excuse….get out there and get active!
The Sports Pharmacist 