The benefits of exercise are
unquantifiable. Those who engage in it regularly swear by it. Physicians
also confirm that because it is a physical exertion of the body, it
leads to a healthy level of both physical and mental health.
There’s no doubt that exercise helps us
to maintain general fitness, what with the fact that it strengthens
muscles that would otherwise have atrophied, and helps us to optimise
our cardiovascular system.
Those who exercise on a regular basis would also attest to the fact that it helps in controlling the body weight.
Researchers at Harvard School of Public
Health say regular exercise or physical activity helps many of the
body’s systems to function better, keeps heart disease, diabetes, and a
host of other diseases at bay, and is a key ingredient for losing
weight.
If exercise and regular physical activity
benefit the body, a sedentary lifestyle does the opposite, experts
attest; while they maintain that lack of exercise increases an
individual’s chances of becoming overweight and developing a number of
chronic diseases.
A Consultant Physiotherapist, Dr.
Habeebat Seyi-Dawodu, notes that based on clinical evidence, engaging in
regular, moderate exercise for at least 30 minutes at a time and thrice
a week would cut the risk of certain diseases, especially when combined
with sensible dietary habits that exclude smoking, indiscriminate
alcohol consumption and any social vices that could impair health.
She advises that staying physically
active and exercising regularly can produce long-term health benefits,
not just for the younger persons but also for older people who already
have diseases and disabilities.
“That’s why we cunsel older adults to aim to be as active as possible,” Seyi-Dawodu says.
Again, scientists from Lawrence Berkeley
National Laboratory, Life Science Division in Berkeley, California,
report in the journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology
that “brisk walking is as effective as running in reducing a person’s
risk of hypertension (high blood pressure), high cholesterol and
diabetes.”
This being the case, what other diseases can you put at bay with exercise? These ones…
Diabetes
Experts say those who do not have Type-1
diabetes could reduce their risk of Type-2 diabetes by maintaining good
dietary habits, combined with regular exercise.
A Diabetologist and Medical Director of
Rainbow Specialist Medical Centre, Lekki, Dr. Afokoghene Isiavwe,
explains that obesity is one of the leading causes of Type-2 diabetes,
assuring that a weight loss under the supervision of a competent
physician could lower the incidence of the disease by more than half.
Cardiologists also warn that physical
fitness can play “a major role in maintaining normal blood-glucose
levels and reduce or postpone long-term cardiovascular complications,
which experts say are the leading causes of death among those suffering
from diabetes.
Cancer
According to the Centres for Disease
Control and Prevention, regular exercise (along with quitting smoking)
may lower your risk of many cancers. “Studies indicate that working out
can cut the risk of recurrence or death by as much as 50 per cent in
people with colorectal cancer,” urologists say.
They also say there is strong evidence
that physical activity is associated with reduced risk of cancers of the
colon and breast; as well as reduced risk of endometrial (lining of the
uterus), lung, and prostate cancers.
A Professor of Radiation Medicine,
Charles Okon, says exercise may also lower “the recurrence rate for
those with breast cancer, in part by regulating their hormone levels.”
Physicians also advise that for virtually
all cancer patients, exercise can lessen some side effects of
treatment, including nausea and fatigue.
Arthritis
Bone specialists say if you have trouble moving around or if you feel pain and stiffness in your body, you could have arthritis.
Arthritis is caused by several issues,
experts warn, and they say it could result when the immune system
attacks the joints and body (as in the case of rheumatoid arthritis); or
when the cartilage breaks down, causing stiff, painful joints, as in
the case of osteoarthritis.
If you’ve ever seen anybody suffering
from arthritis, you would notice that they complain of pain and swelling
in the joints. Experts say eventually, a swollen joint can suffer
severe damage; while in some cases, arthritis can cause problems in the
patient’s eye, skin or other organs.
However, physicians say exercise is safe
and effective in reducing pain and stiffness and improving range of
motion and overall strength in people with arthritis.
“The physical activity will help you lose
weight, thus lessening pressure on your joints. On the other hand, a
lack of exercise can accelerate the disease, the online portal,
medicalnewstoday.com, reveals.
Heart disease
If any organ of the body is affected by
physical exertion, it is the heart. Climb on the treadmill and stay on
it for 10 minutes to get an idea of what we are talking about!
Physicians say regular exercise lowers blood pressure, helps maintain a healthy weight and reduces cholesterol.
“All these are major factors in the
prevention of heart disease. And you need only moderate activity to get
results,” Consultant Cardiologist, Dr. Fred Omo-Agege says.
Indeed, researchers say taking a long
walk after eating a high-fat meal can help reverse damage to blood
vessels. They advise that after a meal, don’t recline on the seat or go
to sleep immediately. Instead, walk around the neighbourhood for about
30 minutes afterwards.