Benefits of Exercise

In 1991, public health specialists at the University of Michigan invited 75 men and women, most of whom were 75 years of age or older, to take part in a very unusual experiment. The majority of the participants, according to Alan Rees and Charlene Willey's Personal Health Reporter were overweight and had never exercised regularly. Many of them also reported suffering from three out of four chronic health problems: arthritis, hypertension, heart disease, or diabetes.

Despite their particular infirmities, the men and women were asked to exercise for 30 minutes a week under the supervision of specialists at the University of Michigan's School of Public Health. The exercises were not strenuous and included neck and shoulder rolls, spinal twists and side stretches, arm and leg extensions, and pelvic rotations. Slow deep-breathing exercises were also part of their routine.

At the end of the trial, all subjects reported that they felt better and had lost weight. Even minor physical improvements were noticeable. Participants said they could "get around and move faster" and "felt less stiff in the joints," or "had more energy and were able to walk longer distances."

To the many Americans who exercise, these findings are not surprising. An increasing number of Americans of all ages are making exercise a part of their daily routine and for a good reason. More and more studies show that by not exercising, people put their health at risk. The same studies show that conversely, even moderate exercise can help prevent many diseases. The American Cancer Society, for example, has suggested that exercise alone can lower the risk of cancer for both men and women.

In one study of 10,000 men and 3,000 women conducted by the Institute for Aerobics Research in Dallas, men who were most fit on a treadmill test had four times lower cancer rates over an eight-year period than non-exercisers. Women who were physically fit on the same treadmill test were 16 times less likely to get cancer. Exercise, particularly in a woman's teenage and young adult years, directly lowers the rates of breast cancer and various hormone-related cancers of the reproductive tract. Non-athletes almost always have higher rates of cancers of the uterus, ovary, cervix, and vagina. Exercise appears to reduce cancer risk in women because exercise lowers a woman's lifetime exposure to estrogen, which can stimulate growth of cells in the breasts and reproductive organs.

In a Harvard School of Public Health study summarized by Michele Wolf in the October 1993 issue of American Cancer, 5,400 women who had graduated from college between 1925 and 1991 were asked about their diet, health, and reproductive and exercise histories. Half the subjects were non-athletes; the other half had been college athletes, and 75% of this latter group reported that they had continued to exercise. After eliminating factors such as smoking and family history of cancer, "we found that the former athletes had a significantly lower rate of breast cancer and cancers of the reproductive system," claims Dr. Rose Frisch, an Associate Professor who headed the research. Frisch also noted that with the exception of skin cancer, the athletes had markedly less of all types of cancer–including nonreproductive-tract cancers–than sedentary subjects.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American College of Sports Medicine now recommend that every adult engage in at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity throughout the day, at least five times a week, to prevent cardiovascular illness. These guidelines, reported in the December 1990 issue of the The University of California at Berkeley Wellness Letter, can be met by participating in sports or walking, or by adding physical activities such as gardening and climbing up stairs to a daily routine. The guidelines are aimed at increasing the proportion of adults who get enough exercise to achieve worthwhile health benefits. Currently, 54% of Americans over the age of 18 need more physical activity.

Source: http://www.healthguidance.org/authors/714/Matthew-Mishr