Optimal
health is more than what you eat. While whole foods are a cornerstone to
any long-term health program, it is not enough to maximize your health if you
do not include other important practices, like regular exercise. Exercise
and moving your body on a consistent basis is a core strategy to help you
optimize your health and avoid several chronic health problems.1 If
you struggle with your health, you may have a negative reaction to the word
exercise. This probably is because you assume that exercise is only
lifting weights or long-distance running. The reality is that any type of
movement is beneficial as long as you do it consistently. The key to
exercise is finding the best type of movement for your body and
lifestyle.
Generally
speaking, there are many different kinds of exercise such as strength training
and conditioning, low intensity cardio, and flexibility and stretching
exercises. There are also high intensity programs that incorporate brief
intervals and jumping movements like plyometric exercises. All types of
movement can benefit you and enhance your health. What is important
is to create a program of exercise that you can start and commit to long
term. Below are many different types of exercise and some of their key
benefits.
- Non exercise
movement: Simple
everyday activities and house duties such as cooking, working on your
garden and doing laundry and cleaning are all types of movement.
Several studies suggest that prolonged sitting
increases your risk of diabetes and heart disease and many other
chronic health conditions even if you exercise vigorously on a consistent
basis. Sitting or being inactive for a prolonged period of time has
also been found to be associated with reduced life expectancy.
Fortunately, if you find yourself sitting for an extended period of time
(e.g., working a desk job), you need only stand periodically to undo the
negative effects of sitting. Try stretching and moving about 2 to 3
times every hour to promote optimal health.
- Low intensity
cardio exercises:
Any movement that maintains you at 50 to 70% of your maximum heart rate,
such as walking or jogging. It improves your cardiovascular
condition, lowers your resting heart rate and blood pressure, helps to
increase your HDL, preserves your cognitive functioning and lowers your
risk for many chronic conditions like cancer, diabetes and heart disease.
When you walk or jog, aim for 30 to 60 minutes, 3-4 times a week.
- Strength
training:
Lifting weights or doing full body weight exercises is important and
necessary for optimal health. Adding a strength and conditioning program
to your exercise program is key to preserving lean muscle mass. Strength
training helps you to improve your metabolism, strengthens your bones,
elevates your mood, helps you to sleep better and increases levels of
endogenous opioids that decrease pain. Strength training can also
help to optimize your hormone levels. Lifting heavy weights with
brief rest periods will help you to produce more growth hormone and
testosterone. It is a known fact that levels of important hormones like
growth hormone decline with age. Engaging in strength training twice a
week is all that is necessary to preserve muscle tone.
- High intensity,
brief exercises:
Doing sprints or high intensity interval training has several distinct
advantages. First and foremost, it saves you a whole lot of
time. Doing 8 rounds of all out sprints for 15-30 seconds and taking 1-2
minute rest periods will amount to no more than 20 minutes. Anyone can
squeeze 10 to 20 minutes during their day. In addition, brief, high
intensity exercises may help you to enhance your metabolism, burn fat,
increase your production of growth hormone and elevate your
cardiopulmonary capacity more so than long periods of low intensity cardio
exercise. If your goal is to lose weight, incorporate high intensity
interval training 2 to 3 times a week.
- Flexibility
training programs: Yoga or Pilates has a number of key benefits too.
They can help you to stay limber, strengthen your core, improve balance,
attention and concentration, reduce pain and elevate your mood. Many
studies have found that adding a yoga practice reduces
feelings of anxiety and depression.2
There
are several other benefits to consistent exercise. Research has found that
regular exercise can also help you to reduce systemic inflammation by enhancing
your body’s production of the anti-inflammatory, cytokine interleukin (IL)-10.3
Cytokines are chemical messengers that work to orchestrate your body’s
immune system and inflammatory response. Strive to exercise for 30 to 45
minutes, four to five times per week to achieve optimal physical and mental
health. And, remember to have fun and play with your workouts. Vary your
workouts, avoid sitting for an extended period of time and try adding brief,
intense exercise routines a couple times a week.
To
your health,
Dr.
Sandoval
To learn more about how working with a psychologist and
holistic health coach can help you to enhance your health and well-being, call
or email Dr. Sandoval to schedule a free consultation.
1. Metzl, J (2013). The
Exercise Cure: A Doctor's All-Natural, No-Pill Prescription for Better Health
and Longer Life.
2. Ratey, JJ (2013). Spark:
The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain.
3. Ostrowski, K, Rohde, T,
Asp, S., Schjerling, P, and Pedersen, BK “Pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine
balance in strenuous exercise in humans.” Journal of Physiology. (1999),
15; 515(Pt 1): 287–291.
The information, published and/or made available through the
www.fullofradiance.com website, is not intended to replace the services of a
physician, nor does it constitute a physician-patient relationship. This blog
is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional
medical advice. You should not use the information in this post for diagnosing
or treating a medical or health condition. You should consult a physician in
all matters relating to your health, particularly in respect to any symptoms
that may require diagnosis or medical attention. Any action on the
reader’s part in response to the information provided in this blog is at the
reader’s discretion.
abuse of any type and struggle with
feelings of anxiety, depression and you frequently worry or simply have pain
and tension in your body, learning to be kind and gentle with yourself is
essential to experiencing relief in your body and lasting peace in your
life. Learning to have self-compassion
and loving yourself when you have had such experiences may be very challenging to
you; however, it is a key to unlock your potential for healing and growth. 
