Life Is Movement

Good health can only be achieved with regular movement. Movement of your joints and muscles. Movement of your blood through your arteries and veins. Movement of neurotransmitters from your brain through your nerves. Movement of nutrients and waste constantly entering and leaving every cell in your body. It is not an over statement to say that without movement our cells and body will die. Thus, even thought I have discussed this topic in the past, it bears repeating.

The most recent guidelines recommend that people do 150-300 minutes of moderated exercise like brisk walking, cycling or dancing, per week and strengthening exercise such as yoga, weightlifting, resistance bands, aerobics, etc., twice per week That breaks down to at least 30 minutes 5 days per week. If you prefer to do more intense exercise like running or high intensity interval training, then 75-150 minutes per week is all that is needed. Sadly, most people are not meeting these targets. By doing at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week there are a whole slew of positive health effects and dramatic decreases in disease and death. If you exercise over 300 minutes per week, you still receive health benefits but the ratio of effort to better health becomes less.

Staying Sharp. Several studies show an immediate relationship between exercise (especially aerobic exercise) and improved cognitive function. So, if you want to be focused for a test or big meeting, doing some exercise earlier in the day can make a significant positive impact. Exercise has also shown to reduce the risk of dementia.

Heart. Everyone should know by now that exercise improves your cardiovascular health. Walking just 30 minutes per day can reduce heart disease by 15%. However, more recent studies show that besides being active, we just need to stop sitting so much. Sitting more than 8-9 hours per day really starts to increase your risk of heart disease. This would include sitting at work, while you eat, in the car, watching television etc. The average person sits for 12-13 hours per day. So even if you are doing your exercises daily, you will need to find strategies where you are simply just doing more standing and less sitting.

Diabetes. Type two diabetes can be reduced by 25-35% just by meeting the recommended activity targets. In fact, a single bout of exercise has an immediate payoff which can last for a few days in terms of improving insulin sensitivity and controlling blood sugars.

Mental Health. It is well established that a bout of exercise has immediate positive effects on a person’s level of anxiety and depression. Repetitive exercising also appears to help those who are clinically diagnosed with depression and anxiety disorders by as much as 50%.

Cancer. High levels of exercise are consistently linked to lower risk of many cancers including colon, breast, endometrial, kidney, bladder, stomach and liver cancers. Men’s reduced risks seemed to be more than women, but both were significant.

Muscle. As we age, we tend to loose muscle. By age 40 both muscle mass and strength are on the decline. By age 70 there is quite a significant drop. Other then needed strength to keep you active and reduce chances of falling, muscles also play a major role in removing blood sugar. All though nice to use, gyms are not necessary to improve muscle mass. Stair climbing, squats, pushups, lunges, or any other body weight exercise will do the trick. Sleep. The more sedentary you are the more difficult it is to get a good night’s sleep. People who sit for more than 11 hours per day have a 60 percent greater chance of suffering from insomnia compared to those who sit for only 6 hours per day.

Life Span. The World Health Organization states that physical inactivity is the fourth leading cause of death.

Regardless of age or ethnicity, the more active you are the less risk of dying. People who take 12 000 steps per day where 65% less at risk of death than those who took under 4000 steps per day. That should be a real eye opener for most of us. With all the possible ways to die how can simply doing nothing be that lethal? But it is.

It is not an exaggeration to state that your life depends on movement, literally.

James DiGiuseppe is a local chiropractor with a busy family and wellness practice. For more health information or to contact Dr. DiGiuseppe visit: