WHY IS IT ALWAYS EXERCISE?

Why is it that with every medical condition we say, “Regular Exercise Is Beneficial”? From Alzheimer’s to Anxiety, Dementia to Depression, Breast Cancer to Blood Pressure, Diabetes to Insomnia, exercise benefits almost anything you can wave a stick at. In a Rural Community we may see it with farmers who have recently retired; with their reduced activity they may ‘go downhill’ very quickly.

We’re designed for a world where energy from food (calories) is scarce, difficult, and dangerous to acquire and where a food supply is unreliable. We are hard-wired to spend calories on three activities, getting food, avoiding becoming food, and reproductive success. This hard wiring has consequences in a world where excess calories may be no further away than a stroll to the fridge. The most obvious consequence is a tendency for our bodies to store calories for a rainy day. Our bodies are also very determined to maintain their calorie stores. We have a strong instinct to avoid unnecessary energy spending. If there is a staircase beside an escalator it may take a real effort to choose to take the stairs.

Repair and maintenance functions within our bodies are energy expensive activities. Historically we could not afford to leave these repair and maintenance functions always turned on. This means that we need a trigger to activate these functions. When your ancestors left the cave to go hunt or gather food, they strained their muscles, stood on thorns, stubbed their toe, got bitten by animals, were exposed to toxins and pathogens and so on. It makes sense that the time to turn on the repair and maintenance functions was during this time. Today, physical exertion, or exercise performs the same role of triggering repair and maintenance.

To activate these repair and maintenance processes we need to regularly exercise, twice a week minimum. The exertion levels should raise our heart rate to 70% of maximum. In practical terms this means a good twenty minutes of an activity that leaves you hot, flushed and sweaty. Dancing, boxing, running, swimming, anything that suits really, but considerably more effort than a walk around the block. Don’t forget to make sure that it’s OK with your Doctor first!

Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with your health professional if you have any questions.