Is Lack of Exercise Killing You?

A sedentary lifestyle sets people up to develop heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. One-third of the men and women in the world fall into the danger zone due to their lack of engaging in any healthy physical activity. Do you fall into the group of sedentary adults whose health is in jeopardy?

Why is Exercise Important?

Exercise is essential because of the many health benefits it provides. You’ll feel better, increase your energy and stamina, and live longer by adding exercise to your daily routine. Lack of activity contributes to obesity, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and stroke.

• Exercise can increase the brain’s production of endorphins, which produces positive feelings, can ease depression, and reduce the perception of pain.
• Exercise contributes to weight loss and weight maintenance.
• Exercise benefits muscle and bone health, which is particularly important to reduce the risk of injuries as you age.
• Exercise reduces the risk of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
• Exercise has been proven to help you relax and sleep better. One sleep study determined that 150 minutes of weekly moderate exercise can improve the quality of sleep by 65 percent.
• Exercise can help reduce the discomfort of chronic pain.
• Exercise can improve your sex life. It also reduces the risk of erectile dysfunction in men.

You don’t need an expensive gym membership or a lot of exercise equipment to improve your health. Daily exercise can be in the form of walking, running, bicycling, dancing, swimming, volleyball, tennis, and any indoor or outdoor activity that gets your heart beating and the calories burning.

•   Choose to climb stairs instead of taking the elevator.

•   Start a lunch-walking group at work.

•   Walk your dog or a friend’s.

•   Take your children to the park and play with them.

Don’t let lack of exercise shorten your life. Have a checkup with your doctor to be sure nothing is preventing you from a vigorous exercise routine. Decide on the activity that’s best for you and get started collecting the benefits.