Hard-wired for Exercise
Exercise will make you more fit, but that's only a small part of the story, according to Philip J. Goscienski, M.D. "Humans are designed for much more physical activity than most of us get," says Dr. Goscienski, author of Health Secrets of the Stone Age, "and every cell of the body benefits from it. Barely 20 percent of Americans are physically active enough to enjoy those benefits."The 80 percent of us who savor the soft life now will have to endure a hard life later, he says.
The human body evolved under conditions that involved lots of activity for so many thousands of years that it depends on moderate physical stress in order to function well. "If we don't stress our bones with fairly heavy lifting, carrying, pushing and throwing, those bones will become thinner. After all, why should the body maintain a strong, heavy skeleton if it doesn't need it to support a lot of muscle? Thin bones are fragile, a condition we all know as osteoporosis." That's a pretty obvious example, but there are lots of subtle ones. Most people would be surprised to learn that there is a connection between exercise and gallbladder disease. The more you exercise, the less likely it is that you will ever have to undergo surgery to have your gallbladder removed.
In a study of more than 60,000 women, those who exercised 2 or 3 hours a week had 20 percent fewer gallbladder operations than their inactive counterparts. Calling someone a musclehead is no compliment, but if you maintain your muscle mass with exercise, it's a good bet that your brain will work better, too. Exercise not only improves short-term memory, it will improve your mood and protect you against depression. Persons who are physically active throughout their lives are less likely to suffer from stroke or Alzheimer's disease, so that their last decades truly become their golden years. Ever notice that athletic individuals don't get colds as often as couch potatoes? Regular, moderate exercise powers up the immune system.
That becomes a life-and-death matter in the elderly, few of whom get much exercise. Inactivity results in loss of muscle mass, which diminishes our reserves of protein, a nutrient that we need to form infection-fighting blood cells and antibodies. It's no wonder that hospital-acquired infection is so common among the senior population. By retiring from physical activity as well as their jobs, they lower their resistance to germs that younger, fitter persons are able to overcome.You can lower your chances of getting several forms of cancer ? breast, prostate and colon ? by exercising throughout life. The reasons are not yet understood, although women who accumulate fat by being inactive raise their estrogen levels, which increases the risk of breast cancer.
From middle age onward, poor sleep patterns and arthritis become annoyances that interfere with lifestyle. Both will improve with regular exercise. Persons who exercise with moderate intensity, such as walking for at least 45 minutes several times a week, fall asleep more quickly and average about one hour more of total sleep than persons who never exercise. Osteoarthritis, which affects more than half of the elderly population, is less painful and limiting among those who engage in exercise that is appropriate for their age and condition.We haven't even discussed obesity and type 2 diabetes, but as Dr. Goscienski points out in Health Secrets of the Stone Age, these have now become frank epidemics in Western societies.
Both conditions are totally absent in present-day hunter-gatherer populations, whose lifestyle is identical to that of the Stone Age. He notes that the 4-fold increase in the level of obesity in children since the early 1970s can be accounted for entirely by their lower expenditure of calories, not by their increased food intake. Type 2 diabetes is now so common among children that they are suffering from its complications before they reach the age of 30..
Philip J. Goscienski, M.D. is a pediatric infectious diseases specialist with a 45-year career in clinical and academic medicine. Dr. Goscienski has written for the Saturday Evening Post and Currents, the national newsletter of the American Heart Association and is a featured writer for North San Diego County Magazine. He has drawn on his interests in biology, anthropology, paleopathology and physical fitness to develop Better Life Seminars, a series of presentations in which he explains how our most distant ancestors lived, and how we can apply this knowledge to extend our healthspan and avoid the major chronic diseases of our age. His book, Health Secrets of the Stone Age is based on his seminars, and on the most recent findings in medical and anthropological research. It is scheduled for a January 2005 release date. You can visit his web site at www.stoneagedoc.com.6 Reasons to Exercise During Pregnancy
Everyone knows that exercise is good for your health. Exercising during pregnancy can have additional benefits. Generally, exercise should be light, especially during the first few weeks of pregnancy while your body adjusts to the changes. Heavy exercise can divert blood flow from crucial areas and most women that exercise regularly should tone down their workouts during pregnancy.Walking, swimming, and yoga are two popular exercise activities suitable for pregnant women. Other forms of exercise like weight lifting are okay too as long as it is not too strenuous.
Most experts recommend exercising 3-4 times a week, unless a medical condition prevents it. If in doubt, always consult a physician first. Listed below are some of the top reasons for exercising during pregnancy. Exercise can reduce the length of labor and reduce recovery times. The right exercise routines will increase stamina needed for delivery.
Improve emotional health - exercise lowers stress and improves...
6 Reasons to Exercise During Pregnancy
Exercise > 6 Reasons to Exercise During Pregnancy
Programming Brief: Exercise Order
Programming Brief: Exercise OrderByOne of the fundamental principles of exercise prescription, specifically resistance training, is the principle of exercise order. Which exercises do I do first? Which do I do last? Does exercise order really matter? From personal observations in the weight room, it would seem to many it doesn't matter. However, if you want an effective exercise program you must consider the order of the exercises.Multi-joint ExercisesAs a general rule you should perform complex multi-joint exercises first in your exercise routine while you are fresh. Typically, multi-joint movements require more skill and energy to perform. Such exercises include squats, deadlifts, bench presses, and pull-ups.
Nothing annoys me more than seeing someone perform bicep curls until their head explodes, then go right into lat pulldowns (notice, lat pulldowns, not pull-ups?anyone who does pull-ups knows better than to work their biceps beforehand).Of course, there are exceptions to...
Programming Brief: Exercise Order
Exercise > Programming Brief: Exercise Order
Exercise and Womens Weight Loss Plan
Exercise and Women's Weight Loss Plan: Proper Diet +Exercise=Weight Loss
Have you had a difficult time deciding what to eat each day? It is so frustrating trying to decide: -What to eat? -How much to eat? -How much exercise? You need the exercise and women's weight loss plan!
I understand because I have been there and am still struggling with these choices on a daily basis. When you put all of this together, exercise and changing you're eating habits you will feel great and look great!
Each day you're going to rely on the right carbs, protein, fat, and this will enable you to live happily without the bad carbs, processed sugar and bad fat. As a result you are going to get healthy and loose weight. -You will eat normal size portions of meat, chicken, fish, turkey (remember most peoples portions are too large) A normal sized portion is the size of the palm of your hand. -You'll have plenty of vegetables, eggs, cheese, nuts.
-Salads. -No bread for two weeks...
Exercise and Womens Weight Loss Plan
Exercise > Exercise and Womens Weight Loss Plan
Exercise Nutrition: How To Keep That Energy Up!
How many times has this happened to you? >> You psych yourself up mentally (you are GOING to do it!)>> You don the outfit (you can practically feel the energy flowing through your veins!) >> You lace up the running shoes (Nike: Just Do It - that's you.) >> You grab your towel (because ANYONE SERIOUS needs a towel). Then it's time. It's time to sweat. It's time to burn the evil fat from your body. You face the treadmill (or stair climber, or rowing machine, or exercise video with the perky aerobics instructor on it).And you start.You warm up, and start moving faster and faster.
The sweat starts to pour. The blood is pumping. Man, you are burning! That size 2 exercise instructor is going to look like a whale compared to you when you get through!The adrenaline hits your blood and you feel GREAT! You could exercise forever! In fact maybe you will exercise forever!Your time winds down. Ok, maybe you'd better slow down, no sense in going TOO crazy here. The cool down sure feels good....
Exercise Nutrition: How To Keep That Energy Up!
Exercise > Exercise Nutrition: How To Keep That Energy Up!
Spare A Thought For Redundant Exercise Machines
I have an exercise machine that I've used once. Did I hear you say 'Me too'? Hey, I'm not proud of that, but I make this revelation with more confidence today than I would have done yesterday.Why? Well, last night I was watching a TV programme about us - the public - and our attitude to exercise. Guess what? I am not alone. In fact, the presenter went down one average street here in the UK and nearly every household had unused or nearly-new exercise equipment. One lady had enough to equip a gym, plus work out videos galore - BUT - all untouched and gathering dust - if not mould - in her garage.
No wonder there are so many TV channels selling this gear - we can't get enough of it - but at the same time, use the exercise bike as a clothes hanger, and dumbells as doorstops.I'm in the wrong business!The thing is that all this equipment does get bought with good intent in mind - so what goes wrong? We all have those moments - you know the ones - Right!! I'm going to get fit. I'm going...
Spare A Thought For Redundant Exercise Machines
Exercise > Spare A Thought For Redundant Exercise Machines
Is It Safe To Start An Exercise Program?
I think the real question is "How safe is it for you not to exercise?" Did you know that obesity has just replaced smoking as the number one cause of health related problems? That's incredible! Sorry to say, but that means we are a bunch of fat, inactive people! Back in the day when people milked cows and planted their own food for exercise, you would never hear of something like this. Think about that the next time you can't exercise because of a hard day at the office! O.k. before I tear off too far into a rant lets look at some of the real concerns you should tend to before you start an exercise program. Before you exercise, go see your doctor-Get a check up. Make sure you get a blood pressure test and a blood test.
Have your heart condition checked and make sure all the other stuff is done and o.k. Some people mistakenly hold back serious effort in the gym for too long because they are afraid something may be wrong with them. If you get a check up and receive a clean bill...
Is It Safe To Start An Exercise Program?
Exercise > Is It Safe To Start An Exercise Program?