MUCH emphasis is placed on the things we should not do if we want to stay healthy: we should not smoke, drink alcohol in excess, use too much salt and sugar and so on. Unfortunately, less emphasis is placed on the other side of the equation; what are some of the practices we should adopt? What activities will keep us healthy, improve our quality of life and extend our life expectancy? Since we all want to be healthy, those questions should be important to everyone.

In answer to those questions, most experts would agree that if regular exercise is not at the top of the list, it is close.

Exercise is defined as any bodily activity that enhances or maintains physical and mental fitness and positively contributes to overall health and wellness. Exercise is divided into three broad groups: aerobic, anaerobic, and flexibility exercises.

Aerobic exercises include running, swimming, cycling, walking, and playing games such as cricket or football. Those activities use large muscle groups, thereby making the heart stronger. Anaerobic exercises are primarily weight-lifting and resistance training such as push-ups, pull-ups and crunches. Those exercises build, strengthen, and tone, muscles; and increase bone strength.

Flexibility exercises are basically stretches that increase the range of motion of joints. Such exercises are usually recommended by doctors after muscle or bone injuries, because they help patients to recover.

The enormous benefits of exercise are well known and understood by medical experts. Regular exercise is statistically correlated with increased life expectancy, because exercise helps to maintain a healthy weight, sustain strong muscles and bones, promote digestive health, maintain good blood circulation, build a strong heart, sustain clear lungs and respiratory pathways, improve the ability of the body to fight infections, improve brain function, promote good sleep, boost energy, and encourage an otherwise healthy lifestyle. In other words, people who exercise are more likely to develop and maintain other healthy habits such as eating good food, while avoiding unhealthy practices such as smoking.
While the physical benefits of exercise are well known, the benefits to mental health are equally evident to medical experts, although less glamourous. According to studies, exercise helps to balance many substances in the brain which keep us in good mental health. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, USA, has compiled a dossier of 11 separate studies concluded between 1981 and 2016 which all show similar results.

Exercise results in increased levels of: brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein that creates and protects brain cells; endorphins, a chemical that reduces stress and pain; serotonin, that regulates appetite, sleep, and mood; dopamine, which helps prevent mental illness and substance abuse; Glutamate and GABA, which regulate heart rate, emotions, and mood. Additionally, the direct and immediate effect of exercise sends more blood to the brain, increasing the levels of oxygen and nutrients available to brain cells.

The same report by the CDC concludes that, “Just one hour of exercise per week is related to lower levels of mood, anxiety, and substance abuse disorders.” The report adds, “Among people in the US, those who make regular physical activity a part of their routines, are less likely to have depression, panic disorder, and phobias.” The report also makes specific recommendations based on the research. For example, it states, “For people with schizophrenia, yoga is the most effective form of exercise for reducing symptoms associated with the disorder.”

Since we know that on the other hand, the lack of exercise results in overall higher risk of disease. For example, according to the World Health Organisation, a lack of exercise increases the risk of coronary heart disease by six per cent, making a heart attack more likely. The absence of physical activity elevates the chances of getting diabetes by seven per cent, breast cancer by 10 percent, and colon cancer by 10 per cent. Does it not make sense to adopt a healthy lifestyle which includes regular exercise?

While we contemplate improving our lifestyle choices and living a better, longer, more rewarding life, it must be noted that doctors recommend consulting a physician before embarking on any strenuous exercise regimen.