Exercise: The Closest Thing to a Fountain of Youth
Regular physical activity offers a wide range of health benefits that might surprise even doctors. Just 30 minutes of exercise most days can:
Keep You Young: Workouts like brisk walking or cycling boost your oxygen consumption. Improving your aerobic capacity by just 15 to 25 percent can make you feel 10 to 20 years younger. Aerobic exercise may also stimulate the growth of new brain cells, particularly in older adults.
Reduce Infections: Moderate exercise temporarily enhances your immune system by increasing the aggressiveness and capacity of immune cells, potentially leading to fewer colds.
Prevent Heart Attacks: Exercise raises “good” HDL cholesterol, lowers blood pressure, and reduces arterial inflammation—another risk factor for heart attacks and strokes.
Ease Asthma: Upper-body and breathing exercises can reduce the need for an inhaler in mild cases of asthma.
Control Blood Sugar: Regular physical activity increases your cells’ sensitivity to insulin and helps control weight, significantly reducing the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Protect Against Cancer: Exercise may lower the risk of colon cancer by speeding waste through the gut and lowering insulin levels. It may also protect against breast and prostate cancer by regulating hormone levels.
Combat Stress: Aerobic exercise lowers levels of stress hormones. For many, it can relieve depression as effectively as antidepressant medication.
Relieve Hot Flashes: Walking or practicing yoga can enhance mood and reduce menopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes and night sweats.
Protect Men’s Health: Pelvic exercises help prevent erectile dysfunction and possibly benign prostate enlargement, a common cause of urinary problems.
Prolong Life: Long-term studies show that being active cuts the risk of premature death by about 50 percent for both men and women.
