Sunday, May 10, 2009

Exercise - The only practical means to good health

By Angela Giles

Life without good health is full of suffering. When one is healthy, one does not realize the benefits of maintaining it. A healthy mind resides in a healthy body. There is great energy, enthusiasm and verve with good health. One is able to effectively deal with the challenges of life.

When we are young, our body is naturally strong and healthy. But as we grow old, the bones and muscles start becoming weaker and the skin starts developing lines and wrinkles. This aging process can be delayed by regular exercise which helps to maintain fitness levels of the body. Exercise has many benefits and here the six most important ones.

1. Regular exercise keeps you lean and helps you to lose fat

2. Improves sleep patterns

3. Exercise strengthens the bones and prevents serious injuries

4. Exercise diminishes the risk of critical diseases like heart problems, high blood pressure, and diabetes.

5. Exercise also helps to improve confidence and relaxation

6. Improves stamina and prevents muscle sagging with age.

Experts advise a simple exercise schedule of 30 minutes for 5 days in a week. There is no need to join a gym and develop 6 pack abs. All you need is simple walking, climbing stairs and some aerobics.

The advances in science and technology have increased comfort and convenience at the cost of making us lazy. Lifts, cars, television, and microwaves simplify our life to a great extent but also degrade our health quotient.

Therefore it is important to consciously make choices and include that little exercise whenever possible. If you have to go to the 10th floor, take the stairs for 2-3 floors before taking the lift. If you can walk to the neighborhood grocery store, do not take the car. Instead of watching a game on television, play with children.

It is a no-brainer that if you eat more fats than you can expend, your body will store them and increase in weight. This will put pressure on your system and lead to hypertension and other illnesses. Therefore, health is also directly related to what you eat.

Develop an interest in various food items. Discover the properties of food, their contents and their effects on health. All foods are not similar. They contain varying quantities of macro- and micro-nutrients. Our daily diet may sometimes not be able to supply all the bodily requirements and additional nutritional supplements may be required. Always remember that a healthy diet plus regular exercise equals good health.

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