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| Exercise - The Engine that Drives Good Health |
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Exercise is marvelous for body, mind, and spirit. In addition to benefits for the musculoskeletal system, it has positive effects on most other aspects of our bodies, from our brains to our toes and virtually everything in between. Dr. Henry Lodge says, “Exercise is the master key to health. It is the engine that empowers good health.” Most top health authorities agree. In fact, Dr. Willett writes, “Exercise is the single best thing you can do to get healthy.” To understand why exercise is such a powerful force for health, it is worth reviewing a basic rule of life for the body. This rule is that the body’s cells are constantly being replaced. Old cells are destroyed in every tissue and organ of the body as new cells are being made to replace them. Cells of some tissues are replaced faster than others. Taste bud cells are replaced on a daily basis, while blood cells are replaced about every three months. Bone cells are replaced about every two years, and we now know that even new brain cells are being produced daily. Decay and renewal processes are going on simultaneously in your body at all times. It turns out that exercise is the key factor in determining whether renewal or decay has the upper hand in what happens to the body’s tissues. Cytokines are the internal repair chemicals that tear down old cells and build new ones. The muscular system is the greatest reservoir of cytokines in the body. Exercise kicks hundreds of reparative chemical cascades into high gear. At rest, about twenty percent of our blood flows through the muscles. Exercise pumps muscular blood flow up three or fourfold, picks up cytokines in the process, and carries these rebuilding agents to every cell in the body. This explains why exercise is the secret to rejuvenating your body. It is a powerful tool, but it must be used wisely and regularly to be effective. By contrast, the sedentary lifestyle is unfortunately one of slow decay, literally predisposing the body to a host of degenerative diseases. How frequently and how intensely should a person exercise? Most exercise authorities agree that thirty to sixty minutes of moderately intense exercise is ideal, at least five or six days a week. Brisk walking, biking, swimming, or kayaking all fit the bill. The key is to begin, build up slowly, and keep at it! |