Why Make Exercise a Priority?
How many times have you woken up in the morning and not even given a thought to the fact that you are healthy? Just think about it. Do you regularly jump out of bed and say, "Oh good, I can breathe today!" or "Thank goodness, I can get out of bed this morning." Well, maybe some mornings getting out of bed can be a challenge for all of us. My point is that we often take our health for granted. Another day passes and we go about our usual routine without really thinking what it would be like if we had an illness preventing us from doing the things we like to do.
I know you have heard about the benefits of exercise over and over. Like how it can prevent many of the most common causes of premature death and disability like cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, obesity, hypertension and some types of cancer.
Recently I came across a study that stated that people who exercise are less likely to die at an early age than sedentary people. The study observed large groups of men and women over a 15-year period to determine the health outcomes of active compared to sedentary people. It found that sedentary men were three times as likely to have died over a 15-year period than those who exercised regularly. Sedentary women were four times as likely to die over the same period as their more active counterparts.
Earlier in this book I mentioned how cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States. Undoubtedly you know someone or have a loved one that has had cancer in their life. As I write this book there is no cure for cancer, but there is a way to help protect yourself from it. That way is by incorporating exercise in your life.
In 2002, the American Cancer Society estimated that the most commonly occurring cancers in men were prostate, lung and colon cancer, while breast, lung and colon cancer were most prevalent in women.
A study by the Harvard School of Public Health, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital examined whether physical activity plays a role in the prevention of cancer. The study found that physically active men and women have a 30 to 40% reduction in the risk of developing colon cancer, compared to inactive persons. In regard to breast cancer, evidence shows that physically active women have about a 20 to 30% reduction in risk.
I find it interesting that the most common cancers to inflict us are the very ones that may be prevented by regular exercise.
I can write a list of reasons citing why you should exercise that would encompass several pages of this book; however, I won't because chances are you're well aware of them already. In fact, I have a poster I received through one of my trade journals that lists 100 reasons why you should exercise.
