Lexington, KY - by sheila kalas | fitness Columnist
Let's be honest. Most of us exercise, or contemplate exercising, to either maintain our current weight or lose weight. I believe if there were a pill to accomplish this, the roads would be much less crowded with walkers and runners and gym memberships would plummet.
However, the pill that melts our fat away has not been invented yet; at least not one that works. I am actually very pleased about this. Why? Because along with being the best way to maintain and lose weight, regular exercise provides many other health benefits that you should be aware of.
Keeping your independence is at the top of the list. Exercise is the best way to ensure that you will remain independent as you age. Exercise is the key to your mobility, and mobility is the key to independence. Research indicates that regular exercisers have an average of nine to 13 more years of independent living than non-exercisers. That's a great reason to get out there and move.
The first Baby Boomers turn 65 this year. This is a population that is consumed with health, fitness and keeping a good quality of life as they age. They have witnessed, or are seeing, their aging parents deteriorate into old age. They are determined not to follow in their parents' paths.
This is clearly seen in my business of personal training. On average Boomers workout more consistently than the younger population of clients. They are more interested in exercising for health than they are exercising to look good. They have the right attitude.
Besides helping you keep your independence as you age, regular exercise reduces your chances of developing major diseases, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, risk of stroke, cancer, peripheral artery disease, Alzheimer's and obesity.
Knowing that just a 30-minute walk a day could greatly reduce your risk for all of these diseases should be reason enough for you to get out there and do it. There is no absolute guarantee that you won't contract these diseases because you exercise, however, the research shows overwhelming evidence that you do reduce risk significantly.
Sarcopenia is also a condition that can develop without regular exercise, specifically weight-bearing exercise. Sarcopenia is age-related loss of muscle mass, and if your body isn't challenged, you will begin to lose muscle mass in your 30s. This loss will continue and speed up as you age. Simply lifting weights once or twice a week will stop this process.
Losing muscle mass also leads to a lower metabolism, making it easier to gain weight. Many people believe that getting old and getting fat are synonymous and that there is no way to avoid this trend -
not so. Intervening with weight training does stop this process, and in many cases can reverse it.
Improved self-efficacy is yet another reason to exercise. For the first time, in 2010, the American Psychiatric Association formally recognized exercise as a part of the standard of care recommended for the treatment of depression. The statistics on how many people suffer from this disease is staggering. People who participate in regular exercise report a higher level of self-efficacy than those who do not exercise. Several studies show that people who suffer from depression, or anxiety, find marked benefit when exercise is added to their treatment.
These are just some of the reasons to make exercise a regular part of your life, besides exercising to look good. Improving your looks and your body image are not a bad reason to exercise, but shouldn't be your only reason.