Thirty Minutes of Exercise a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

"Exercise is good for you!" If you had a dollar for every time you heard this statement uttered, you'd be rich by now, right? Well, proponents of everyday physical activity aren't just blowing smoke when they repeat this mantra. Medical research has uncovered resounding evidence to back up this "good for you" claim. In fact, the U.S. Surgeon General, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the National Centers for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion all recommend the same thing when it comes to regular exercise: American adults should aim for 30 minutes or more of moderate-intensity physical activity on most, and preferably all, days of the week.

Inquiring minds want to know, so how exactly will daily exercise impact your health and well-being? Regular physical activity positively affects not only your body but also your mind. That's right: Exercise simultaneously improves your physical, your emotional and your psychological health. In fact, it's a triple-threat combatant against the physical and mental disorders Americans most often face: heart disease, diabetes, stroke, stress, anxiety and depression, just to name a few.

When industry experts stand in staunch agreement, you know it's time to focus your attention on their advice and take their concurring counsel to heart. To that end, consider daily exercise's benefits as purported by three of the leading medical sources: the American Heart Association, the Surgeon General's Report on Exercise and Fitness Management magazine.

The American Heart Association (AHA) lists a reduction in the risk of heart disease at the top of its daily physical activity benefit list. Exercise improves circulation throughout the body and lowers cholesterol, thereby decreasing the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke. The AHA also touts exercise's ability to counteract the health problems plaguing today's young people: obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and poor lifestyle habits. In so doing, it prevents the conditions that lead to heart attacks and strokes later in life.

The U.S. Surgeon General, while echoing the AHA's claims, narrows down physical activity's benefits into specific categories. Overall, he maintains that exercise reduces one's risk of dying prematurely, but explicitly mentions a reduction in heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, colon cancer, depression and anxiety and obesity among its lifesaving advantages. According to the U.S. Surgeon General, healthier bones muscles and joints as well as improved psychological well-being are some of the other benefits regular exercisers enjoy.

In an article entitled "The Psychological Benefits of Your Exercise Program," Fitness Management magazine further details physical activity's favorable effects on emotional and mental health. In particular, the article cites the following psychological advantages of exercise: 1) It reduces feelings of anxiety, worry, self-doubt and uncertainty about the future; 2) It lower stress levels and the accompanying physical complaints, such as headaches and muscle tension; 3) It energizes, thereby enhancing one's mood; 4) It improves sleep quality; and 5) It improves one's self-image and ?confidence by keeping weight down and elevating mood.

So, while an apple a day is still sound advice, it seems exercising every day is the new and improved ticket to keeping the doctor away.

By Matt Ream © 2005 RYP Sports Inc. All rights reserved.

RYP Sports is a leading retailer of heart rate monitors, pedometers, Timex watches and stopwatches. Unbeatable prices on the widest selection health related products, including yoga mats, yoga DVDs, exercise balls, and step counters on the Web. All items in stock for fast shipping at the BEST prices anywhere. Satisfaction guaranteed.

---

The Lactate Threshold ? Reality or Fallacy?

For many years exercise science has perpetuated the concept of... Read More

Lose Weight - Stay Fit and Stick With It!

Health and nutrition experts continually advise us that the more... Read More

Get Moving...The Benefits Will Last a Lifetime!

The benefits of physical activity are numerous and very well... Read More

Weight Loss & Low Body Fat ? High Calorie Burning Techniques During Workouts!

My name is Greg Ryan. I am a fitness expert,... Read More

Stretching Exercises

Stretching exercises are important before you begin your workout. Always... Read More

Finding Time to Exercise

Exercising During Commercials I'm getting up an hour earlier these... Read More

Thick Today Is Fat Tomorrow

As we twentysomethings get further along in our twenties, we... Read More

Arthritis Exercise ? One Way to Relieve Pain & Stiffness in Your Joints (part 1)

Exercise can be very beneficial for arthritis sufferers, often relieving... Read More

Debunking Common Exercise Myths, Part 1

Myth #1: Heavy weights make you "bulky"Heavy weights typically do... Read More

How to Find a Gym and Start Exercising

There is hardly a week that passes without an article... Read More

6 Things A Norwegian Fable Teaches Us About Healthy Perseverance Part 2

4. Ideas, goals and dreams have a shelf life. The... Read More

Easy and Effective Home Workouts

Many people think that creating a home workout gym is... Read More

Exercise & Motivation, Part 2: Overcoming Inertia & Getting Started

In the first article in this series (http://tinyurl.com/8ztbo), we gave... Read More

Your Guide To Exercise

Even light exercise is good for you, so don't get... Read More

Arthritis Exercise for All Levels

Exercise can be very beneficial for arthritis sufferers, often relieving... Read More

How To Overcome Workout Plateaus

Humans are habitual. They strive on routine and rituals. While... Read More

Workouts That Travel

A vacation can do wonders for reducing stress levels, but... Read More

No Pain, No Gain Isnt True For Arthritis, But Exercise Is Still Important

Recent studies have shown that exercise may acually help people... Read More

Tone Up While at Work

I know better than anybody that sitting at a desk... Read More

Different Exercises Schedule to Combat Diabetes, Arthritis, and Obesity!

Different Health Problems generally do not allow us to do... Read More

No Time For The Gym?

As you have undoubtedly heard, college students around the country... Read More

Defeating Back Pain Forever

Back pain, one of the most common physical, and debilitating... Read More

A Fitness Mothers Time

So you've been a mother for a while. Good for... Read More

Tips To Deal with Exercise Induced Asthma

For approximately 80-90% of people that suffer from asthma, exercise... Read More

Forget Exercise - Go Play

Can't seem to get the energy or motivation to exercise?... Read More