Huron Hometown News

Can exercise really be considered medicine? We all know that regular exercise can help us maintain a healthy body weight and reduce stress. Exercise can give us more energy and make us feel better about ourselves, but, according to leading medical experts, there is so much more to it than that. Regular exercise might actually help boost your immune system and fight off many chronic diseases. I don’t mean to downplay the weight loss benefits of regular exercise. Let’s not forget that obesity is the fastest growing public health challenge in America. If obesity rates continue to grow at their current pace more than 40 percent of the American population will be considered obese by 2018. Keeping that figure in mind, the U.S. will spend $344 billion on health-care costs related to obesity, accounting for 21 percent of all health-care spending. Studies have repeatedly shown that physical activity can help prevent obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and other chronic conditions. According to research published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, low cardio-respiratory fitness and physical inactivity has a greater effect on mortality rates than smoking. What’s even more shocking is that a study in The Journal of the American Medical Association found that a low level of fitness is a bigger factor in mortality than mild to moderate obesity. This research would seem to suggest that regular exercise could be the ultimate in preventative medicine. So how much exercise do you need to do in order to see all these benefits? Leading a healthier lifestyle is easier than you might think. You don’t have to go to the gym every day or spend an hour on the treadmill every night. According to the Center for Disease Control Web site, you need about 150 minutes of light to moderate aerobic activity and 2 or more days of muscle strengthening activity every week to see benefits. This could be as simple as going for a 30-minute walk, five days a week and adding in weight-bearing exercise twice a week. Just 30 minutes of physical activity per day can: reduce mortality rates by 50 percent; lower the risk of colon cancer by 60 percent; reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s by a third; and decrease depression as effectively as a prescription drug. So, I guess exercise is medicine and it’s time to get started on your prescription. Call your doctor today to set up an appointment for your annual checkup or plan to talk about physical activity at your next doctor’s office visit. If you need help with your exercise program, a qualified personal trainer can work with your doctor to develop a plan. Most importantly, just get up and start moving! For more information, visit HYPERLINK "http://www.exerciseismedicine.org" www.exerciseismedicine.org. Ken Cutcher is a trainer at Anytime Fitness in Huron OH. Anytime Fitness is the largest co-ed fitness club chain in the world and a founding partner of Exercise is Medicine™. For more information, visit www.anytimefitness.com.