Here's just a sample of research proving the dramatic life-enhancing benefits of exercise
Overall Health
In a study of 6,679 healthy male subjects, both those who were more fit and those who became more fit had fewer medical visits than the unfit. Further, fit men were less likely to have physician visits or overnight hospital stays than unfit men. (Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise)
Sudden Heart Attack
Regular exercise can help prevent sudden cardiac arrest, especially if it's kept up over the long term. Women who exercised four to seven hours a week cut their odds of such an event in half, compared to women who exercised less. (Heart Rhythm Society's annual meeting)
Depression
After 16 weeks of treatment, exercise was as effective as medication in reducing depression among patients with major depressive disorder. (Duke University)
Diabetes
Participating in at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week and losing at least 7 percent of body weight has a greater effect on the reduction of diabetes than a well-known diabetes drug. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Heart Health
Cytokines promoting atherosclerosis fell and those preventing atherosclerosis rose after a six-month exercise program averaging 21/2 hours per week. Atherosclerosis is the leading cause of heart disease. (Journal of the American Medical Association)
Mental Acuity
A 10-year study of elderly men found that the duration and intensity of physical activity is an important factor in sustaining cognitive capacity among men as they age. The report suggests that such physical activity may reduce the risk of stroke, dementia and cognitive decline. (Neurology)
Cancer Prevention
Regular vigorous exercise can slow the progression of prostate cancer in older men, according to a 14-year study that followed 47,620 subjects. In another study on women, researchers discovered a solid association between a lowered risk of ovarian cancer and moderate exercise. (Archives of Internal Medicine and Public Health Agency of Canada)
High Blood Pressure
Long-term aerobic exercise can reduce high blood pressure as much as some drug therapies. (Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise)
Osteoporosis
Strength training increased bone mineral density in middle-aged women who participated in a one-year exercise program. (Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise)
Parkinson's Disease
Men who exercised regularly and vigorously had a lower risk of developing Parkinson's compared with men who did not exercise, according to a study that measured 100,000 subjects. (Neurology)
Stroke
Postmenopausal women can reduce their risk for stroke by reducing the amount of intra-abdominal fat through moderate exercise.
(Circulation)
