Researchers reach positive conclusions about results of regular exercise
The studies that support the intrinsic value of regular exercise are now appearing faster than anyone can possibly track, but, here at CBI, we try, we try. Among the noteworthy findings that have been documented recently are the following:
The American Cancer Society (ACS) reports that as many as 20% of all cases of cancer may be caused by excess body weight. A 16-year study of nearly 1 million adults revealed that the higher a subject’s body mass index (BMI), the more likely they were to develop cancer as they aged. Researchers calculate that some 14% of cancer deaths in men and 20% in women can be attributed to excess weight; and among the heaviest subjects (BMIs of at least 40), the risk was 52% higher in men and 62% higher in women
A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) suggests that a program involving good nutrition and regular exercise can lower a person’s blood pressure without the assistance of medication. The 800 research subjects, who had an average age of 50, and tended to be overweight and sedentary, with high blood pressure, responded well to a regimen that included a reduced-fat diet and 180 minutes of moderately intense exercise per week.
The British Journal of Rheumatology speculates that exercise may help older women avoid arthritis. Researchers discovered that women with extra flexible joints were less likely to develop arthritis, suggesting that regular workouts, focusing on stretching and flexibility, might help prevent the condition.
A 10-year study involving nearly 2,000 men, conducted at Queen’s University, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, found that vigorous exercise (e.g., jogging, hiking, stairclimbing, swimming, playing racquetball) reduced heart disease and added years to a person’s life. The report, published in Heart, a British medical journal, concluded that moderate exercise didn’t help prevent early death from heart disease, but more strenuous workouts did; in fact, those who exercised most vigorously were 40% less likely to die of heart disease than those who exercised least strenuously. Similarly, Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association, reports that brisk walking helps diabetic men avoid developing heart disease, or dying of heart attack or stroke.
