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By age 70, most women cannot lift a 10-pound weight (the weight of a cat, for example) over their heads. Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in our nation. Billions of dollars are spent every year to treat medical conditions that could have been prevented by regular physical activity.
All because we aren't physically active enough as a nation. Sadly, more than 60% of United States adults currently do not achieve the recommended amount of physical activity. About 25% are not active at all.
Like it or not- as humans, we must take time to exercise our bodies. It is an inevitable consequence of the modern times we live in. Before machines did all the work for us, we used to get much more exercise in our daily activities. Many jobs involved physical labor, people walked or rode bikes to get around, and even washing clothes was a physically demanding task. People didn't have to set aside time to exercise because it was incorporated into daily life. But today, when we have cars, automatic appliances, and TVs to sit in front of (including remote controls, so that we don't have to get up), our bodies can quite easily become neglected. The results of this neglect may be inflexibility, weight gain, muscle wasting, and even more serious conditions like heart disease, osteoporosis and diabetes.
How can exercise have such an effect on our health, you ask?
First of all, your body needs cardiovascular conditioning, AKA aerobic exercise, to keep your heart in good shape. The heart is like a pump that sends oxygen and nutrients out into the body through the blood. When you exercise, you increase the heart's efficiency. The stronger the pump, the harder it is for arterial plaque to collect on the walls of your arteries, and therefore your risk of heart disease is minimized. If you are sedentary, your heart gets weaker with age and you increase your chances of getting atherosclerosis. Not only does aerobic exercise enhance cardiac function, but it also boosts HDL (the "good") cholesterol levels, strengthens the bones in the spine, and lowers the risk of heart attack, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, and even some forms of cancer.
Second of all, your body's muscles need strength training and stretching to stay conditioned. If you don't condition your muscles, the cells will shrink and lose elasticity over time, increasing the chance of injury and decreasing strength with age. Resistance training strengthens your muscles and keeps the cells strong. Strength training assumes even more importance as one ages, because after age 30 everyone undergoes a slow process of muscular erosion, which can be reduced or even reversed by adding resistance training to an exercise program. Another benefit of weight-bearing exercises (like strength training) is that they prevent premature bone decalcification, which is the cause of osteoporosis. By including weight-bearing exercises in your regular workout regime, you improve bone density and therefore reduce your risk of osteoporosis later in life. Meanwhile, stretching exercises keep your muscles flexible and prevent cramps, stiffness, and injuries. Without stretching, you will lose flexibility and range of motion as you get older.
Finally, there are the benefits of endorphins on your physical
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