Exercise For a Longer Life
- Remana Jamal
- Jun 27, 2019
- 1 min read
Updated: Jun 27, 2019
We always hear that exercise adds up years to your life, but we don’t actually know how. Exercising can reduce the risk of certain diseases, which can then protect us from dying from those diseases.
Heart health
Exercising regularly lowers LDL (the bad cholesterol), body fat, blood pressure, blood glucose, and increase HDL (the good cholesterol). Since the heart is a muscle, the more we exercise the stronger it gets. Cardio exercises like, walking, jogging, running, swimming, hiking, and dancing are beneficial for a healthy heart because they increase the heart rate and require more oxygen to reach the heart.
Cancer risk
Exercising can reduce the risk of getting cancer, for example around 20-40% of cancers can be prevented by exercising. Exercise can reduce the levels of some hormones, which help in cancer development, and increases immunity to fight cancer cells.
Brain health
Exercise can help in preventing Alzheimer’s disease and enhance cognitive function. When we exercise, blood flows to the brain, and chemicals are released in the brain, which protect the brain from Alzheimer’s disease, and cognitive decline.
Diabetes
Diabetic people who exercise have lower blood glucose levels. Patients with type 2 diabetes who exercise regularly will have better insulin sensitivity, which will reduce the incidence of heart disease and other diabetes complications by 40% when exercising 4 hours a week.
One study found that 30 minutes walk for 5 days a week reduced the risk of diabetes by 30%.
It’s never too late to start an exercise routine that suits your health and body. Start by walking 15 minutes a day and gradually increase it to 60 minutes until you feel comfortable and stronger.
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