And nearly everyone can add more exercise into their lives…

You have more power than you think to shape your health destiny – The secret is Exercise!

Exercise is the key to health, wellness and longevity and the latest research is showing how exercise can lower medical costs, improve sleep and increase productivity at work.  Your mood will improve and your risk of developing almost any chronic disease will drop, as stated by Dr. Jordan D. Metzl, a sports medicine physician in New York.

Scientific research has provided irrefutable evidence of the medicinal value of exercise.  We now have proof that several diseases respond strongly to exercise.  As presented in a special edition of Time magazine, a 2016 study of more than 1.4 million people showed that regular exercise decreases the risk for 13 types of cancer, including breast, ovarian and colon cancer.  Also, Type II diabetes, which costs hundreds of billions of dollars per year and affects nearly 30 million Americans, is both preventable and treatable with regular exercise.

Even the brain benefits from regular exercise as numerous studies have shown lower rates of anxiety, depression and memory loss among regular exercisers as compared with people who don’t move around much.

The latest recommendations for exercise:

  • Moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity 30 minutes, 5 days a week
  • You can also mix in some high-intensity training, like a cross training class at the gym
  • Strength training at least 2 days a week for building muscle and bone which protects against injury.

Which exercise is best for you?  Here are some recommendations:

Moderate-intensity aerobic activities

  • Brisk walking
  • Playing with the kids
  • Carrying heavy groceries
  • Gardening, which can be vigorous
  • Stair climbing, biking or swimming

Strength training

  • Gym weight training
  • Pilates
  • Strength training classes
  • Home training with weights

For more information on how you can increase and add variety to your exercise routines, contact Karen Turner-Schlegel Physical Therapy & Pilates in Encinitas.