Kill those diseases with exercise

The benefits of exercise are unquantifiable. Those who engage in it regularly swear by it. Physicians also confirm that because it is a physical exertion of the body, it leads to a healthy level of both physical and mental health.

There’s no doubt that exercise helps us to maintain general fitness, what with the fact that it strengthens muscles that would otherwise have atrophied, and helps us to optimise our cardiovascular system.

Those who exercise on a regular basis would also attest to the fact that it helps in controlling the body weight.Continue after this

Researchers at Harvard School of Public Health say regular exercise or physical activity helps many of the body’s systems to function better, keeps heart disease, diabetes, and a host of other diseases at bay, and is a key ingredient for losing weight.

If exercise and regular physical activity benefit the body, a sedentary lifestyle does the opposite, experts attest; while they maintain that lack of exercise increases an individual’s chances of becoming overweight and developing a number of chronic diseases.

A  Consultant Physiotherapist, Dr. Habeebat Seyi-Dawodu, notes that based on clinical evidence, engaging in regular, moderate exercise for at least 30 minutes at a time and thrice a week would cut the risk of certain diseases, especially when combined with sensible dietary habits that exclude smoking, indiscriminate alcohol consumption and any social vices that could impair health.

She advises that staying physically active and exercising regularly can produce long-term health benefits, not just for the younger persons but also for older people who already have diseases and disabilities.

“That’s why we cunsel older adults to aim to be as active as possible,” Seyi-Dawodu says.

Again, scientists from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Life Science Division in Berkeley, California, report in the journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology that “brisk walking is as effective as running in reducing a person’s risk of hypertension (high blood pressure), high cholesterol and diabetes.”

This being the case, what other diseases can you put at bay with exercise? These ones…

Diabetes

Experts say those who do not have Type-1 diabetes could reduce their risk of Type-2 diabetes by maintaining good dietary habits, combined with regular exercise.

A Diabetologist and Medical Director of Rainbow Specialist Medical Centre, Lekki, Dr. Afokoghene Isiavwe, explains that obesity is one of the leading causes of Type-2 diabetes, assuring that a weight loss under the supervision of a competent physician could lower the incidence of the disease by more than half.

Cardiologists also warn that physical fitness can play “a major role in maintaining normal blood-glucose levels and reduce or postpone long-term cardiovascular complications, which experts say are the leading causes of death among those suffering from diabetes.

Cancer

According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, regular exercise (along with quitting smoking) may lower your risk of many cancers. “Studies indicate that working out can cut the risk of recurrence or death by as much as 50 per cent in people with colorectal cancer,” urologists say.

They also say there is strong evidence that physical activity is associated with reduced risk of cancers of the colon and breast; as well as reduced risk of endometrial (lining of the uterus), lung, and prostate cancers.

A Professor of Radiation Medicine, Charles Okon, says exercise may also lower “the recurrence rate for those with breast cancer, in part by regulating their hormone levels.”

Physicians also advise that for virtually all cancer patients, exercise can lessen some side effects of treatment, including nausea and fatigue.

Arthritis

Bone specialists say if you have trouble moving around or if you feel pain and stiffness in your body, you could have arthritis.

Arthritis is caused by several issues, experts warn, and they say it could result when the immune system attacks the joints and body (as in the case of rheumatoid arthritis); or when the cartilage breaks down, causing stiff, painful joints, as in the case of osteoarthritis.

If you’ve ever seen anybody suffering from arthritis, you would notice that they complain of pain and swelling in the joints. Experts say eventually, a swollen joint can suffer severe damage; while in some cases, arthritis can cause problems in the patient’s eye, skin or other organs.

However, physicians say exercise is safe and effective in reducing pain and stiffness and improving range of motion and overall strength in people with arthritis.

“The physical activity will help you lose weight, thus lessening pressure on your joints. On the other hand, a lack of exercise can accelerate the disease, the online portal, medicalnewstoday.com, reveals.

Heart disease

If any organ of the body is affected by physical exertion, it is the heart. Climb on the treadmill and stay on it for 10 minutes to get an idea of what we are talking about!

Physicians say regular exercise lowers blood pressure, helps maintain a healthy weight and reduces cholesterol.

“All these are major factors in the prevention of heart disease. And you need only moderate activity to get results,” Consultant Cardiologist, Dr. Fred Omo-Agege says.

Indeed, researchers say taking a long walk after eating a high-fat meal can help reverse damage to blood vessels. They advise that after a meal, don’t recline on the seat or go to sleep immediately. Instead, walk around the neighbourhood for about 30 minutes afterwards.