Toxins accumulate and disease develops when cells have low levels of oxygen, but we can increase the amount of oxygen in our cells by building lean muscle through exercise. The more muscle you have and the less fat you have, the healthier you are. Steve Blair, director at the Cooper Institute of Dallas, authored a study in 1999 which found that overweight men who are fit are half as likely to die early when compared to men who are thin and unfit. Blair said, “It’s pretty clear that if you follow a healthy diet, don’t smoke, but are unfit, you are still at high risk of disease and early death.” It's not how much you weigh that causes you to develop disease, it's how much fat tissue you have compared to lean muscle. There are really thin people who develop heart disease and cancer.
Signs of Poor Oxygen Acquisition
- Fatigue
- Injury
- Memory loss
- Joint and muscle pain
- Infection
- Sleep disorders
- Low blood sugar
- Depression
- Problems absorbing fat
- Decreased libido
- Difficult menstrual symptoms
A study in Psychosomatic Medicine found exercise to be an equally effective treatment to traditional medical treatment of depression. Research at Penn State and Johns Hopkins, which was reported in USA Today, showed that exercise is significantly more important than calcium intake for developing and keeping strong bones. When you put pressure on your muscles through exercise, your body adapts by building more muscle as well as laying down more calcium to build stronger bones. According to the American Red Cross and Centers for Disease Control, falling is the number one cause of injury and death among the elderly. Women are more susceptible to bone loss than men because of the post-menopausal loss of estrogen (estrogen aids in maintaining bone density).
Benefits of Exercise
- Improves heart function
- Lowers blood pressure
- Reduces body fat
- Elevates bone mass
- Prevents of brain deterioration
- Decreases the effects of aging
- Decreases total cholesterol and LDL ("bad" cholesterol)
- Raises HDL ("good" cholesterol)
- Raises energy level
- Enhances and balances hormone production
- Aids sleep
- Enhances and balances hormone production
- Aids sleep
- Increases stress tolerance
- Eliminates toxins
- Reduces depression
- Controls or prevents diabetes (insulin resistance)
- Decreases the risk of injury to the muscles, joints and spine
Links to Exercise Articles:
Barefoot Running
"At any time you decide to improve your behavior and make lifestyle changes, they make a difference from that point on. Maybe not right away. It's like slamming on the brakes. You do need a certain skid distance."
- Dr. Jeffery Koplan, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
