Straight Track#10

On Track To Good Health:
How Much Exercise is Enough?

J. Dillon Hoey, Partner
Hoey & Farina

Good health! It's something we all wish for our family, our friends and ourselves. We ran across several articles in the May/June 2000 edition of "News for Healthy Living," a publication for the graduates of the Pritikin Longevity Center in Santa Monica, California, and I thought our railroad friends and their families might enjoy reading them.

The following is the first of several health-related articles that will be featured in Straight Track.

FITNESS 101: How Much Exercise is Enough?

Not to suggest that you, our Alumni, are lazy (never!), but one of your most frequently asked questions is: "What's the least amount of exercise I can get away with and still get results?"

Good question. In this article, we'll present the latest guidelines from the Physicians and Exercise Physiologists at the Pritikin Longevity Center. An impressive body of research has found that for most people these recommendations promote weight loss. They also develop and maintain cardiovascular fitness, muscular strength, and flexibility.

Keep in mind, though, that one does not get in shape by exercise alone. In the National Weight Control Registry, the largest database ever compiled of people who have shed significant amounts of weight and kept it off, the vast majority - nearly 2,000 men and women - achieved their success through a combination of exercise and diet, specifically, a low-fat diet rich in fruits and vegetables.
Remember, too, that the following guidelines are the minimal amounts of exercise needed to lose weight and get your cardiovascular system in shape. Translated: if you do more, you'll get more results.

And for a small percentage of the population, the minimal is, unfortunately, a little too minimal. Explains Dr. Heather Pena, Physician and Educator at the Pritikin Longevity Center: "Thirty minutes a day of aerobic activity helps most people slim down, but for some of our participants, it's just not enough. To get results, they know they need to do more." 

For most of us, however, the basics spelled out in this article really do deliver all sorts of fantastic benefits. Here are just a few: 

LONG LASTING WEIGHT CONTROL 
Exercise can help you shed fat and, equally important, keep the weight off. Many studies have found that after people lose weight, the best predictor of maintaining that weight loss is whether they exercise regularly. 

HEART DISEASE PREVENTION 
Exercise slashes the risk of heart disease in a number of ways. It lowers blood pressure in people who already have hypertension, and it helps those with normal blood pressure keep it that way. It reduces triglycerides, raises HDL, the "good" cholesterol, and improves the body's blood clotting mechanisms. Regular aerobic activity promotes collateral circulation - the creation of tiny new blood vessels that act as natural bypasses around diseased arteries. In addition, it dramatically reduces the risk of diabetes, a disease that often leads to hear attacks. 

DIABETES CONTROL 
The benefits of exercise for people with Type 2 diabetes are substantial. Most critically, physical activity promotes healthy blood sugar levels. If your blood sugar is under control, you can slow, even stop, the progression of serious complications related to diabetes, including blindness, kidney failure, nerve damage, and heart disease. 

STRONGER BONES 
Any sort of weight-bearing activity, from walking to weight-lifting, builds bone density, decreasing the risk of osteoporosis, or brittle bones. What's more, because exercise improves muscle strength and balance, it greatly diminishes the likelihood that you'll fall. 

RELIEF FROM ARTHRITIS PAIN 
A growing body of research is finding that regular physical activity is wonderfully beneficial for many men and women with arthritis. It can lessen pain, stiffness, and swelling. In weakened muscles and joints, it also increases strength, stability, and range of motion. 

COLON AND BREAST CANCER PREVENTION 
Several large studies which followed people for more than two decades concluded that colon cancer risk was cut in half in those people who walked about 30 to 40 minutes every other day compared to those who were largely sedentary. And a recent consensus has emerged showing that lifelong exercise is associated with reduced risk of breast cancer. 

PSYCHOLOGICAL REWARDS   
Consistently, aerobic exercise has been found to reduce depression and anxiety and improve "stress hardiness," one's tolerance to the stresses of everyday life. Many studies have also demonstrated that aerobic workouts like brisk walking and running stimulate the release of "feel good" hormones (endorphins). Regular exercise may help you sleep better, too. 

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