The
Benefits of a Good Workout
By
now I am 99.999% sure that you realize how important it is to be physically
active (and if you're part of the .001% I don't even know..). Exercising
regularly clearly has its benefits. Whether that’s reducing the risk of
developing certain types of diseases that arise from higher body weights (i.e.
diabetes) or improving oxygen flow to the rest of your body, you really cant go
wrong with a quick workout. But with all its benefits, could exercising
actually be as helpful to the body as actual medication? According to the
British Medical Journal, "exercise can be as good a medicine as pills for
those with conditions such as heart disease." The study consisted of scientists based at the London School of
Economics, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute at Harvard Medical School and
Stanford University School of Medicine in which the researchers searched "to
find any research that compared exercise with pills as a therapy." Once
these trials had been identified, the researchers "studied the data as a
whole" in which "they found exercise and drugs were comparable in
terms of death rates."
So does that mean if you are someone who suffers from conditions
such as heart disease you should go running through the streets throwing you're
medication at confused onlookers? Well...no, not really. Although that would
probably be one of the single greatest things to witness, I think legally I am
supposed to tell you the downsides to the study...
Amy Thompson, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart
Foundation, said "although an active lifestyle brings many health
benefits, there is not enough evidence to draw any firm conclusions about the
merit of exercise above and beyond drugs." In short, a tandem of the two
should be the best-prescribed regiment for anyone suffering from such
conditions.
So c’mon, get on your tightest yoga pants (or shortest retro
shorts) and your stereotypical Nike trainers and hit the gym! A little exercise
killed no one, right?
As a firm believer that a lot of health conditions can be improved without medication or with minimal medication (that’s not to say that medication should be eradicated all together, sometimes it is necessary), I definitely agree with your perspective on the importance of exercise. My grandfather suffers from arthritis and for a while would not exercise because of how much his pain affected him, but after taking up a daily exercise and walking regimen, much of his pain has subsided and he no longer relies on such heavy doses of pain killers. Physical activity is definitely not a priority in a lot of Americans’ lives as demonstrated by the prevalence of obesity in our country. This is unfortunate because being active can eliminate/reduce many health problems, especially those that accompany obesity. I don’t think medicine should be taken entirely out patients’ care plans, but I do think that exercise can definitely enhance the effects of other treatments and reduce the extreme amount of reliance on drugs and “cocktail” therapies used today. As you said, “a little exercise killed no one.”
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ReplyDeleteI am a firm supporter of the idea that exercise and healthy living can be potentially better for you than medications and drugs. I know from personal experience that when I am ill, medication may help to alleviate the symptoms but I still feel groggy and ill in general. It isn’t until after I go outside and actually move my body that I begin to feel more like myself and make a recovery. Instead of taking a Tylenol or and Advil I prefer to go for a walk and have a nice glass of water. Additionally in day-to-day life whenever I exercise I generally feel healthier and more in tune with my body than when I stay in bed for the whole day binging on my favorite television show. I really do feel that people should invest more of their time and money into proper exercise and fitness in order to boost their overall health.
ReplyDeleteGreat comments everyone!
ReplyDeleteGreat comments everyone!
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