Exercise and Health
Many choose exercise as a means to improve physical appearance. Others exercise to enhance performance in a specific sporting event. There are still plenty however who have no interest in either. These individuals need a more compelling reason to exercise. They don’t wish to compete and are not overly concerned with physical appearance. What do you tell someone in this category? How do you sell the benefits of exercise?
Many who read this blog do not need to be sold. We are already fitness enthusiasts. Some may even call us fitness fanatics. But even I struggle to convince certain friends and family members the value of exercise. They simply don’t want to hear it. I am persistent however, and won’t give up when others don’t want to listen.
One useful strategy is hammer home the relationship between health and longevity. After all, whether you wish to compete in a sporting event has little to do with how much you value life. As a husband and father, I want to be around for my family. If exercise can assist with this wish, you can count on me exercising until the day I am 6 feet under.
As for research supporting the relationship between exercise and longevity, there are new studies coming out every week in favor of this hypothesis. While browsing through the Medline Plus site today, I came across several recent health related studies, all highlighting the correlation between fitness and health/longevity. The links below are from just the past month alone:
Sedentary Lifestyle Accelerates Aging
A Little Regular Exercise Extends Men’s Lives
Walking An Hour A Week Cuts Colon Cancer Risk
Good Physical Function Halves Stroke Risk
There are new studies coming out every week, all suggesting the same. Take care of your body through exercise and proper nutrition, and your likelihood for a longer, more fulfilling life will increase.
Ross
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Alot of guys I work with have no respect for working out. It pissed me off the other day when they herd that some older guy died running on a track. They where like “Yea that working out crap doesn’t help. Its prolly what killed the guy.” They had no idea who the guy was or what kind of problems he had. For all they knew he could have died ten years ago if he hadn’t been exercising! In my personal opinion it was just another quick excuse for them to nock working out and be lazy ass’. Maybe its because they know I workout everyday and they feel guilty cause they don’t…..? I duno. I also wish I could make my parents see the light. They are both in their 50’s now and in the past couple of years have both gained quite a bit of weight. It really worries me cause my dad has had heart problems already. I’m pretty sure they could be solved by simply losing weight. My dad will do anything around the house and work on stuff all day. So he’s not completely lazy. Just when it comes to execise. Thanks for the links. I will pass them on.
The effects of laziness and poor diets are subtle, life altering and costly. I read recently that the health care costs associated with addressing the effects of poor diets and lack of exercise far surpass the annual bill for the US’s war on terror. I don’t remember the figure, but it is an enormous sum.
For the last twenty years many people have asked me how they can get fit or start an exercise routine. I give everyone the some advice, find something physical that you really enjoy and do it for the rest of your life.
Everyone seems fixated on gym work which is the form of excercise pushed by the media. You can go dancing, or rock-climbing or play your favorite sport at the weekend, anything but you MUST enjoy it.
Do you know how many people have followed this simple advice? Out of the hundreds that have asked, NOT ONE SINGLE PERSON.
BTW, do you know how to lose weight? Eat less and move more. No one follows that advice either.