by Patricia Albers

Created on: August 06, 2008   Last Updated: June 29, 2009

Exercise is the Best Medicine

Take a twenty-minute walk and call me in the morning. Could this be the prescription of the future for what ails us? Exercise can help prevent and treat allergies, depression, insomnia, lower cholesterol and ease arthritis and back pain while promoting good heart health. The side effects are very positive, which is not always the case with many medications on the market today.

Exercise can help to ease allergies by regulating the immune system and reducing inflammation in the body. If outdoor exercise is not possible, there are excellent indoor exercise choices. Yoga breath work is a proven method that uses breathing techniques to clear allergens out of the nasal passages and restore free breathing. One of the side effects of yoga breath work is increased clarity of thinking unlike the side effects of many pills. Many pills have negative side effects; some of them are very severe and cause increasing damage to the body, especially the liver. Side effects of some of the medications used to treat depression and insomnia can be fatal; they increase suicidal tendencies. Exercise for depression comes highly recommended for the opposite reason; it makes people feel better. During exercise, endorphins are released that reduce the body's perception of pain, creating an overall feeling of well being. Exercise is versatile; short, intense durations of exercise can be an excellent mood booster; alternately, taking a long walk or doing yoga exercises can be just what is needed to overcome insomnia for a good night's sleep. In addition to making us feel better and helping to regulate sleep patterns, physical exercise can also help to reduce high cholesterol. Regular, moderate exercise for thirty minutes five times or more a week can increase HDL (high density, "good cholesterol") levels. The FDA has removed some medications for high cholesterol off the market due to serious side effects. Exercise, on the other hand, not only helps to lower cholesterol but also improves heart health and diabetes. It is also a time-honored method of reducing arthritis and back pain. Arthritis and back pain can be alleviated with water exercise such as swimming and water aerobics; warmer water relieves stiffness and stress on the joints. Different kinds of exercise bring different results; weight lifting increases strength, stretching and yoga increase flexibility while reducing pain and stiffness, and aerobics help to reduce excessive weight bearing on the joints. Before reaching for that prescription, consider the short and long term benefits of good, old fashioned exercises like swimming, jogging, walking, bike riding, and yoga. So, get going and get healthy!

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