Regular physical exercise is an absolute must to control weight, maintain aerobic fitness, muscle tone and high metabolism. Exercise is also a well known stress reliever, and moderate physical activity actually releases mood-enhancing endorphins into the body, natural pain-killers that actually help alleviate physical and mental pain, making exercise an excellent natural remedy to many health ailments.
In fact, studies show that exercise is great physical and mental therapy and consistent physical fitness helps curb and control a wide variety of health problems, sometimes even better than conventional drug treatments.
*Exercise Helps Relieve Depression*
Clinical studies continue to demonstrate that exercise alleviates anxiety and boosts our mood, aiding in the treatment of mild depression. Aerobic exercise also releases epinephrine, substances that create feelings of happiness and excitement. Physically active people are known to recover from mild depression more rapidly than sedentary people.
Exercise, the body's natural painkiller, can be just as effective at curing depression as anti-depressant drug treatment. In a controlled study of 156 patients at Duke University, depression sufferers who maintained a regular exercise program improved symptoms as well as patients taking anti-depressants. The likely reason? A brain chemical released during exercise called PEA phenylethylamine, a stimulant produced by the body, which has amazing and natural anti-depressant properties.
*Exercise Can Alleviate Allergy Symptoms*
A well planned and moderate exercise program boosts aerobic fitness and helps the body become fitter and stronger, and more resilient to allergy symptoms. Over time, a consistent exercise program can help sufferers reduce their dependence on allergy medication. While outdoor exercise is a possible allergy trigger for people with aggressive allergies, physical exercise can control and ease allergic reactions in some people by regulating the body's autonomic system, which controls heart and respiration rate, perspiration and salivation, as well as allergic reactions.
*Exercise Cures Insomnia*
Despite the dozens of over the counter sleep aids and medications sold at pharmacies, exercise remains a great cure for insomnia. Although working out a few hours before bedtime will likely keep you more alert and awake, exercising in the morning or mid-afternoon can actually help you fall asleep at night.
Researchers at the University of Stanford found that moderate exercise not only induces sleep but also improves the quality of sleep in insomniacs, and facilitates smoother transition between sleep phases, resulting in deeper sleep. Exercise is a temporary stressor on the body and the brain compensates for this stress by increasing the body's need for sleep later on the day, resulting in longer, more productive sleep. The bonus? Not only does exercise bust fatigue, but improves brain power the morning after.
*Exercise Curbs High Cholesterol*
As heart disease continues to remain a killer in both men and women, it is no surprise that cardio exercise helps reverse high cholesterol levels. A known coronary artery disease reducer, cardio exercise raises "good" HDL cholesterol levels, while lowering "bad" LDL cholesterol levels. Exercise also controls excess weight gain, a risk factor for high cholesterol. Exercise naturally raises HDL levels by as much as 3-6%, while lowering bad LDL levels by another 5-10%.
*Exercise Eases Arthritis*
Regular stretching exercises improve the joint's range of motion and can preserve joint structure and function. Flexibility exercises help keep joints flexible, reducing stiffness, a common ailment of arthritis sufferers. Strong muscles also help protect joint damage, yet another reason to integrate weight training in a fitness routine. Building strong muscles keeps metabolism elevated, fights gravity, maintains muscle mass, and reduces the likelihood of osteoporosis in women, all while cushioning the joints.
*Exercise Treats and Prevents Back Pain
Not only does physical exercise help maintain good posture, which can prevent back problems later down the road, but certain exercise can help alleviate tension at the spine and reduce back and neck pain in acute and chronic sufferers. Studies show that back strengthening exercises that concentrate on developing the core muscles consistently relieve aches and pains in chronic back pain sufferers, and can reduce the sufferer's dependence on synthetic pain relievers to alleviate pain. Yoga and pilates, which focuses on core training, help develop strong back muscles, thereby preventing extra stress on the back, which contributes to back aches.
Exercise is the body's natural, chemical and antibiotic-free cure to many common ailments. Regular exercise also improves our appearance and confidence, and demands no health insurance or pharmaceutical premiums from our wallet, but instead just a few hours a week from our schedule.