by Rachel Stockton

Created on: August 08, 2008   Last Updated: September 24, 2008

Exercise is THE proverbial magic pill. I've often heard it said that if you could sell the effects of exercise, condensed in a supplement, you'd make millions. I agree.

Enter my friend Joe: in his mid-fifties, Joe is an exercise guru extraordinaire. He's also a massage therapist, knowledgeable about every sinew, joint, and muscle and how they fit into the grand scheme of that incredibly complex mechanism, the human body. Accomplished in the martial arts, he moves like a panther.

About 15 years ago, already convinced of the merits of aerobic exercise, Joe put me on a strength training regimen, which I've followed. For most of my adult life I've exercised. Because of this, I've been able to maintain a healthy weight, low blood pressure, and a healthy cholesterol level.

But, even still, I'm in my mid-forties, and certain, well, annoyances have crept up on me to the point where they can't be ignored.

One of them is carpal tunnel. Years of working at a computer terminal started to take a major toll on my wrists, so I went to Joe. He put me through a rather excruciating session in which he literally pressed out the accumulation of "debris" that had collected as a result of my neglect of that part of my anatomy. He also gave me simple exercises to keep the problem at bay. Surgery, he said, doesn't work.

After two hours of grueling therapy, he told me something that has changed the way that I view my body. "Our bodies have the capacity to heal themselves. But, we have to get to the point where we work preventatively, and stop looking for quick fixes."

FAST FOOD LIFESTYLE

He's right. We live in a fast food world view. We want what we want, when we want it. Years ago, we knew intuitively that allowing ourselves and our kids "instant gratification" was NOT a good thing. But, now, the very near immediacy between desire and ownership has changed us; popping a pill to "force" our bodies to plow through, no matter the consequence, seems to make more sense to us than disciplining ourselves through exercise, appropriate rest and healthy eating habits.

Maybe we should consider exercise a form of healthy self medication. Runner's high is a reality. If I feel sluggish or down, I go out for a hike, run, or bike ride, and my day miraculously turns around.

A few years ago, I was treated for depression and was told by my therapist the "merits of exercise." Fortunately, she didn't have to sell me on it, because I knew experientially (which is the best kind of knowledge) that it was a

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