More surprising facts about that magic pill called “exercise”

(UPDATE: Research link on how exercise improves gut health added)

An essential topic in every consult I do with my patients is exercise – because exercise is fundamental to living a healthy life. Our bodies are evolved to move often – it’s our biological heritage as hunter/gatherers on Africa’s prehistoric plains.

Our sedentary Information Age lifestyle contributes to a whole range of health issues – from diabetes to cancer.

That’s not just an “alternative” opinion from a complementary health practitioner – that’s what increasing amounts of mainstream research studies show.

Is it REALLY true? Get the facts

Here are some recent findings, nicely summarised by Medscape:

Does Exercise Really Boost Cognition? (July 2023)
More Steps Tied to Fewer Heart Failure Symptoms (July 2023)
How Old Is Too Old to Start Strength Training? (April 2023)
‘Weekend Warriors’ vs Regular Exercisers: Cardio Vascular Benefits (July 2023)
HIIT Before Surgery Improves Recovery (July 2023)
Exercise vs Neuromuscular Stimulation in Type 2 Diabetes (April 2023)
5 Mins of Exercise May Slash Cancer Risk (July 2023)
Exercise Boosts Physical Health in Kids (July 2023)
The Key to Good Health (July 2023)

PLUS:
Exercise, Diet, and Brain Health (May 2025) Exercise improves mood BY improving gut health.

Overall, movement is good for your health. It could be sport on the weekend, or a short burst of weights between phone calls. However you “hack” it into your day, it will increase your wellbeing, your longevity and decrease your risk of illness.

You can benefit from even small amounts of exercise built into simple home activities.

So get creative about finding ways to build movement into your life – whether it’s using a carton of milk to do pullovers or parking the car 100 metres away from the supermarket.

If you need support to plan your movement upgrade, have a consult with your Naturopath, Exercise physiologist, Physiotherapist, Myotherapist, Osteopath, Remedial Massage Therapist, Yoga teacher, Gym Instructor, Personal Trainer, GP and so on.

We are all here to support and help motivate you to keep well.

PS: Balance your exercise with time for rest and recovery. We evolved for a wide variety of moderate movement, with occasional bursts of intense effort AND rest in between times.