Radiant Living

Exercise is critically important to a
total lifestyle approach to health. Here are
some of the benefits of exercise:
❂ Exercise helps us feel good. It is
so effective that it is a valuable tool for
fighting depression and relieving anxiety
and stress.
❂ Exercise increases energy levels,
making us more efficient and productive
in all that we do.
❂ Exercise helps one to reach and
maintain proper weight. It burns calories,
builds muscle, and increases the
metabolism.
❂ Exercise stimulates the immune
system. This decreases not only cold
and flu infections, but also significantly
reduces cancer mortality rates. 1
❂ Exercise enhances circulation,
which in turn improves memory and
mental ability, and promotes better sleep
and faster healing. It decreases the pain
and stiffness of osteoarthritis by delivering
blood to the joints, and can relieve
headaches.
❂ Exercise strengthens the bones,
helping them retain calcium and other
minerals, thus aiding in the prevention
of osteoporosis.
❂ Exercise helps protect from heart
disease by strengthening the heart, decreasing
blood pressure and heart rate,
and lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol
while raising HDL (good) cholesterol.
❂ Exercise aids digestion and promotes
intestinal activity, reducing gas
and constipation.
Exercise Essentials
1. Check with your doctor before
starting a vigorous exercise program if
you have cardiovascular disease or are
over 40 with multiple cardiovascular risk
factors. The risks of physical activity are
Benefits of Walking
Walking, although one of the simplest exercises; has several surprising advantages:
❂ Walking uses almost all of the body’s 206 bones and 640 muscles.
❂ It is something that almost everyone can do without learning new skills.
❂ It does not require the purchase of expensive equipment.
❂ It is easy on your joints.
❂ The pace is simple to adjust.
❂ It can be done anywhere from shopping malls to the great outdoors.
❂ You can get your fresh air and sunshine at the same time if you are
walking outside.
❂ Walking lends itself to socializing; make exercise fun by including family, friends,
and your dog.
❂ Invest in a good pair of walking shoes and dress appropriately for the weather.
10 s RADIANT LIVING