Life StagesHeart
disease and stroke: Physical
activity can halve the risk of developing
heart disease or suffering a stroke. Exercise
helps to reduce the risk of these vascular
diseases by lowering blood pressure, raising
the level of protective HDL cholesterol,
reducing the risk of developing blood
clots and diabetes and countering weight
gain.
Cancer: Exercise lowers
the risk of developing cancer of the colon,
one of the leading causes of cancer deaths
among men and women. I animals, exercise
protects against breast cancer. |
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Osteoporosis: At any
age at which exercise is begun, it can
increase the density of bones and reduce
the risk of fractures. Furthermore, there
is growing evidence that exercise need
not be weight-bearing to foster bone density;
stationary cycling and water aerobics
may help as well. Older people who become
active also experience improvements in
balance, strength, coordination and flexibility,
which all help to prevent the falls that
can result n debilitating fractures.
Diabetes: Older people
who are physically active are less likely
to develop diabetes than sedentary people.
Physical activity increases the sensitivity
of cells to insulin, which, in turn, lowers
blood sugar and the need for insulin.
Weight: Exercise helps
people maintain a normal body weight or,
when combined with a moderate reduction
in caloric intake, fosters weight loss.
Most important, exercise helps people
lost fat and gain muscle. That make it
easier to maintain weight loss because
muscle tissue burns more calories that
fat does. Even in those of normal weight,
exercise can counter the age-related loss
of lean muscle tissue and the deposition
of body fat especially the heart-damaging
accumulation of abdominal fat.
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Immunity : exercise
increases the circulation of the immune
cells that fight infections and tumors.
Physically fit people get fewer colds
and other respiratory infections than
people who are not fit.
Arthritis: nearly everyone
over 65 has some arthritic symptoms. Studies
suggest that regular moderate exercise
combined with stretching can reduce arthritic
pain and the need for medication.
Depression: exercise
has long been known to help people overcome
clinical depression, so it is not much
of a stretch to conclude that it can help
to prevent the depression that is so common,
albeit often hidden, in older people.
The emotional benefits of exercise are
likely to be greatest if t chosen activities
bring older people into contact with others.
Gastrointestinal bleeding: regular physical activity significantly
decreases the risk of severe gastrointestinal
hemorrhage in older people, probably by
improving circulation to the digestive
tract.
Memory: even brief periods
of mild exercise can result in immediate
improvements in memory in older adults.
Exercise also fosters clearer thinking
and faster reaction time by helping to
sped the transmission of nerve messages
Sleep: A study by Researchers
at Stanford and Emory University's showed
that in older adults who were initially
sedentary regular exercise, like brisk
walking, improved sleep quality and shortened
the time it took to fall asleep.
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