Is it necessary

How much do we need

Why do we need it

Being the critic that I am, I try to play the game of the skeptic. Especially when I am getting ready to write an article to which my name is attached.

Exercise is no exception to that.  I have spent more than half of my life studying exercise, the human body, movement, injury and most things related.  For me it was a choice I made years ago to try and relieve my body of excess energy so I could avoid taking the drugs that would do the same thing to combat my ADHD.  This led to a life long journey of curiosity and questions when it came to how to exercise, why to exercise and more.

Exercise as a science has evolved from a B.C time.

“If we could give every individual the right amount of nourishment and exercise, not too little and not too much, we would have found the safest way to health.”

The above quote came from Hippocrates, who died in 370B.C

That is one of the earliest references I could find (through someone else’s research) that relates to what we call exercise science today.

We now have many degrees that branch out from exercise science.The reason I mention it is because of the research that has been and is being done to help us understand more about how we can live longer, in less pain and with more function. All of this gives us more quality of life. I do believe in some form, every human searches for better quality of life.

If you are like me it happens more often when you are experiencing a particularly difficult situation. Injury that limits our abilities or leaves us with pain is what I am referring to. From that viewpoint all of us search for relief, a fix or some type of solution. In other words, we now have a point of reference for quality of life. We would like to get back to the pain-free, freedom of motion life we were taking for granted.

So back to exercise…..
Exercise scientist, whom keep us up to date on best practices for the human body, have come to the conclusion that 30 minutes PER DAY of moderately vigorous exercise will do the following

• Improve sleep.
• Reduce the risk of many chronic diseases.
• Improve mental awareness.
• Improve immune system function.
• Improve your hormone regulation.

So the list goes on and on but I thought I’d stop there and give you some. take home points from the medical journals all of this came from

Approximately 80% of US adults and adolescents are insufficiently active. Physical activity fosters normal growth and development and can make people feel, function, and sleep better and reduce risk of many chronic diseases.

Adults should do at least 150 minutes to 300 minutes a week of moderate-intensity, or 75 minutes to 150 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity, or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic activity. They should also do muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week. Older adults should do multicomponent physical activity that includes balance training as well as aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities.

I was trying to cite my source here so I created a QR code if you want to take a look at the article in the Journal for American Medical Association.

Like most things in life our health does not come free. We can ignore it and it will eventually ignore us….. or we can spend some of our resources on it and be paid back in the small and big things like

• Freedom to move.
• Sleeping pain free.
• Being able to walk.
• Feeling good.

This list also can go on and on. I hope you do not feel picked on as you read this article especially if you have been diligent at movement and healthy practices daily in your life and you are still living with some limits or pain.

The human body is amazing. I have witnessed it repairing and healing time and again. I believe some movement is better than no movement. I believe there is a correct movement or type of movement for people. That people should be guided and exercise needs to be taught it is no longer innate because we no longer use it as we use to survive. I believe it is not too late to start. I hope if you are reading this and struggling there is something I can do to help you.