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JUST THAT SIMPLE
by Elizabeth Hall
 “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another.” 1 John 1:7
Ladies, if money were no obstacle to you, if you had sufficient time, how much, would you spend to reduce your risk of breast cancer by fifty percent? Middle-aged men, how much would you spend to reduce your risk of stroke by thirty to sixty percent? Men and women, if you are at risk for type 2 diabetes (obese and sedentary), how much would you pay out to cut your risk by fifty percent? Before you answer, remember that one in eighteen Americans will develop diabetes. Seniors, would you like to reduce your risk of developing Alzheimer’s by thirty-eight percent?
God has created one simple medicine to simplify our lives and at the same time help prevent chronic degenerative diseases, and the good news is that it doesn’t cost a cent. The big cure? Regular, moderate exercise. “Well,” someone says, “that’s all well and good, but unfortunately, I already have some serious health problems.” There is good news: A study of 9,611 adults showed that those who were regularly active in their 50s and early 60s were about thirty five percent less likely to die in the next eight years than those who were physically inactive. For those individuals who had a high risk of heart disease because of several underlying conditions, the reduction was forty five percent. In this study walking and gardening were among the most effective exercises in reducing deaths. Even those who were obese had a lower risk of dying if they were regularly active.(1)
Increases Brain Power
Exercise greatly benefits senior citizens. Dr. Eric Larson and associates studied individuals 65 years and older. The participants were given a battery of memory tests and questioned about their weekly exercise habits. After six years, researchers detected a remarkable pattern. In this study exercise included walking, hiking, or just 15 minutes of stretching. Seniors who were physically active at least three times a week were 38 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease.(2)
Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, studied 18,766 women aged between 70 and 81 years old. Their physical activity was recorded in biennial questionnaires beginning in 1986. The women were divided into five groups, depending on their average energy expenditures, one being the lowest and five the highest. Those in the highest activity grouping had a 20 percent lower risk of cognitive impairment than those who exercised the least amount of time. Women who walked at an easy pace for at least 1.5 hours per week had higher cognitive scores than those who walked less than forty minutes per week. Women in the two groups with the highest rates of physical activity also had significantly less cognitive decline than women with the lowest rate of physical activity.(3)
The Honolulu-Asia Aging Study showed that elderly men who walked the least (less than 0.25 mile/day) experienced a 1.8-fold excess risk of dementia compared with those who walked more than 2 miles/day. Men who walked 0.25 to 1 mile/day experienced a 71 percent increased risk of dementia compared to men who walked the most - more than 2 miles/day.*(4)
It’s not only seniors who benefit from exercise, children do also. Researcher Charles Hillman studied the effect of exercise on cognitive performance in young children aged seven to ten. He gave them tests to determine the speed and accuracy with which they processed information. Hillman found that children who were physically fit actually responded faster when asked to discriminate between two different images that flashed quickly upon the computer screen and that active children were more likely to perform better inside the classroom than their less-active classmates.(5)
Regardless of age, studies show that exercise improves the way your brain works. How does exercise improve cognitive performance? Exercise increases neurotrophin levels in the brain and spinal cord. Neurotrophins act as fertilizers that nourish and protect brain cells and increase the number and efficiency of synapses - microscopic places of communication between nerve cells - thus making learning and recall easier. Neurophysiologist Bernell Baldwin teaches that exercise promotes the production of stem cells in three areas of the brain and if the diet is right, (low in saturated fat, for example,) these stem cells can migrate to other parts of the brain. Exercise also decreases apoptosis (programmed cell death) of brain cells.
Improves Mental Health
Dr. Madhukar Trivedi, professor of psychiatry, found that when randomly selected individuals with mild to moderate depression performed thirty-minute aerobic exercise sessions three to five times a week for twelve weeks, their symptoms of depression were reduced up to 47%. Individuals who participated in moderately intense aerobics, (exercising on a treadmill or stationary bicycle) whether it was between three to five days per week, experienced a decline in depressive symptoms by an average of 47 percent after 12 weeks. Even depressed individuals who engaged in low-intensity exercise groups showed a 29-30 percent reduction in symptoms.(6) Blumenthal at Duke University found that efficacy of exercise in depressed patients seems generally comparable with patients receiving antidepressant medication and both tend to be better than the placebo in patients with major depressive disorder.(7) Of course, depressed individuals need to examine the issues contributing to their depression, but exercise definitely helps to enable the mind to think clearly whilst also producing endorphins to help elevate mood.
According to exercise physiologist David Neiman, exercise for at least a twenty-minute duration seems necessary to achieve reduction in both present and long-term anxiety. Training programs usually need to exceed 10 weeks before significant changes in long-term anxiety occur. Chronic anxiety increases inflammation which can be counteracted by exercise since it reduces pro-inflammatory agents in body. The exercisers, on the whole, produce less stress hormones than the sedentary volunteers.(8)
Exercise Protects Your Heart
Studies have shown that moderate exercise, for example, walking at a brisk pace for thirty to forty minutes a day on most days, can lead to genuine benefits in terms of your mood, health and weight as well as improving the quality of life. Add simple strengthening exercises two or three times a week and the increased efforts yield even greater benefits.
Aerobic exercise, regularly engaged in, slows down your heart rate during rest and activity. The heart chambers fill between beats and the slower the heart rate, the more time the heart chambers have to fill, and the greater the amount it can pump. It’s just that simple! The heart muscle (myocardium) itself also is largely nourished between beats. Regular exercise can strengthen the heart muscle even in congestive heart failure.
Researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) assessed the impact of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and exercise levels in over 27,000 women in the Women's Health Study. The women’s ages ranged from 45 to 90 years old with the average age being 55. Participants were assessed for a full range of risk factors and different levels of exercise. The women self-reported physical activity, weight, height, hypertension, and diabetes and found their risk of CVD events decreased with higher levels of physical activity. There was a 40 percent reduction in heart attack and stroke between the highest and lowest exercise groups. Exercise decreases the fibrinogen (a pro-clotting protein) and C-reactive protein (an inflammatory marker). When the fibrinogen and C-reactive protein are elevated, the risk for serious cardiovascular events increases. In this particular study, reducing them showed more protective benefits than weight loss. The benefits of exercise began at a relatively low level of about two hours of physical activity per week. The more the women exercised, the more they lowered their risk.(9)
Researchers have also demonstrated that multiple 10-minute bouts of exercise that accumulate to at least 30 minutes a day on most, if not all, days of the week, are effective for lowering blood fat (triglycerides). Accumulated, short bouts of exercise are more effective than continuous exercise for lowering fat and triglyceride levels in the bloodstream after eating.(10) A small study showed that 30 minutes of moderate or brisk walking lowered blood fats in post menopausal women.(11)
Exercise Keeps Arteries Healthy
The innermost lining (endothelium) of your arteries makes a precious molecule called nitric oxide. In moderation, nitric oxide keeps the arteries open and improves blood flow; it quiets the platelets so they won’t trigger the formation of a clot. However, obesity, high blood pressure, active or passive smoking and diabetes decrease nitric oxide. Exercise improves the ability of the endothelium to produce more nitric oxide and other vasodilators. The result is better flexibility of the arteries and more normal blood pressure. Recent studies show that physical inactivity increases endothelial dysfunction. One recent study showed that eating a meal rich in fat impaired endothelial function in middle-aged men. Ninety minutes of walking before a meal, however, improved it by 25% even in middle-aged, obese men. Obese children can also develop endothelial dysfunction. The good news is that six weeks of exercise training can reverse this problem.(11)
Help for Diabetes
One hour of accumulative moderate physical activity per day may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by as much as 50 percent in women.(13) A study consisting of over 21,000 men found that those who vigorously exercised also had significantly lower risk for developing type 2 diabetes compared to inactive men.(14) The reason for this is that exercise improves the ability of the body to burn up and dispose of glucose so that it doesn’t accumulate in the blood, but that is not all:
Diabetic individuals are particularly susceptible to cardiovascular disease, so mild exercise can have a profound protective effect. Japanese researchers studied 102 diabetics for 17 months. They found that those who maintained a daily walk for twenty to thirty minutes experienced just 1.6 percent of cardiovascular events. Unfortunately, in those who dropped out of their exercise program experience, the incidence of cardiovascular events increased up to 18 percent.(15)
Diabetes also increases the risk for dementia. An Australian study conducted by D.G. Bruce and colleagues studied the relationship of a moderate exercise program and the risk for developing dementia in 302 diabetic individuals over 70 years old. They found that a regular, moderate exercise program led to a 74 percent decline in the risk of developing dementia.(16)
Regular Exercise for Cancer, Too
One in every eight women in the United States will develop breast cancer. Dr. Inger Thune and associates reported the findings of their study of over 25,000 women. Their data showed that four hours or more of exercising a week significantly reduced their risk of developing breast cancer by 50%.(17) Women who regularly exercise are less likely to die from breast cancer. Exercise improves the efficiency of natural killer cells that attack tumor cells. Studies also suggest that exercise is one of the best ways to combat fatigue associated with chemotherapy. A study conducted by Harvard Medical School found that individuals with a past history of colon cancer who exercised the equivalent of brisk walking for one hour a day six times a week reduced their risk of colon cancer reoccurrence by 49 percent when compared to those who did not.(18)
How to Start
If you are unaccustomed to exercising, walk five to ten minutes a day on a flat surface and every fourth day increase the distance by another five minutes. Gradually extend the frequency and duration of walking first before you increase the intensity and speed by adding inclines. However, watch out and stop during your exercise if you experience shortness of breath, chest pain, pain in your legs, or if you are unable to carry on a conversation while walking. Get a medical check up before beginning an exercise program if you have any medical problems or if you experience any of the above symptoms. If you do become short of breath, rest a bit before proceeding. You don’t want to go into oxygen debt where your body uses more oxygen than it receives! Just remember, with every step, two ounces of blood is lifted up to your heart, and you are making progress. Remember that moderation also applies to exercise; extreme, exhaustive exercise can increase stress hormones.
Spiritual Application: Power Walking
Ever feel you have little, if any, energy? Listen to this encouragement, “He gives power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increases strength. But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary, and they shall walk, and not faint.” Isaiah 40:29, 31
Of the three, flying, running, or walking, that are mentioned in Scriptures, the Christian life is compared significantly more often to a walk more than a run or a flight. Why is this? According to physiologist, Dr. Bernell Baldwin, walking is moderate, practical, available, and often gives the best physiological and mental outcome of any exercise. Walking is the simplest way to start to exercise when one has been weak for a long period of time. It is the one form of exercise during which it is the easiest to communicate with another person in a meaningful way. The pace of walking clears our minds and makes reflective thinking easier. Jesus admonishes us “Walk in the light while you have the light, lest darkness come upon you.”
Walking is not an extreme form of exercise – it is temperate and simple to put into practice, an overall body toner, and tonic; sometimes pleasant and sometimes vigorous, it varies according to the need and the season. So, too, the Christian needs daily spiritual exercise to tone and refresh the soul; a morning meditation in the Scripture will keep the soul tuned in, but regular, more demanding Bible study should also take place for greater spiritual benefits to occur.
As with bodily exercise so with our spiritual walk – it’s not reaching the end of the road that matters so much as that which is gained from the journey. It requires a firm decision of the will to get up and go, just as daily encounters with temptation require a resolute purpose and an indomitable will. In proportion to our vigor and faithfulness in spiritual endeavors will be the benefits to our soul, likewise the benefits derived from exercise will be determined by like faithfulness and consistency in getting our shoes on and just plain walking. It really is just that simple!
* Other factors are probably involved here.
All rights are reserved by author. Excerpt from the book: Keys to Optimal Health
If you enjoyed this article, you would enjoy Liz Hall’s Lifestyle Physiology Class at www.healthevangelism.com/online
References
(1). Bumgardner, W. www.walkingabout.com Middle Age Cuts Death Risks.
(2). McKenzie, J. Exercise May Reduce Risk of Alzheimer’s disease. ABC News, Jan. 16, 2006.
(3). Weuve, J., et al., Physical activity, including walking, and cognitive function in older women. JAMA 292(12):1454-1461, 2004.
(4). Abbot, R.D., et al., Walking and dementia in physically capable elderly men. JAMA, 292(12):1447-1453, 2004.
(5). Evans, J., Regardless of age, studies show exercise improves the way your brain works. The Daily Cardinal, September 13, 2007.
(6). Dunn, A.L., et al., Exercise treatment for depression: efficacy and dose response. Am J Prev Med, 28(1):1-8, 2005.
(7). Blumenthal, J.A., et al., Exercise and pharmacotherapy in the treatment of major depressive disorder. Psychosom Med, 69(7):587-596, 2007.
(8). David Neiman, Exercise Physiologist.
(9). Nainggolen, Lisa, Mechanisms Responsible for Beneficial Effects of Exercise on CVD Quantified for First Time, Medscape Today.
(10). American College of Sports Medicine, New-medial.net.
(11). Davis J, et al, Acute effects of walking on inflammatory and cardiovascular risk in sedentary post-menopausal women. J Sports Sci. 2007 Oct 17;:1-7.
(12). Hall, Elizabeth J, Healthy Arteries, The Journal of Health and Healing.
(13). Hu, F., et al., Walking Compared with Vigorous Physical Activity and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in Women, Journal of the American Medical Association, Oct 20.
(14). Manson, J.E., et al., A prospective study of exercise and incidence of diabetes among US male physician,. JAMA, 268 (1), 1992.
(15). Shinji, S., et al., Adherence to a home-based exercise program and incidence of cardiovascular disease in type 2 diabetes patients. Int J Sports Med, 28(10):877-879, 2007.
(16). Bruce, D.G., et al.., Predictors of cognitive impairment and dementia in older people with diabetes. Diabetologia, Dec 5, 2007.
(17). Thune, I., et al., New England Journal of Medicine, 336:1269-1275, 1997.
(18). Laino, Charlene, Moderate Exercise Reduces Risk of Colon Cancer Recurrence: Presented at ASCO, Orlando, FL, May 20, 2005. |
