We all know that exercise can help us loose weight. But did you know that exercise can be a powerful weapon against disease? Dr. Robert Sallis, co-director of sports medicine, at Fontana Medical Center in California says, "exercise can be used like a vaccine to prevent disease and a medication to treat disease." Consider all that exercise can do for us.
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A new study suggests that working out regularly helps to ward off colds and flu. Researchers followed a group of 1,000 adults for 12 weeks during the winter of 2008. People who logged at least 20 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise on five or more days per week were sick with cold or flu symptoms for just five days, compared with about 8.5 days among people who exercised one day per week or less (CNN.com 11/01/2010)

It is now believed that moderate exercise can lower the risk of some cancers. There are several reasons why there could be this connection. First, for breast cancer, it is believed that women can lower their estrogen levels with exercise, which can lower the incidence of breast cancer. Women who exercise regularly can reduce their breast cancer risk by 20 to 30%. Women involved in research studies who were being treated for breast cancer were 50% less likely to die of the disease if they walked at an average pace for three to five hours per week. Second, it is believed by some in the medical community that cancer thrives on sugar. Regular exercise reduces your insulin levels, which creates a low sugar environment that discourages the growth and spread of cancer cells (Dr. Mercola.com1/26/2010)

Stressed out? Long term stress lowers the effectiveness of the immune system, which leaves a person vulnerable to disease. Exercise triggers the neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine, which can reduce the effects of stress, which has a positive effect on your immune system.

Exercise can even be associated with slowing the aging process. This has to do with "telomeres", which are strands of DNA at the ends of your chromosomes, which protects them from damage. As we age, the cells of the telomeres die and this cell death is associated with serious disease and premature aging. A major goal of anti-aging research is learning how to prevent telomere shortening. And you guessed it: exercise has a direct effect on the prevention of telomere shortening. Research shows that physically active people have significantly less shortening of telomeres than sedentary people. It is believed that exercise activiates the enzymes that stabilize telomeres, which can combat ongoing damage done to cells that underlies many chronic conditions.

Remember, it is never too late to begin an exercise program. Start slowly, gradually increasing your exercise time. "Moderation" is the key word. Let your health professional know that you are beginning an exercise program. Assess these factors when putting together your exercise program:

* your current physical condition
* your fitness goals
* your health concerns
* activities you enjoy
* best time of day for you to exercise