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Health & Fitness

The "Best Preventative Drug" on the Market

Doctors Prescribe Exercise as “Best Preventive Drug”

Nearly every doctor will agree that some form of exercise is a must to promote overall health and well-being.  However, more and more research is suggesting that exercise is the best preventative measure we can take, even better than a drug or pill, when it comes to preventing common ailments such as psychiatric disorders, diabetes, cancer, and heart disease.  

Unfortunately, data gathered by our government shows that only 21 percent of adults in the US meet the recommended amount of two and half hours' worth of aerobic and muscle-strengthening exercise each week.   A staggeringly low percentage which along with diet and other lifestyle factors can be directly correlated to the rapidly rising rates of obesity, diabetes, and other chronic diseases.  One of the key health benefits of exercise is that it helps normalize body glucose, insulin, and leptin levels by optimizing the insulin and leptin receptor sensitivity of your cells.  This is perhaps the most important factor for optimizing your overall health and preventing chronic disease, and may explain why exercise is such a beneficial preventive medicine. 

The most common question people ask is then, "What is the best type of exercise for me?" Should I walk, run, lift weights, or play sports? Unless you have a condition in which you should not be doing a specific form of exercise the answer is variety!  Variety is the spice of life and by participating in a wide variety of movements and activities your body will be more diverse physically.  

While aerobic exercise was long considered the "gold standard" of a good workout, recent research has begun to challenge that notion.  Instead, high-intensity interval training, otherwise referred to as HIIT, has been shown to be far more efficient and effective, compared to longer, slower cardio workouts. HIIT includes short bursts of high-intensity activities, but not long-distance running. This, researchers say, is what your body is hard-wired for. Basically, by exercising in short bursts, followed by periods of rest and recovery, you recreate exactly what your body needs for optimum health. 

In summary, one of the keys to optimal health is to remain as active as you can, each and every day. Whenever you have a chance to move and stretch within the course of going about your day do it! With that said, there's no doubt that an ideal fitness regimen requires a little more effort. The good news is that you can accomplish nearly all of your recommended exercise amounts through high intensity exercises, which require a minimal time investment- as little as 20 minutes, two to three times a week. 

"Exercise strengthens the entire human machine — the heart, the brain, the blood vessels, the bones, the muscles. The most important thing you can do for your long-term health is lead an active life." -Dr. Timothy Church

BE WELL AND LIVE TO YOUR FULLEST! 

-Dr. Eric Garst 

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To read the entire article and get more in depth information on exercise as the best preventative drug, visit the following website. 
http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2014/01/10/exercise-preventive-drug.aspx
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