If people exercise their bodies, the hundred ills cannot arise
-Sun Simiao, 7th century physician
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.
-Hippocrates 5th century
Walking is man’s best medicine
-Hippocrates 5th century
Not many people realize that human body is made up of mostly muscles and these muscles need to get used to get functional to maintain life and stay fit. In a way, exercise can free us from stress and enjoy the free and vital expression of our human bodies. In the modern developed world, we are all rich. Machines wash our clothes, help clean our homes, transport us to work and back, heat our houses and process our food, leading us less physically active.
We all know exercise to be good for all ages. Many studies prove that exercising when young delivers its benefit throughout our lifetime and even exercising later in life can help increased muscular strength, better physical and mental health, and overall ability to function better. But it has been estimated that 40 percent of Americans take no leisure-time physical activity at all, at an estimated cost in increased medical care of 70 billion dollars a year. Lack of exercise can lead to most kind of diseases, unnecessarily shortened life, and mental and physical decline in old age. Especially according to a UK report 2011, regular walking can reduce all-cause mortality by 20 percent, and significantly reduce cardiovascular disease high blood pressure, stroke and high cholesterol. It can improve mental health and well-being, and reduce anxiety and depression. The health and social benefits are even greater when we can walk in natural and green spaces, in walking-friendly urban environments, and when we walk with others.
But one thing to be clear is that more is not necessarily better. Studies reported that running up to 20 miles a week at speeds of 6-7 miles an hour, on five sessions, was found to reduce the risk of all-cause mortality, while running further, faster and more often began to reverse the benefit, increasing the risk again. Overall exercising regularly can feel us fully alive, connected to our body, developing stamina, flexibility, strong bones, muscles and sinews, being agile on our feet, having a good sense of balance, and enjoying social interaction through exercising with others.
