benefits of exercise

[amy]

What if someone told you that a thinner, healthier, and longer life was within your grasp? Sound too good to be true? According to a wealth of research, exercise is the silver bullet for a better quality of life.

Not only does regular exercise aid in weight loss, it reduces your risk for several chronic diseases and conditions. Finding activities that you enjoy and that become part of your daily routine is the key to a long and healthy life.

The list of health benefits is impressive, and the requirements are relatively simple -- just do it.

Ward Off Disease
Research has confirmed that any amount of exercise, at any age, is beneficial. And, in general, the more you do, the greater the benefits. The National Academy of Sciences has recommended that everyone strive for a total of an hour per day of physical activity.
Sounds like a lot, but the hour can be made up of several shorter bursts of activity (it can be walking, gardening, even heavy housecleaning) done throughout the day.

Physical activity is an essential part of any weight-loss program, to maximize your fat loss while keeping valuable muscle mass.
But exercise has many other health and longevity benefits. It can help prevent or improve these conditions:

1. Heart Disease.
Regular activity strengthens your heart muscle; lowers blood pressure; increases "good" cholesterol (high-density lipoproteins or HDLs) and lowers "bad" cholesterol (low-density lipoproteins or LDLs); enhances blood flow; and helps your heart function more efficiently.
All of these benefits reduce the risk of stroke, heart disease, and high blood pressure.

Researchers at Duke University suggest that the amount of physical activity, rather than its intensity, has the biggest impact on improving blood lipids (cholesterol).
According to The New England Journal of Medicine, these researchers also found that any exercise is better than none -- although more is better.

2. Stroke.
In an analysis of 23 studies, researchers found that being active reduces your risk of having and dying from a stroke.
According to a study published in the journal Stroke, moderately active study participants had 20% less risk of stroke than less active participants.

3. Type II Diabetes.
This disease is increasing at alarming rates -- by 62% since 1990 -- and 17 million Americans now have it. Physical activity can enhance weight loss and help prevent and/or control this condition.
Losing weight can increase insulin sensitivity, improve blood sugar and cholesterol levels, and reduce blood pressure -- all of which are very important to the health of people with diabetes.

In a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, Frank Hu, MD, of the Harvard School of Public Health found that a brisk walk for one hour daily could reduce the risk of type II diabetes by 34%.

4. Obesity.
Overweight and obese conditions can be prevented or treated with exercise along with a healthy diet.
Activity helps to reduce body fat and increase muscle mass, thus improving your body's ability to burn calories.
The combination of reduced calories and daily exercise is the ticket to weight loss. And controlling obesity is critical, as it is a major risk factor for many diseases.
Lowering your body mass index (BMI) is a sure way to reduce your risk of dying early and to live a healthier life.


5. Back Pain.
Back pain can be managed or prevented with a fitness program that includes muscle strengthening and flexibility. Having good posture and a strong abdomen is the body's best defense against back pain.

6. Osteoporosis.
Weight-bearing exercise (such as walking, jogging, stair climbing, dancing, or lifting weights) strengthens bone formation and helps prevent the osteoporosis or bone loss often seen in women after menopause.
Combine a diet rich in calcium and vitamin D with regular weight-bearing exercise for maximum results.


7. Psychological Benefits.
Improved self-esteem is one of the top benefits of regular physical activity. While exercising, your body releases chemicals called endorphins that can improve your mood and the way you feel about yourself.
The feeling that follows a run or workout is often described as "euphoric" and is accompanied by an energizing outlook.
Exercise can help you cope with stress and ward off depression and anxiety.

And these are just a few of the ways exercise improves your health. Studies have suggested it can also help with certain types of cancer, improve immune function, and more.

Putting It All Together: Exercise and a Healthy Diet

Exercise alone produces modest weight loss; when combined with a reduced-calorie diet, the effects are much more impressive.

In a study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association, University of Pittsburgh researchers found that people who exercised regularly and ate a healthy, modest-calorie diet lost weight and improved cardiorespiratory fitness regardless of the length or intensity of their workouts.

Another study published in JAMA showed that it is never too late to reap the benefits of physical activity.
Sedentary women 65 years and older who began walking a mile a day cut their rates of death from all causes by 50%.

[mtgondal]

Thanks alot for sharing wonderful benefits of exersise.

exercise is the silver bullet for a better quality of life.

amy, plz also share alot.........of benefits of TEA

Regards,

[mtgondal]

Thanks alot for sharing wonderful benefits of exersise.

exercise is the silver bullet for a better quality of life.

amy, plz also share alot.........of benefits of "TEA" n which type of "BULLET" it is ?

Regards,

[amy]

@moona
thanks buddy for appreciating this.
soon i ll post benefits of tea
just wait and watch............hehehhehe

[amy]

Benefits of Tea

well, as far as i think Tea is the most commonly consumed beverage in the world after water.
Whether it is black, green or red (oolong) tea, they all contain polyphenols which give tea its antioxidant properties.
Antioxidants may help protect our body from free radical damage.
tea contains following potential effects:

Anti-cancer properties
numerous studies suggest that green tea protects against a range of cancers, including lung, prostate and breast cancer.
The reason cited is the antioxidant epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), according to Hirofumi Tachibana's team at Kyushu University in Japan.
Their research showed that growth of human lung cancer cells that have a cell receptor called 67 LR is slowed significantly after drinking just two or three cups of green tea, which contains EGCG.
The research also showed that 67 LR is involved in the propagation of prion diseases such as mad cow disease in humans.
So knowledge of EGCG's effect on 67 LR might have implications in the treatment of these diseases.

According to the U.S. National Cancer Institute, in laboratory studies using animals, catechins inactivated oxidants before cell damage occurred, reduced the number and size of tumors, and inhibited the growth of[B] cancer cells[/B.

White tea has been claimed to be even more effective, based upon preliminary work by Santana-Rios et al.

Another study from the Oxford Life Science journal Carcinogenesis showing a capacity of green tea in combination with tamoxifen is effective in suppressing breast cancer growth in vitro human breast cancer tumors and in vivo animal experiments in mice.

Increases metabolic rate
Clinical trials conducted by the University of Geneva in Switzerland indicate that green tea raises metabolic rates and speeds up fat oxidation.
In addition to caffeine, green tea contains catechin polyphenols that raise thermogenesis (the rate at which calories are burned), and hence increases energy expenditure.

There is also a suggestion that it can increase endurance in exercise by improving fat metabolism.


Boosts immune system and mental alertness
On 21 April 2003 the Brigham and Women's Hospital released details of a research project which indicated that the amino acid L-theanine may help the body's immune system response when fighting infection, by boosting the disease-fighting capacity of gamma delta T cells.
The study included a four-week trial with 11 coffee drinkers and 10 tea drinkers, who consumed 600ml of coffee or black tea daily.
Blood sample analysis found that the production of anti-bacterial proteins was up to five times higher in the tea-drinkers, an indicator of a stronger immune response.

L-theanine has also been found to increase alpha wave production in the brain, which is associated with a state of "alert relaxation".


Lowers chances of cognitive impairmentA 2006 study showed that elderly Japanese people who consumed more than 2 cups of green tea a day had a 50 percent lower chance of having cognitive impairment, in comparison to those who drank fewer than 2 cups a day, or who consumed other tested beverages.

Lowers stress hormone levels
According to a study by UCL researchers published in the journal Psychopharmacology, drinking black tea has an effect on stress hormone levels in the body and thus helps in recovering more quickly from life's stresses.
The study showed that, 50 minutes after a high stress event, subjects who drank 4 cups of black tea per day for a 4 week period experienced an average cortisol drop of 47%, compared to 27% for the placebo group.
Blood platelet activation, which is linked to blood clotting and the risk of heart attacks was also lower in the tea drinker's group.

Effects on HIV
A recent study appearing in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology stated that epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) found in Green Tea can help to boost one's immune system, therefore helping to prevent HIV.
University of Sheffield Research Professor Mike Williamson stated that, "Our research shows that drinking green tea could reduce the risk of becoming infected by HIV, and could also slow down the spread of HIV" however was quick to point out that, "It is not a cure, and nor is it a safe way to avoid infection, however, we suggest that it should be used in combination with conventional medicines to improve quality of life for those infected" as well as the fact that the research is in very early stages.

NOTE: beside having all these benefits tea also hold some side efects also, main point is that every thing should be taken in balance form so that we can benefit from it without any harmful effects.

[mtgondal]

beside having all these benefits tea also hold some side efects also, main point is that every thing should be taken in balance form so that we can benefit from it without any harmful effects.

good point, aour plz is point ko khud bhi follow kerna........nahi to