The Benefits of Exercise – Exercise can reduce your risk of chronic disease
The Benefits of Exercise – Combatting Conditions and Diseases
An initial disclaimer, my training is personal training, yoga and psychology and I am not a medical doctor.
However, it would be remiss of us to leave out the ability to reduce the risk of chronic disease by exercising.
Lack of regular physical activity has been deemed to be on of the lead causes of chronic disease.[i]
Conversely, regular physical activity as been associated with
How does it work?
There are several possible biological mechanisms proposed for how increased cardiovascular fitness.
Cardiovascular fitness is associated with improved
insulin sensitivity,
blood lipid,
lipoprotein profile,
body composition,
blood pressure,
autonomic nervous system functioning, and
systemic inflammation[v].
Lack of exercise is also associated with increases in belly fat which increases the risk of
Heart disease,
Type 2 diabetes, and
Early death.[vi]
Lastly, exercises also helps to reduce the risk of chronic disease through the other mechanisms we have looked at such as
Improved sleep,
Improved mood,
Stronger bones, and
Improved body composition.[vii]
So why not give it a go and help prevent these chronic diseases by doing some exercise.
[i] Booth, F. W., Roberts, C. K., & Laye, M. J. (2012). Lack of exercise is a major cause of chronic diseases. Comprehensive Physiology, 2(2), 1143–1211. https://doi.org/10.1002/cphy.c110025
[ii] https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/physical-activity-its-important
[iii] https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/pa-health/index.htm#reducing-disease
[iv] https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/exercise/art-20048389
[v] Booth, F. W., Roberts, C. K., & Laye, M. J. (2012). Lack of exercise is a major cause of chronic diseases. Comprehensive Physiology, 2(2), 1143–1211. https://doi.org/10.1002/cphy.c110025
[vi] Slentz, C. A., Houmard, J. A., & Kraus, W. E. (2009). Exercise, abdominal obesity, skeletal muscle, and metabolic risk: evidence for a dose response. Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.), 17 Suppl 3(0 3), S27–S33. https://doi.org/10.1038/oby.2009.385
[vii] https://aspe.hhs.gov/basic-report/physical-activity-fundamental-preventing-disease
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In particular, exercises which combines strength and aerobics training and are more strenuous appear to improve the cognitive benefits[iv].For example, one study found that after 12 weeks of aerobic training, participants reported a reduction in burnout severity and improved cognitive performance[v].
How does it work?
Exercise has been proposed to reduce stress through both psychological and biological mechanisms.
Psychological.
Exercise provides as distraction to stressful situations (Effort-Recovery Model)[vi].
Exercise increases our feeling of self-efficacy (how confident we are in doing a particular activity), control and mastery (Conservation of Resources Theory)[vii][viii].
This helps to restore and/or increase our internal resources.
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Biological.
Stress and exercise share similar effects on the neuroendocrine system. So, when you exercise, your body adapts in a way that help it with both exercise and stress (Cross-stressor Adaptation Hypothesis)[ix]
Exercise helps to reduce the autonomic nervous system (the fight or flight system) and increase the parasympathetic nervous system (the rest and digest system)[x].
Exercise can also improve mental health through neurogenesis (the creation of neurons)[xi]
Exercises helps increase the production of the brain’s feel-good neurotransmitters (endorphins)[xii].
Exercise reduces the levels of stress hormones in the body (adrenaline and cortisol)[xiii].
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So, in these stressful times why not get out there and do some exercise.
[i] Ochentel, O., Humphrey, C., & Pfeifer, K. (2018).
[ii] Walsh, R. (2011).
[iii] Lennefer, T., Lopper, E., Wiedemann, A. U., Hess, U., & Hoppe, A. (2019). Improving employees’ work-related well-being and physical health through a technology-based physical activity intervention: A randomized intervention-control group study. Journal of occupational health psychology.
[iv] Walsh, R. (2011).
[v] Beck, J., Gerber, M., Brand, S., Pühse, U., & Holsboer-Trachsler, E. (2013). Executive function performance is reduced during occupational burnout but can recover to the level of healthy controls. Journal of psychiatric research, 47(11), 1824-1830.
[vi] Meijman T.F. & Mulder G. (2013). Psychological aspects of workload. In: Handbook of work and organizational psychology; 1998. p. 5–33.
[vii] Salmon, P. (2001). Effects of physical exercise on anxiety, depression, and sensitivity to stress: a unifying theory. Clinical psychology review, 21(1), 33-61.
[viii] Gerber, M., & Pühse, U. (2008). “Don't crack under pressure!”—Do leisure time physical activity and self-esteem moderate the relationship between school-based stress and psychosomatic complaints?. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 65(4), 363-369.
[ix] Hackney, A. C. (2006). Stress and the neuroendocrine system: the role of exercise as a stressor and modifier of stress. Expert review of endocrinology & metabolism, 1(6), 783-792.
[x] Hackney, A. C. (2006).
[xi] Bitonte, R. A., & DeSanto II, D.J. (2014). Mandatory physical exercise for the prevention of mental illness in medical students. Mental illness, 6(2).
[xii] https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/exercise-and-stress/art-20044469
[xiii] https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/exercising-to-relax
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