The best reasons to exercise. Fitness and staying healthy!
In 2015, the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges put out a report calling exercise a “miracle cure.” A huge meta-analysis examined the effect of exercise therapy on outcomes in people with chronic diseases.
Let’s start with musculoskeletal diseases. Researchers found 32 trials looking specifically at the effect of exercise on pain and function of patients with osteoarthritis of the knee alone. That’s incredibly specific, and it’s impressive so much research has focused on this one topic. Exercise improved those outcomes.
Ten more studies showed, over all, that exercise therapy increases aerobic capacity and muscle strength in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Other studies proved its benefits in other musculoskeletal conditions, like ankylosing spondylitis, and even some types of back pain.
For people who had had a heart attack, exercise therapy reduced all causes of mortality by 27 percent and cardiac mortality by 31 percent.
People with diabetes who exercise have lower Hba1c values, which is the marker of blood sugar control, low enough to probably reduce the risk of complications from the disease.
Twenty randomized controlled trials have showed that patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can walk farther and function better if they exercise.
Multiple studies have found that exercise improves physical function and health-related quality of life in people who have Parkinson’s disease.
Six more studies showed that exercise improves muscle power and mobility-related activities in people with multiple sclerosis. It even appeared to improve those patient’s moods.
The overall results of 23 randomized controlled trials showed that exercise most likely improves the symptoms of depression.
Five others appear to show that it improves symptoms in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome. In trials, exercise even lessened fatigue in patients who are undergoing therapy for cancer.
What other intervention can claim results like these?
NYT Now: Why You Should Exercise (No, Not to Lose Weight)
http://nyti.ms/28IjItp
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