We want our patients to enjoy all that Alaska has to offer. We are invested in your overall health. We share some remarkable findings that have held true, over and over in many studies.
Can exercise reduce cancer risks? Can it help prevent heart disease? Can it still benefit older adults? Yes, yes, and yes!
Did you know there is strong evidence for lowering your risk of early death, colon cancer, coronary heart disease, breast cancer, stroke, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, metabolic syndrome with the recommended amount of exercise?
Also, there is strong evidence for prevention of weight gain, increased cardiovascular and muscular fitness, prevention of falls, decreased depression, improved cognitive function for older adults and increased functional health with the routine exercise.
Moderate exercise also has moderately good evidence to decrease risk of hip fracture, lung cancer, and endometrial cancers, as well as increase functional health for older adults. It helps maintain weight loss, increases bone density, and increases your sleep quality!
The recommended amount of exercise is 150 minutes of moderate exercise/activity a week – that’s just 30 minutes 5 days a week. Moderate activity is defined as breathlessness due to aerobic activity but still maintaining the ability to talk in short sentences but not sing. Add in just 2 days a week of strength training for maximum benefits.
If you haven’t had regular exercise in sometime, start low and increase slowly to avoid overuse injuries. Discuss it with your primary care doctor if you have underlying health issues.