Originally published February 1 2006
Health writer explains why exercise is difficult for Americans
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
For MSNBC, Jacqueline Stenson writes about the wide-ranging health benefits of exercise and why people fall short of their commitments to exercise.
Once again it's that time when many Americans will resolve to lose weight.
Health clubs will run membership specials, hoping to draw in legions of people freshly committed to making 2006 the year they finally shape up and slim down.
That's precisely why health and fitness experts say it's important to remember that exercise does a lot of other good things for us, things that aren't measured in pounds but that still are key for our overall health and well-being.
The last year brought some new and interesting findings that are worth taking note of as we ring in 2006 and recommit to our health.
Live longer A recent study on exercise and longevity found that people who were active on a regular basis lived longer than their couch-potato counterparts, and the more they exercised the longer they lived.
The analysis, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, showed that participants who reported exercising the most had a life expectancy at age 50 that was more than three years longer than those in the lowest activity group.
Participants typically spent 30 to 60 minutes at lunch engaging in yoga, aerobics, strength-training or playing sports like basketball.
tipsExcuse-proof your exercise plan 1 /8 You might have plenty of reasons for not working out, but we're not letting you off the hook very easily.
Even briskly walking for half an hour on three or four days a week improved cardiovascular health, according to the study of nearly 500 sedentary adults.
Defeat diabetes Two-thirds of Americans with type 2 diabetes do not have their disease under control, which puts them at risk for early death, blindness and limb loss, according to research released this year.
Get rid of the hidden fat OK, so this one is about weight and fat.
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