Movement is life

Ample research suggests that regular exercise improves circulation, enhances flexibility and gives you a greater ability to accomplish physical tasks without risking injury.

by Dr. Nicholas Warner — 

The inherent connection between movement and living is understandable if you reflect for a moment on what happens when you engage in healthy actions and behaviors, such as consistent physical activity and nutritious eating. This is especially true when compared to the alternative of being sedentary and eating not-so-healthy foods.

Ample research suggests that regular exercise improves circulation, enhances flexibility and gives you a greater ability to accomplish physical tasks without risking injury. Another benefit of movement is that as the blood courses through the body, providing vital nourishment to tissues and organs, this enables joints and muscles to move more easily, rather than being stiff and immobile.

Diet works the same way. Eating nutritious foods means that they can be absorbed well by the body and delivered to cells. Eating high-fiber foods, for example, ensures timely digestion and elimination of wastes, whereas overconsumption of animal fats and low-fiber foods leads to colonic inactivity and constipation.

Foods that are high in saturated fat can contribute to plaque buildup in the arteries, reducing the ability of blood to move through the body, which can potentially cause a catastrophic blockage. This crucial lack of movement could mean a heart attack or stroke. Again, movement is life.

The best news of all is that it really does not take much to actually get moving and stay moving. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans suggests adults participate in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity a week, preferably in episodes of at least 10 minutes at a time and then throughout the week.

Think about it. This is only an average of 30 minutes a day, five days a week, and what’s more, it does not relegate you to a treadmill or exercise bike for the same old routine day after day. Basically, anything that gets your heart pumping and keeps it pumping for a sustained period counts. Talk to your doctor for more information.

Dr. Nicholas Warner is a certified massage therapist and a doctor of chiropractic with Wellness in Motion, Inc., in Phoenix. He is an instructor for The Southern California University of Health Sciences and Utah College of Massage Therapy. www.wellness-in-motion.com or 602-863-4252.

Reprinted from AzNetNews, Volume 30, Number 2, April/May 2011.