| EAP Hotline Exercise is the Best Medicine. EAP EAP Hotline Documents |
If the doctor told us he could give us a pill that would make us live longer, feel better, and stay
younger, most of us would take it without question. Yet despite overwhelming evidence that exercise
does just that, fewer than twenty-percent of Americans get enough exercise. The benefits of regular
exercise include:
Longer life span
Reduced risk of stoke & heart disease
Lower risk for certain types of cancer
Diabetes prevention and treatment
Burns fat and build muscle
Strengthens bones
Improves cholesterol and triglyceride levels
Reduces stress, anxiety, and depression
Increases energy levels
The effects of exercise extend to nearly every system of our body. While most people realize the
benefit of exercise, they simply are not motivated or cannot find the time to commit to a program. If
you want to start to exercise and you have any history of medical problems you should first visit with
your doctor. Then once you have committed to get a program going, here are some simple ways to
start:
Go for a walk during your work break
Do sit-ups when you get up each morning
Do a few push-ups while you are watching television
Spend a few minutes each day stretching
Start weight lifting even if it is just with items around the house
Try to go up and down the stairs until your heart is beat hard
Use your kitchen chairs to do dips
A fifteen minute walk at work each day, combined with any other form of exercise can quickly add up.
The goal is to get your heart pumping so that you break a sweat and start burning calories. Exercise
is its own reward. One you begin, you start feeling better quickly. So start your program today, and
see how quickly you start feeling more energetic. Fitness experts recommend ninety to one-hundred
twenty minutes of exercise a week. Start building your minutes now!
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