MOVEMENT IS MEDICINE
Transform Your Health: How Daily Movement and Exercise Ease Symptoms Naturally. Discover the power of daily movement and regular exercise to reduce symptoms of chronic conditions, boost energy, and reclaim your quality of life—one step at a time.
Research has shown daily movement and regular exercise can help reduce symptoms in various health conditions.
Type II diabetes: People with diabetes suffer from insulin resistance, meaning their cells do not properly respond to insulin secretions. This resistance disrupts normal cell signaling, resulting in chronic elevated blood glucose. Exercise causes glucose uptake to increase through the usual, insulin-signaled way, but exercise is also unique in that it activates a non-insulin-mediated glucose uptake (NIMGU) response, meaning glucose is transported directly across the cell membrane, bypassing insulin’s involvement entirely. These reactions will help someone with diabetes manage and control their blood sugar levels.
Arthritis: Exercise for people with arthritis should include range of motion and stretching movements, weight training, aerobic exercise, and recreation activities. For example, water aerobics are a great choice because they are safer on the joints and help reduce total weight bearing load allowing for better range of motion and ease of movement.
Parkinson’s disease: Exercise is one of the only interventions shown to delay the progression of Parkinson’s disease (a neurodegenerative disease that affects movement). Exercise can lead to better posture control, reduced stiffness, improved flexibility, better gait, less difficulty performing tasks of daily living, and overall, a higher quality of life in those suffering from Parkinson’s disease.
Cognitive health: Exercise can help prevent/delay the onset of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia. Exercise stimulates the production of growth factors in the brain, leading to the development of new blood vessels and even brain cells.
Osteoporosis: Osteoporosis is a disease in which bones become weak and brittle (due to decreased bone mineral density), making them more vulnerable to break/fracture and greatly increasing one's risk for injury. Weight training is extremely beneficial, as weight bearing exercises working against a resistance (i.e. a barbell loaded back squat) promotes new bone growth. Resistance training signals the formation of osteoblasts, the cells needed to grow and repair bone. This process will in turn help protect our bones and increase bone mineral density.
Anxiety and Depression: Exercise can be therapeutic for people who struggle with feelings of depression and anxiety. Exercise has a positive effect, in that it increases the release of endorphins. This signaled release of endorphins will improve mood and sense of well-being. Endorphins are neurotransmitters that are produced in the pituitary gland and hypothalamus of the brain. They block the perception of pain and increase “happy” feelings (think of serotonin). Exercise is also linked to better quality of sleep. This is beneficial for people who struggle with anxiety and depression, as sleep schedule, quality, and quantity are typically screwed up.
Mortality risk (sedentary behavior): Research has shown sedentary behavior (sitting) and mortality risk share a linear relationship. The more sedentary you are, the higher your mortality risk is and vice versa.
Share this post: