Regular physical exercise has been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, arthritis, obesity, colon cancer, breast cancer, asthma, Alzheimer’s disease, erectile dysfunction, chronic pain and even constipation. According to the NHS, this adds up to an overall 30% reduction in the risk of an early death.
Regular exercise helps you burn fat more eiciently and can lower cholesterol levels. Best of all, there are virtually no negatives or adverse side-efects associated with exercise. Provided you increase your level of physical itness gradually, it really is a win–win situation. Dr Mark Tarnopolsky from the University of Ontario summed it up: ‘If there were a drug that could do for human health everything that exercise can, it would likely be the most valuable pharmaceutical ever developed.’
If you want to live a long and healthy life you need to get it – but you need to do it in a way that is practical and achievable, and that works with your lifestyle. Start with modest targets, show yourself that you can achieve them, then, at a later date, gradually build up to greater things.