The Benefits of Exercise Come in Many Forms - Even in Cash!

It is widely acknowledged that physical exercise pays healthy dividends. The benefits of exercise are realized everyday and are recorded in many medical documents and have been etched in many lives today.

We could mention improvement of cardiovascular functions, toning and strengthening of muscles, weight control, longevity, among other things. But would you expect actual cash to be included in those "other things?"

Maybe not. But listen to my little fortune telling.

Some health benefits of exercise

The benefits of exercise do exist. Regardless of your age or stage in life, they are there. In a recent article in the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, members of the medical community have been seeking to promote physical activity among the elderly.

We may not even be able to put a price tag on these benefits of exercise listed in recent literature.

• Preventing osteoporosis
• Improving mental health
• Preventing and reversing obesity
• Improving general health

I also have to mention how physical exercise programs make you lose stuff. Consider water, for example. Well, this is very obvious.

If you haven't been losing more than your usual amount of "water" you need to work out harder, walk or run for a little longer, until you sweat. Then make sure you drink enough water to replenish body fluids. Now for the cash part...

Can exercise bring you cash?

The odds of this benefit of exercise becoming part of your experience may still be better than winning the lottery. It happens! How?

One plausible explanation for this is that you lose weight. Now, someone who walks my exercise trail in our neighborhood park has been losing weight. We found two one-dollar bills this morning on the trail.

Someone is getting good weight loss results. It seems that their clothes are not tight anymore. The extra cash they carry is no longer tightly held by their slacks. They are losing the contents of their pockets, and it is (though indirectly) as a result of the exercise.

Now, what if they were to carry Benjamin Franklin's instead of George Washington's? Then, for those of us who keep watching our steps, physical exercise would really pay.

We should not be mistaken, even if you don't believe there is any chance of you finding $100 a day for every day you exercise for the rest of your life, the odds are very great that the benefits to your health will be there. And chances are, you won't be around to realize these benefits if you don't exercise, so start moving.

References:

Hui E. K., Rubenstein L. Z. (2006). Promoting physical activity and exercise in older adults. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 2006 Jun;7(5):310-314.

Cline R. R., Worley M. M. (2006). Osteoporosis health beliefs and self-care behaviors: an exploratory investigation. J Am Pharm Assoc (Wash DC). 2006 May-Jun ;46(3):356-63.

Studenski S., Carlson M. C., Fillit H., Greenough W. T., Kramer A., Rebok G. W. (2006). From bedside to bench: does mental and physical activity promote cognitive vitality in late life? Science of Aging Knowledge Environment, 2006 May;2006(10):pe21.

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