We sometimes get intimidated with having to go to a gym for exercise (and all of the time and prep that entails), when we can get significant benefit from a simple walk…

Read on…

Those people who sit at their desks scorning the smokers outside the window might have to swallow their snickers if they haven’t been working out.  A new Cleveland Clinic study just published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that shunning exercise is more lethal than taking up smoking or having diabetes or even heart disease.1

The study involved 122,000 individuals who were followed between 1991 and 2014. Periodically, the subjects took aerobic fitness tests. The researchers found that those with the lowest cardiovascular fitness levels—in other words, the non-exercisers—had off-the-charts mortality rates compared to the most fit. In fact, those who exercised the most had a startling 500-percent lower risk of death than sedentary individuals.2 Those who exercised a moderate amount had nearly 400 percent lower death risk than those who exercised a little. The non-exercisers had double the mortality risk of those suffering from kidney failure who were on dialysis and triple the risk of smokers.

The study’s lead author, Dr. Wael Jaber, said, “Being unfit on a treadmill or in an exercise stress test has a worse prognosis, as far as death, than being hypertensive, being diabetic or being a current smoker. We’ve never seen something as pronounced as this and as objective as this.”

The benefit of fitness was most pronounced for elite athletes and ultra-exercisers, a surprise to the scientists, since experts had long assumed too much exercise took a toll and ultimately diminished health. Also, it turned out that females benefited even more from exercise than did men, as did those over the age of 70.3

Meanwhile, two new studies from the University of Liverpool and McMaster University found that taking a break from exercise does far more profound harm to older individuals than to younger people. The studies tracked active individuals who cut their exercise levels and started sitting more. Within two weeks of stopping exercise, the participants experienced a rapid increase in their blood sugar levels, a decline in insulin sensitivity, and significant weight gain. After the two weeks, participants returned to their previous exercise regimen. Those subjects who were college-aged regained their previous fitness level within a few days, with their blood sugar levels and so on returning to healthy levels, but those over the age of 65 continued to show the metabolic changes caused by inactivity. Even two weeks after they returned to their exercise regimens, the metabolic changes that had occurred when they became lethargic remained exactly in the same place, without showing any signs of improvement. The researchers concluded that older individuals who stop exercising may take months to regain prior fitness levels even after they start exercising again.

Another study a few years prior found related results. That study, an offshoot of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC), tracked weight and activity levels of 334,161 individuals over a 12-year period.4 The study concluded that obesity, while certainly not great for health, is only half as deadly as not exercising. Prior to that study, in 2012, the medical journal Lancet reported that one out of every 10 deaths on the planet could be traced to lack of exercise (current research would likely up the percentage).5 Time Magazine called death by inactivity a “global pandemic.”

But even if you quit exercising and manage to beat the mortality odds, studies show that the quality of your life is likely to suffer. In 2013, the American Journal of Preventative Medicine reviewed 30 studies on depression and observed that 25 of them found that lack of exercise was a significant risk factor. And as we’ve written before, not exercising links to many diseases that make life unpleasant, at best, including cancer, Alzheimer’s, and osteoporosis, which can lead to falls and result in disability.

It’s rather stunning that although lack of exercise is nearly as deadly as walking into a snake pit—something nobody in their right mind would do—36 percent of adults in the US engage in absolutely no exercise in their leisure time, not even walking.6 And as we’ve written before, 80 percent of Americans don’t get the CDC’s minimum recommended amount of exercise.

Of course, most of us have periods of time when we can’t exercise in spite of good intentions—perhaps because of illness or injury, or because of travel, or because of crises at work or home. But for many inactive people, the excuse is more like “it’s cold outside” or “I’m too overweight to wear workout clothes” or “I’m so out of shape that I couldn’t handle anything strenuous.”

If the prospect of going outside for a run or dragging yourself to a fitness class seems too overwhelming, consider that to reduce mortality risk, you don’t need to spend hours in the gym (although that might provide the greatest benefit.) In the EPIC study cited above, the researchers compared inactive subjects (defined as being inactive at work plus not doing any exercise) to moderately inactive subjects and found that adding just the smallest amount of exercise made a big difference. Brisk walking for 20 minutes a day reduced the risk of death among those in sedentary occupations by as much as 30 percent. The advantage was greatest for those in the normal weight range, although even obese people benefited. The advantage remains even if that brisk walk is to pick up donuts at Krispy Kreme. And if you add a bit of intentional exercise to achieve the 150 recommended minutes a week, your death risk plummets.

The scientists noted that perhaps doctors should be writing prescriptions for exercise before prescribing drugs. Sounds like a plan.

• 1.Molina, Brett. “Not exercising enough is worse for you than smoking and diabetes, study suggests.” 22 October 2018. USA Today. 23 October 2018. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2018/10/22/not-exercising-health-risk-worse-than-smoking-study/1725678002/
• 2.Drash, Wayne. “Not exercising worse for your health than smoking, diabetes, and heart disease, study reveals.” 20 October 2018. CNN. 24 October 2018. https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/19/health/study-not-exercising-worse-than-smoking/index.html
• 3.Welch, Ashley. “Not exercising may be even more deadly than smoking, diabetes, heart disease, study finds.” 22 October 2018. CBS News. 25 October 2018. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/not-exercising-more-deadly-than-smoking-diabetes-heart-disease-study-finds/
• 4.“Lack of exercise responsible for twice as many deaths as obesity.” 14 January 2015. University of Cambridge. 26 October 2018. https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/lack-of-exercise-responsible-for-twice-as-many-deaths-as-obesity
• 5.Duvauchelle, Joshua. “5 Consequences of Not Exercising.” 11 September 2017. Livestrong. 26 October 2018. https://www.livestrong.com/article/501683-5-consequences-of-not-exercising/
• 6.“Sobering Statistics on Physical Activity in the US.” 26 August 2015. Science Daily. 26 October 2018. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/08/150826093015.htm

It’s hard to imagine my life without it as it has helped to calm my mind in times of turmoil (not easy to do!). The hardest part for me was always at the end of class, where we lay there quietly (called savasana)…so hard when you first begin as your mind is racing, but now, it’s my favorite part! 

For those that have not tried it yet (or tried it once but didn’t like it)…I would encourage you to try it (again). The teacher and studio can make all the difference as you find a teacher that resonates with you. There’s way more to it than just flexibility and exercise…

Yoga is a 5,000-year-old form of mind-body integration that comes to us from India. This discipline has stood the test of time because it is a wonderful kind of physical activity with a wide variety of styles that can be used to promote strengthening, flexibility, relaxation, mindfulness, and more.

Join in the celebration on June 21 of the International Day of Yoga, which is designated by the United Nations and has hundreds of countries taking part. If you are new to yoga, this is a great chance to learn more and give it a try. If you are an experienced practitioner of yoga, it is a good excuse to broaden your horizons and try some new forms of the discipline.

Yoga offers many health benefits, both mental and physical. Check out five of our top reasons for everyone to add a little more yoga to their lives.

1 Builds Up Your Bones

Many yoga poses are weight-bearing exercises, which means your muscles are working harder against gravity to hold you in position. This not only makes the muscles stronger, but it also strengthens your bones and helps prevent loss of bone density. Therefore, yoga can provide some protection from osteoporosis, a condition characterized by weakened bones that often results in pain and fractures. To that end, yoga also helps correct posture problems that result in muscle pain and a stooped appearance.

2 Improves Coordination

Yoga makes you more flexible and increases self-awareness of your body and its movements. It can help you develop faster reaction time, greater strength, and better balance, which is especially important in avoiding falls as we age. In fact, a 2012 study at Indiana University in Indianapolis found that practicing yoga significantly improved balance in people who had experienced a stroke more than six months earlier.1

3 Guards Against Depression

Practicing yoga makes you feel good. Part of that is related to the endorphins your body produces when you exercise, and part is due to the relaxed, meditative state that you can achieve. And this combination of mind-body integration can boost your mood and better your mental health. A 2017 study at Boston University in Massachusetts showed that Iyengar yoga is an effective means of treating depression and reducing its symptoms.2 Iyengar is a form of yoga known for precise breath control and posture, offering stress relief and perhaps positively impacting brain chemistry.

4 Aids in Digestion

If you’ve overindulged at a meal and are feeling bloated a few hours later or have been experiencing constipation, yoga poses can remedy these issues and help prevent them in the future. A much better option than antacids and other pharmaceutical medications that might provide a little relief but typically come with side effects or health risks, yoga can naturally apply pressure to the abdomen to stimulate the digestive process. In fact, a 2015 study at the University of California, Los Angeles found that adults with irritable bowel syndrome experienced significantly fewer symptoms after a six-month yoga program.3

5 Brings Variety to Your Workout

Not only does practicing yoga give you another activity to switch things up from your typical walking, bike riding, weight training, and aerobics class routine, but yoga has a wide range of options within its own discipline. Feel like focusing more on strength? Take an Ashtanga yoga class. Want to push your body to the limit in stretching-oriented exercise session? Try Bikram yoga. In the mood for a very active workout that will get your heart rate up? Choose Vinyasa yoga instead. Want to combine all forms of yoga into one while focusing on mind control and conscious relaxation? Try Raja yoga.

Many forms of yoga exist, so do a little research to figure out which ones you might enjoy most. And each teacher has a different style as well, so if you don’t love a class, you might still want to give that form of yoga another try elsewhere.

• Schmid, Arlene A.; et al. “Poststroke Balance Improves With Yoga.” Stroke. 27 August 2012. Accessed 13 June 2018. https://stroke.ahajournals.org/content/43/9/2402.
• Streeter, CC; et al. “Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder with Iyengar Yoga and Coherent Breathing: A Randomized Controlled Dosing Study.” Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 1 March 2017. Accessed 14 June 2018. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28296480.
• Shahabi, L.; et al. “Self-regulation evaluation of therapeutic yoga and walking for patients with irritable bowel syndrome: a pilot study.” Psychology, Health & Medicine. 18 June 2015. Accessed 14 June 2018. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26086986.

We are all well aware by now that we should exercise every day. Yet despite this knowledge, about 78 percent of adults in the United States do not work out enough to meet recommended aerobic and strength-training guidelines. The most common excuse for this lack of activity? People say they just don’t have enough time. If this sounds familiar to you, we’ve got some good news. According to new research, if you can even find small amounts of time to do a little exercise, you will gain considerable benefits.

The study, which took place at University College London in the United Kingdom, found that short segments of light intensity activity are effective for increasing longevity in older men.1 (Hold on. As you’ll learn by the end of this blog, the results likely apply to both sexes and all age groups.) These results were based on an investigation that involved 1,181 men with no pre-existing cardiovascular disease. They ranged in age from 71 to 92, with an average age of 78. Each of the subjects wore a device for seven days that tracked all of their movements.

After approximately five years of following the participants, the researchers analyzed the data and discovered that it was the amount of exercise performed overall that was associated with living longer. In other words, long exercise sessions and greater intensity did not matter as much as the total volume of physical activity.

Brief periods of exercise that were typically less than 10 minutes added up and were shown to offer a similar addition to longevity as did sessions of exercise longer than 10 minutes. And these quick bursts of exercise throughout the day do add up significantly if they’re done regularly, as 66 percent of the volunteers achieved the recommended total of 150 minutes a week of physical activity when the short workouts were counted.

Each 30 minutes of light intensity exercise per day, which includes activities such as taking a walk or doing some gardening, was associated with a 17 percent decrease in the risk of early mortality. Those who were comfortable doing a more moderate or vigorous workout enjoyed even greater benefits. For every 30 minutes of more intense exercise performed, the subjects’ risk of early death dropped by 33 percent.

The study is somewhat limited by its focus only on older men and the fact that the follow up was only for five years, which doesn’t give us a lot of long-term information. Yet despite that, its findings are valuable and confirm earlier research such as a 2016 study at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada that showed health benefits can be derived even from three 20-second bursts of exercise.

Ultimately, the current study is a good reminder for all of us that we need to get our exercise in every day, even if it’s only piecemeal and isn’t always the most exerting activity. Keeping that in mind can make it much easier to reach daily exercise goals of 30 or 45 minutes. If you don’t have time to make your class at the gym, or do a circuit in the weight room, or take a three-mile run, you can still have effective workouts that will add up to the same amount of time in shorter bursts.

If you are stuck at work late, spend seven or eight minutes walking up and down the stairs or take a walk around the building. When you have a busy day of errands ahead of you, do some sit-ups, push-ups, and squats before you need to go. And those days when you only have 20 minutes in between work, dinner, and an evening meeting, spend 10 of them doing stretches or yoga poses to get a little exercise in and also calm your frazzled nerves.

And don’t forget, lots of our everyday activities burn calories and can count toward your daily workout goals too. For example, gardening burns about 300 calories per hour, walking briskly through the mall (without stopping for a Cinnabon or ice cream) for 40 minutes can burn 180 calories, and instead of a dinner date with friends, suggest going dancing, which will help you burn 360 calories in an hour.

• Jefferis, Barbara J.; et al. “Objectively measured physical activity, sedentary behaviour and all-cause mortality in older men: does volume of activity matter more than pattern of accumulation?” British Journal of Sports Medicine. 12 February 2018.  Accessed 28 February 2018. https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/2018/01/19/bjsports-2017-098733.

.From Baseline of Health