S1 Ep4: Exercise

If exercise could be bottled, it would be THE wonder drug of all wonder drugs. There is not one condition, not one aspect of physical or mental health that exercise does not benefit. On this episode we discuss why exercise is so beneficial to our health. We’ve evolved to exercise on a daily basis, however through time, with improvements in technology, we’ve become less active. Convenience comes at the expense of physical activity. The good news though, is that it doesn’t matter where you live, how old you are or how much you earn, regular exercise protects your health. We discuss how it protects the heart, how much we should do and how to incorporate this into a daily routine. If you are in the difficult position of having a longterm condition, you may find it really hard to exercise. Please know that you are not alone. There are many resources out there that can help. One such resource is a UK based campaign called “We Are Undefeatable”. It’s been developed by 15 leading health and social care charities to support and encourage finding ways to be active that work with your condition and not against it. For more information please visit www.weareundefeatable.co.uk  You can find more information about the Fresh Heart Project on our website www.freshheartproject.com. If you have any suggestions or if you would like to share your own personal story please do get in touch @freshheartproject on Instagram, @freshheartproj on Twitter or via the website. Remember great change comes with small steps that empowers you to live a life that you love. References: 1)      Kohl, H. W. 3rd et al. The pandemic of physical inactivity: global action for public health. Lancet 380, 294–305 (2012).2)    Zhao, G. et al. Leisure-time aerobic physical activity, muscle-strengthening activity and mortality risks among US adults: the NHANES linked mortality study. Br. J. Sports Med. 48, 244–249 (2014).3)    Ekelund, U. et al. Physical activity and all-cause mortality across levels of overall and abdominal adiposity in European men and women: the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition Study (EPIC). Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 101, 613–621 (2015). 4)      Wen, C. P. et al. Minimum amount of physical activity for reduced mortality and extended life expectancy: a prospective cohort study. Lancet 378, 1244–1253 (2011).