50 BBC SCIENCE FOCUS MAGAZINE COLLECTIONGETTY IMAGES
Our ability to run, ride, swim and play sports offers us
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words by ROB KEMPEXERCISE
A cure for all ills
erhaps the best advertisement for the
natural ‘cures’ exercise can provide comes
in the shape of the warnings we get if
we abstain from regularly breaking into
a workout-enduced sweat. Depression, obesity,
lethargy, heart disease, insomnia, dangerously high
levels of fat around the internal organs, impotence,
breathing difficulties, poor concentration, low self-
esteem and a weakened immunity to illness are
just some of the conditions from which science says
regular exercise can save us from.
As an increasingly convenience-focused, seden-
tary lifestyle becomes the norm for too many of us,
the need to get active has never been greater.But Prof John Brewer, head of the School of Sport,
Health and Applied Science at St Mar y ’s Univer sit y in
L ondon, w arns : “Lis ten to your body. E xer cis e is about
adaptation, you put your body through stresses that
it has to adjust to. As a result, rest and recovery are
as vital as the workout itself to ensuring exercise is
effective in the long term. Always seek out expert
advice, or talk with your doctor.”
The key is to get the right balance – you need to
push your body to achieve the best results from
the natural benefits of exercise, but you also need
to give it time to recover. So what does science
say are the exact health benefits of exercise?
Read on to find out... 5P