You’re less likely to get injured at an impromptu game of touch football
or ultimate Frisbee.By keeping your muscles strong and flexible, you
can avoid that nasty hamstring pull or torn rotator cuff that sends you
back to the couch with a bag of ice.
You’re less likely to injure your joints. When your muscles are strong,
they offer more support to your bones and joints. So, you’re less likely
to twist an ankle stepping off a curb or injure your elbow by carrying a
heavy briefcase.You’re likely to recover faster from an accident.If, God forbid, you get
into a car wreck or other serious accident, your fitness will serve you
well. Frail and weak people have lower survival rates and take longer
to recover.
You can ease the pain of varicose veins. The walls of varicose veins
have been stretched, allowing blood to pool in the legs. Exercise helps
relieve the resulting swelling and aching because the contraction of calf
muscles causes blood to shoot upward.You can ease lower -back pain. Strengthening your abdominal and
lower-back muscles can do wonders to ward off lower-back pain and
reduce discomfort in people who suffer this pain chronically.
You may avoid back surgery.In one study, most of the back-pain
patients who had been recommended for spinal surgery by a physician
were able to avoid surgery by following an aggressive strengthening
program. Sixteen months after completing the exercise program, only
3 of the 38 patients required surgery.You hold down your blood pressure.People who exercise regularly
have about a 30 percent lower risk of developing heart-threatening
hypertension than people who don’t work out. Exercise may also help
lower blood pressure in people who are already hypertensive.
You’re less likely to need gallbladder surgery.Confirming earlier stud-
ies on men, new research suggests that women who exercise cut their
risk of needing gallbladder surgery by nearly a third. Doctors have known
for years that obesity increases the risk of gallstones, but now a sedentary
lifestyle appears to be a factor as well.You help keep your prostate healthy.Three hours of walking per week
may reduce the risk of benign prostatic hyperplasia, a condition that
leads to prostate enlargement and urinary-tract problems.
You’re less likely to get diabetes.Staying fit can drastically reduce your
chances of developing non-insulin-dependent diabetes by lowering blood-
sugar and blood-fat levels. And if you do have diabetes, exercise — with
the permission of a doctor — can help control the symptoms.You’re less likely to get colon cancer.Moderate daily exercise, such as
an hour-long walk or a half-hour jog, may reduce your colon cancer risk
by as much as 46 percent, perhaps by affecting chemicals inside your
intestines.358 Part VIII: The Part of Tens