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Exercise gives you a higher quality of life, keeps you in shape, and helps protect you from disease as well!
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S., killing more than 700,000 people annually. A heart attack
occurs every 25 seconds, and the average male has a 50-percent chance of dying from heart disease. A sedentary lifestyle is
the most common risk factor for cardiovascular disease. (CDC) Harvard researchers examined 10,269 men in 1962, 1966 and 1977,
and found that those participating in sports had a lower risk death from heart disease by 41 percent.
Cancer is the second-leading cause of death in the U.S., killing more than 500,000 individuals every year. One out of every
four deaths is from cancer. One study tracked 17,719 men for 15 years and those who exercised were 88 percent less likely
to develop prostate cancer. (American Journal of Epidemiology)
Memory Loss: By 45 years of age, impulses between neurons in the brain can begin to slow by as much as 20 percent. A study
found that middle-aged adults who improved their fitness by 15 percent through cycling also raised their scores on a memory
test.
Diabetes: An estimated 16 million people in the U.S. have diabetes mellitus, half of whom do not know and are not under care
for the disease. 798,000 people are diagnosed every year with diabetes, with 50,000 deaths annually. An eight-year study of
34- to 59-year-old women showed that women who exercised vigorously at least once a week had a one-third lower risk of adult-onset
diabetes than sedentary women or those who exercised less frequently.
High blood pressure: 25 percent of the adult population has high blood pressure and 25 percent are in the near-high range.
The death rate from high blood pressure is about 9,200 deaths a year. Several studies have shown that exercise can reduce
high blood pressure in some people.
Strokes kill about 144,000 people annually and are the third-leading cause of death. A study in the British Medical Journal
with 125 first-time stroke patients and 198 people as a healthy control group found that subjects ages 15 to 25 who exercised
had a 76 percent lower risk of having a stroke. Those between ages 25 and 40 had a 57 percent lower risk, and 40- to 55-year-olds
had a 37-percent reduction.
Osteoarthritis: A study found that overweight middle-aged and older women could cut their risk of osteoarthritis of the knee
in half by losing 11 pounds over 10 years, with the same risk loss assumed for men.
DECIDE to have a major impact on your own health, happiness and well-being. It's worth it!
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