If Exercise was a Pill

At Longevity Exercise Physiology Drummoyne, Edgecliff, Marrickville, Bella Vista, Randwick, Lindfield and Balmain discuss today how if exercise was a pill – everyone would be prescribed it.

Most of us have heard this before – if exercise was a pill, everyone would be prescribed it. It’s a very simple, factual and relevant statement in our society.

This statement was made by Dr Robert Butler in the 1980’s and is even more relevant in society now. The fact is that exercise and physical activity relies on a whole lot of self-motivation as well as the physical effort involved. In a world where everything is made convenient for us it’s no wonder a lot of us struggle to exercise regularly.

If exercise came in a pill, it would be given to children through to the elderly, those with chronic health conditions and those without.

Exercise has such a positive effect on your health and it doesn’t require you sweating it out in the gym every day. It is as simple as moving your body every day, like doing incidental activity such as walking to the train station rather than driving, taking the stairs instead of the elevator or doing some gardening. Doing some structured exercise like an exercise class or gym-based program has its benefits too, and a combination of these is the best approach.

Some of the health benefits of exercise and physical activity include:

• Reduced body weight which helps reduce blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar levels and cardiovascular risk
• Reduced risk of stroke
• Reduced risk of cancer
• Improved mental health
• Improved bone strength and reduction in falls risk

So why aren’t we doing it? Well here are some of the most common reasons we see:

• Time poor
• Cost
• Not motivated
• Too old
• Causes pain, hurts to move
• Too tired

All of these reasons can be overcome with an appropriate strategy if you speak with a health professional, especially an exercise physiologist who is trained in this area to help people achieve better health. We work every day with people who are lacking motivation, unsure where to start or simply don’t think they are capable of doing any exercise and can help you find a plan you will stick too. Knowing exactly what your goals are and deciding to put yourself and your health first are key to getting started. Even if scientists do one day discover an exercise pill, it won’t ever beat the real thing. So, speak to your exercise physiologist who can help you get off the couch today!

Contact Longevity Personal Training and Exercise Physiology Drummoyne, Edgecliff, Marrickville, Bella Vista, Randwick, Lindfield and Balmain  on 1300 964 002 to enquire today.

Written by Susannah Mah-Chut

References

Harvard Health Publishing, What we do – and don’t – know about exercise, Harvard Health Publishing, Retrieved on 15/12/2020 https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/what-we-do-and-dont-know-about-exercise