The many benefits of exercise

An article in todays KCStar (free registration required) lists the many benefits of exercise:

If he were to list the benefits of exercise, Tom Thomas says there would be 1,000 entries, no sweat.

High on the list would be a decreased risk of heart attack and stroke. And lower blood pressure. And a boost in high-density lipoprotein, the goodcholesterol.

And there's no doubt that Thomas, who directs the exercise physiology program at the University of Missouri-Columbia, would mention increased insulin sensitivity, a lack of which often leads to Type 2 diabetes. And a probable decreased incidence of some cancers. And weight control. He'd point out the benefits to bone density, and to muscle maintenance. And then there's the whole cognitive and emotional piece.

"If exercise could be made into a pill, it would be the most-prescribed pill we have," said Cedric Bryant, an exercise physiologist and a vice president (for educational services) with the American Council on Exercise in San Diego. . . .

The power of physical activity came home to her in an experiment she conducted a few years ago. She listed the effects of inactivity and those of aging. They were nearly identical.