10 Reasons to Just Do It! An Homage to Jack LaLanne

“Exercise is king, nutrition is queen, put them together and you have a kingdom!” Jack LaLanne 1914 – 2011

Jack LaLanne passed away yesterday at the ripened old age of 96. In honor of his infinite ability to inspire, I want to share 10 reasons why exercise is indeed so critical to optimal health. I actually would reverse Jack's quote and define nutrition as the king and fitness as the queen. Regardless, you cannot achieve and maintain your superior kingdom without a combination of consistently moving and properly fueling your body. Here are some of the reasons why:

1. Exercise stimulates your immune system. Muscle contractions are to your lymphatic system what the heart is to your circulatory system. The lymphatic system cleans up the mess like inflammatory cells from throughout the body. It then traps bacteria, viruses, fungus, and other mischief-makers to put the immune system to work. Finally, any leftover fluid is dumped back into the bloodstream to be excreted via the kidneys. Think of your lymphatic system as your body's housekeeper.

2. Working out strengthens your heart and blood vessels. Encouraging circulation by stimulating your heart to work hard for a prolonged period of time improves blood flow, decreases inflammation, and keeps your heart muscle fit.

3. Regular exercise is excellent for your mind. Depression, anxiety, stress, and panic disorders have all been found to improve with exercise. Endorphins (feel-good hormones and natural painkillers) are released from physical stress, soothing your mind, and improving your mood. It enables you to deal with stress more effectively.

4. Sleep is deeper and more efficient with regular exercise. Proper rest is critical for stress management, immune function, mental clarity, and physical well-being.

5. Weight management is easier with a consistent fitness program. As lean body mass increases, metabolism improves, and you require more calories just to maintain those muscles. Become a calorie-burning machine by sticking to a fitness plan.

6. Exercise improves insulin sensitivity. Great news for diabetics, pre-diabetics, and those who want to prevent diabetes (hopefully everyone). Type 2 diabetes is the result of insulin resistance...where the cells become unable to absorb glucose, thereby leading to hyperglycemia.

7. Inflammation is suppressed thanks to increased circulation brought about by exercising.

8. Your risk for most chronic disease-including cancer, heart disease, arthritis, and diabetes-is significantly reduced by sustaining a regular fitness regimen.

9. The number one most effective factor in preventing and stopping the progression of osteoporosis is...yep, you guessed it...EXERCISE! Resistance movements against your own body weight or other resource (like weights, machines, and tubing) improve bone mass. Bone and muscle both react to physical stress (resistance) by growing thicker and stronger. Move your body and build bone tissue. Remember that bone tissue is dynamic. It is constantly breaking down and repairing in a constant state of flux. So, provide it with stress to encourage proper bone mineralization.

10. Exercise helps make you a better lover. People who work out have an increased libido, have a decreased risk for erectile dysfunction, and have more stamina to bring sexy back to bed!

No matter what your fitness level is or what chronic conditions you may have, regular exercise will improve your life on so many levels. It is not an optional activity...it is a must-do. Commit to a program if you haven't already and watch the miracles in your life materialize!

Fighting for Fat-ism

Yesterday morning, as I was peddling away on the seated elliptical, reading Dr. David Kessler's The End of Overeating, I looked up at the muted television screen right above me and saw a headline on one of the morning shows. It said "How to find a doctor who is not fat-phobic". It was impossible not to simply see the irony of my current location and the literature I was absorbing. But, more notably was the red light that flashed in my head. Really? We need to tell people to avoid a physician who is interested in ignoring a huge symptom in minimizing disease risk?

Two out of every three Americans is either overweight or obese. This is a grand majority and the numbers are only increasing. Children are growing overweight and obese rapidly. This is an epidemic and it is a crisis. Talk about a health care emergency! One of the most significant causes of type 2 Diabetes, heart disease and many cancers is the presence of too much fat on the body. These are the number one killers in the West. Fat causes Metabolic Syndrome, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure, factors that lead directly to heart attacks and strokes.

Since when has a health issue become a political correctness compass? Clothing stores are popping up everywhere for the "larger-sized" woman. Magazines specialize in this population. The scary part is that our society is trying to adjust for the majority of the population instead of working to make changes to lead people into healthier lifestyles. This may well be the reason we are in Health care crisis and why health care has become utterly unaffordable. We can't keep up with our growing population as it is draining resources.

I am not trying to be insensitive as I know this is a very taboo way to approach the topic. But I am coming from a concerned perspective. We need to accept the fact that being overweight is dangerous...it is literally one of the most preventable and reversible symptoms of illness in America. Instead of focusing on finding physicians that will ignore the weight of his or her patients, we need to deal with it head on. Practitioners need to educate their patients on why carrying too much fat is unhealthy and to lead them in the direction of adopting healthy lifestyle practices, such as exercising regularly and eating a whole food, plant-based diet, rich in nutrients that help the body shed excess weight and fight disease. Nutrition counseling by Registered Dietitians and personal training by qualified individuals need to be covered by insurance and offered as incentives to employees who want to take advantage of this option. Healthier, fitter employees perform better and more efficiently. Our entire society can improve vastly if only we attack fat as the health issue it is and not acclimate culture to accept it.