December 2004

What's on the list of Top 10 ways to reduce stress? Exercise.

One of the Top 10 ways of relieving anxiety? Exercise.

Maintain good health? Exercise.

Relieve depression? Build self-esteem? Improve self-image and confidence? Reduce tension? Improve mental sharpness and alertness? Increase immunity to certain diseases and health risks? Lose weight? Improve the quality of sleep?

Exercise. Exercise. Exercise.

With a list like this, one might ask if there is any aspect of human life that isn't helped by regular exercise. Not according to physical and mental health experts. Anyone and everyone who is concerned with health and well-being agrees: Physical activity is a vital component for optimum physical and emotional health. Regular exercise is the key to increasing the quality of life. Being active improves body, mind, and spirit.

Yet, a quarter of Americans get absolutely no exercise and nearly two-thirds get less than the recommended minimum amount of physical activity of 30 minutes several times a week. Fewer than 15 percent comply with the American College of Sports Medicine's recommendations for adult fitness.

Phillip Tomporowski, an exercise scientist at the University of Georgia, says that various forms of exercise actually can help us to think more clearly. In a study released last year that examined the effects of exercise on the brain, Tomporowski found that steady-paced aerobic exercise improved the brain's ability to solve problems, make decisions fast and effectively, concentrate and focus much better than before and respond faster to information relevant to the task.

"After a bout of aerobic exercise you are more sensitive to changes in the world around you, better able to make good decisions, and when you need to act, you're quicker off the mark," he said.

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