Exercise

The good news is that anything is better than nothing. If you're an inactive person,
small changes like taking the stairs and walking to the store can make a real
difference. However, challenging aerobic exercise is the only way to get the big
health benefits exercise has to offer [2]. This means getting your heart rate up for
at least 30 minutes, several times a week. Running, swimming and cycling are all
good examples. There is also evidence that adding anaerobic resistance training
(push-ups, weights etc) to your routine has health benefits beyond aerobic exercise
alone.

Our hunter-gatherer ancestors had a word
for exercise: 'life'. The very act of
surviving in our natural environment
demanded constant and varied physical
exertion, from walking to digging to
climbing. Our species evolved to function
best with large amounts of daily exercise.
That's why an inactive lifestyle is a recipe
for health problems. Being physically fit
has more benefits than we can count:
improved mood, increased energy,
resistance to heart disease, dementia and
diabetes, strong muscles and bones,
healthy weight, and the list goes on [1,
2]. Our lives today are very different from
our ancestors', so how do we get the
benefits of exercise without putting on a
loincloth and marching off into the jungle?

I think the best way to get exercise is to integrate it into your daily routine, so that
you're not asking yourself the question 'do I want to exercise today?' The easiest way
to do this is to make exercise a part of your commute. Cycling is really relaxing and
energizing at the beginning and end of the workday. If you live too far from your
work to cycle, you can drive part of the way and then cycle the rest. This works
great for running and walking as well. I bet you'll have an easier time finding
parking too!

Cycling is often just as fast as driving, at least in metropolitan areas. Once you
take traffic and parking into account, you can usually beat a driver going the same
distance, especially during rush hour. It's also considerably faster than taking the
bus.

Joining a recreational sports league is another good way of ensuring you get regular
exercise. Soccer, basketball, ultimate frisbee and tag football leagues are all great
ways of exercising, having fun and meeting people.

Enrolling in a fitness class can also help you adopt a regular exercise schedule.
Aerobics, swim classes and weight training are all good examples. Yoga is another
form of exercise I'm fond of. It strengthens, stretches, improves posture and
balance. It's especially helpful for people with back pain.

My exercise routine includes using my bike as my primary mode of transportation.
This gives me about one very enjoyable hour of cycling a day. I also do calisthenics
daily: push-ups or chin-ups. This combination works opposing muscle groups in my
upper body. That's important so I don't get the dreaded Beach Syndrome: big pecs
and a puny back! I also practice Yoga twice a week and hike regularly.

References

[1] Dishman RK, Berthoud HR, Booth FW, Cotman CW, Edgerton VR, Fleshner MR,
Gandevia SC, Gomez-Pinilla F, Greenwood BN, Hillman CH, Kramer AF, Levin BE,
Moran TH, Russo-Neustadt AA, Salamone JD, Van Hoomissen JD, Wade CE, York
DA, Zigmond MJ. Neurobiology of exercise. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2006.
14(3):345-56.

[2] Durstine JL, Grandjean PW, Davis PG, Ferguson MA, Alderson NL, DuBose KD.
Blood lipid and lipoprotein adaptations to exercise: a quantitative analysis. Sports
Med. 2001. 31(15):1033-62.