The Magic Bullet

“Physical activity is the closest thing we have to a magic bullet. Everything that gets worse as we get older gets better with exercise.” So said Dr. I-Min Lee of Harvard Medical School in 2003, and since then no one has come up with a better way of putting it. Dr. Lee went on: “There is no single drug that can match the overall health benefit of physical activity. Everything that gets worse as we get older gets better with exercise.”

Regular physical activity lowers the risk of premature death, high blood pressure, diabetes, some types of cancer and the risk of falls and fractures. People who are physically active have less depression, are better able to control their weight, and report higher levels of well-being. Regular physical activity is also the strongest predictor for how fast someone will recover from an injury. Even in advanced old age, people who have never exercised can become physically fit, have better function, and live longer. Although incidence of chronic illness and disability increases as we age, regular physical activity can help seniors live actively and independently and reduce disability. Exercising just once or twice a week can extend longevity. Even occasional exercise has been found to reduce the risk of death by as much as 28%.

I hope I’m using Dr Lee to ‘preaching to the choir’. If, Dear Reader, you are still hesitant about increasing your activity, think of the probable alternative – an earlier death.