More good reasons to exercise regularly
A new study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences led by Scott Small shows that exercise can lead to new brain cell growth in the hippocampus. The hippocampus is part of the limbic system of the brain and is involved in memory and spatial navigation. Previous research had shown that exercise can result in the growth of new brain cells in mice in their equivalent of the human dentate gyrus (which is part of the hippocampus). In this study 11 people had MRI’s of their brains done and then participated for 3 months in a cardiovascular exercise program. An MRI was was then performed again and it showed an increase in new cell growth in the dentate gyrus of the people’s hippocampus. The new cell growth was measured by detecting an increased blood flow in the dentate gyrus through the MRI.
A study in the Archives of Internal Medicine presented evidence that vigorous cardiovascular exercise seems to decrease the chances of developing breast cancer in some women. This study involved examining data from over 100,000 women. Those that reported that they had exercised for more than 5 hours a week had a 20% less chance of developing invasive breast cancer and a 31% lower risk of early stage breast cancer compared to women who said they only exercised less than a half an hour a day. (I guess if House saw this study he would say that women who lie have a 20% less chance of getting breast cancer 
)
A study in the American Journal of Epidemiology a while back suggests that women who exercise more have lower chance of getting uterine fibroids. Uterine fibroids - also known as uterine leiomyomas - are benign tumors in the uterus and can result in problems with fertility and pregnancy and well as cause bleeding and pain. Donna Day Baird and her group at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina report that of the more than 1000 women they screened for fibroids that the women who were more active were less likely to have them. More specifically they found that women who exercised for 7 or more hours a week had a 40% lower chance of having them compared to those who exercised less than 2 hours a week. Even women who exercised 4 hours a week had a somewhat lower chance of having them.
The American Heart Association also recently released new guidelines for women to help prevent cardiovascular disease. One the new recommendations is for women to exercise 60 to 90 minutes everyday.
It seems we are always hearing about how regular exercise is good for our health. I wonder how many people really do exercise on a regular basis? And why or why not? I have been for a while now, but not as much as is recommended - maybe only 3-4 hours of cardiovascular exercise a week. I’d like to increase that a bit - but how to find the time?
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3 Responses to 'More good reasons to exercise regularly'
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on March 14th, 2007 at 4:32 pm
There is hope! And, you can have a cleaner home at the same time.
A European study of 200,000 women showed that physical activity associated with housework, lowered the risk of breast cancer more than physical activity associated with recreation or occupation! (Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention, 12/2006)
Some of us don’t have time to head to the club, but I know my windows could stand washing….
Lynne Eldridge M.D.
Author, “Avoiding Cancer One Day At A Time”
http://www.avoidcancernow.com
on March 26th, 2007 at 1:09 pm
I have enjoyed reading your article about ‘More good reasons to exercise regularly’. Exercise is something that most people appear to have taken for granted when it comes to having a healthy life. I am a women’s lifestyle fitness coach and I have found your article informative and pratical.
All the best.
Alicia Howard
Deja-Fit Lifestyle Fitness Coaching for Women
http://www.deja-fit.blogspot.com
on May 18th, 2008 at 6:28 pm
I cannot understand why there have been so few responses to this Very Relevant Topic!
I’m a 5 - plus year THRIVER post late stage colon cancer…lucky me! I have been a daily exerciser (swimming) since my mid-30’s (I am now 64). Being strong before developing the tumor almost certainly helped me to go through the trauma of surgery and 6 months of deadly chemo. (My doc, upon diagnosis, looked at me and remarked: “You’d be perfectly healthy if it weren’t for that darned tumor, Erika.”!)Nonetheless, I was very ill and very easily could have slipped over that edge.
What saved me? I had (and have) an innate commitment to live, and that commitment led me to do things - like swim daily - that I might not have done otherwise. I’m very physically and mentally active; I’m not going to just sit back and let cancer “happen” to me. I fully intend to win a gold medal in a swimming meet when I’m 90 –and that’s not many years away!
I think the answer you may be seeking is that deep down commitment - to self- to live life intensely. If we have actually had that “conversation” with our innermost selves, there’s no way we can
1. not exercise,
2. not get enough sleep,
3. not eat in a healthy fashion, and
4. no way that we can smoke (anything),
5. no way that we can do anything (like drink alcohol) except in carefull moderation, and
6. no way that we can work at anything except that which we love doing!!
I love this conversation; let’s do more of this!!
Erika Hanson Brown
The Connectoring®
STELLAR, a Membership Organization
Denver, CO USA
http://www.connectoring.com