High Blood Pressure:

High Blood pressure, or hypertension, is known as the “silent killer” since the symptoms sometimes do not appear until it is too late.  Hypertension –  a very treatable condition – is prevalent in more than 20 % of the population. Another significant number of people have what is referred to as “high normal” or “borderline” blood pressure – that is, their readings fall slightly above the normal range and as such, they are now at risk for hypertension.

Exercise can prevent or cure high blood pressure. An inactive person has  a 20-50% higher risk of developing high blood pressure than an active person.  This statistic is based on studies performed at both Harvard University and the Cooper Institute for Aerobics Research.  Even without weight loss, aerobic exercise can lower blood pressure by up to 10 points.  And one of the great things about exercising to reduce blood pressure is that one usually starts seeing results after only a few short weeks of starting a program.  An added bonus: as exercisers also tend to lose weight and concentrate on diet, results can go far beyond the 10 points mentioned above.

High Cholesterol:

About 30% of Americans have high cholesterol. Steps you can take which will usually lower your overall cholesterol, lower your LDL (bad cholesterol) and raise your HDL (good cholesterol) include:

– exercising

– losing weight

– eliminating smoking

– moderating alcohol consumption

– eating a healthful diet which includes fruits and vegetables

Even those with hereditary factors can see improvement by adoptiong the practices listed above.

Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance found in all animal products.  The human body makes cholesterol in the liver and absorbs some of it through the diet.  It is essential for the body and is used to produce hormones, form bile acids for digestion of fats and to build cell membranes.  However, too much cholesterol in the blood can spell trouble in the form of increased risk of coronary heart disease.

In a study at Stanford University, male and female runners were found to have higher HDL levels than sedentary controls in the study.  Total cholesterol levels, LDL, and triglycerides were all found to be lower than the sedentary group.  And the greater distance and time the runners ran, the better their results.  As with blood pressure, the results of exercising usually included some weight loss ss well,  which contributes even more to improvement.  In both of these cases, cholesterol and high blood pressure, risk of cardiovascular disease was lowered substantially with exercise.

Metabolic Syndrome:

Exercising is very helpful in weight reduction and in preventing weight gain. It is also beneficial in maintaining a healthy weight after a successful weight loss program.  therefore, the strongest predictor of successful, permanent weight loss is a well-rounded exercise program.

Being overweight is known to bring on many health-related complications, including Metabolic Syndrome, otherwise know and Syndrome X.  Syndrome X has  been called the “deadly quartet”, as well as “insulin resistance syndrome”, and is responsible for both diabetes and cardiovascular disease.  What is now called Metabolic Syndrome is comprised of a perilous collection of risk factors, or cluster of metabolic disorders which taken as a group or individually, promote the development of diabetes and atherosclerosis.  The root causes of this syndrome are overweight/obesity, physical inactivity and genetic factors.

Cancer:

Research has shown that the lifetime risk for developing cancer is 45% in men and 39% in women.  However, according to the American Cancer Society, up to 2/3 of cancers are preventable.  There is also good news on the cancer treatment front.  In the 1930’s, fewer than one in five people were alive after five years of treatment for cancer, but today, 5 in 10 people getting treatment live five years or more afterwards, and these numbers are expected to continue to improve.

What exactly is cancer? All cancers can be characterized by the uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells. If the spread is not controlled, it can, G-d forbid, be fatal, as vital passageways are blocked and the body’s oxygen and nutrient supplies are diverted to support the rapidly- spreading cancer.  Normally, our body cells reproduce and divide in an orderly manner.  In that way, old cells are replaced and injured cells are repaired.  However, some cells undergo abnormal changes because of oxidants, radiation, viruses, hormones, immune conditions and inherited mutations.  It is these abnormal cells that grow into masses called tumors.  These tumors can be benign or cancerous.

In 1996, the American Cancer Society added regular physical activity to their list of preventive measures.  (It’s interesting to note that it took the American Heart Association a long time to identify inactivity as a risk factor for heart disease).

Evidence continues to mount which strongly supports the  connection between the development of cancer and inactivity.  According to Dr. I-Minn Lee of the Harvard School of Public Health, “Our findings now suggest that increased physical activity may reduce the risk of certain types of cancer, especially colon cancer.”

Obviously, we are speaking here of prevention and not curing cancer.  To date, the jury is still out as to whether or not exercise is advantageous during cancer treatment.

(to be continued)

For previous columns, click HERE.

Alan Freishtat is an A.C.E. CERTIFIED PERSONAL TRAINER and a LIFESTYLE FITNESS COACH with over 10 years of professional experience. He is the co-director of the Jerusalem-based weight loss center Lose It! along with Linda Holtz M.A. and is available for private consultations, assessments and personalized workout programs. Alan also lectures and gives seminars and workshops. He can be reached at 02-651-8502 or 050-555-7175, or by email at [email protected].

(Alan Freishtat – YWN)