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| Exercise — the ‘pill’ for
many ailments |
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| Children
are happy at play because their bodies
release endorphins when they are physically
active. |
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Exercise
is an essential pillar of a healthy lifestyle.
Young children at playgrounds are
unaware that they are easily meeting their recommended
doses. Adults should take their cues from these
children as
the benefits of exercise are nothing short of amazing!
We often understand things better when they are explained in terms of dollars
and cents. So let’s see how much money exercise can save us.
Your figure
Have you noticed how much beauty salons are charging for a “quick” weight
loss package? A modest estimate is $500 a month. And how long will the results
last? For as long as you continue forking out the money each month. And you have
to pay even more for additional treatments!
In comparison, how much does a run around your estate cost you? Nothing. And
you can go for longer sessions without incurring any cost!
Furthermore, most slimming sessions help you to get rid of water retention. Exercise,
however, increases your body’s metabolic rate and helps to burn off excess
fats so that you lose weight healthily.
Your heart
People who are overweight risk getting obesity-related diseases such as high
blood pressure, diabetes and coronary heart disease. Once diagnosed with these
chronic ailments, patients have to take a cocktail of pills daily for treatment.
The cost depends on which clinic a patient goes to and how serious the ailment
is.
On the other hand, regular exercise and adopting a balanced diet can help you
keep these serious ailments at bay. Even those who have been diagnosed with chronic
ailments can better control their diseases with exercise, but they have to seek
the doctor’s recommendations first. Moreover, exercise will help keep you
mobile longer.
Your mind
Why are children so happy at play? That is because when they are physically active,
their bodies release hormones called endorphins. And endorphins make us feel
happy.
After a hard day’s work, wouldn’t you just love to get a dose of “cost-free” endorphins?
Then take a jog for a free supply! Moreover, exercise gives us the energy to
cope with workload and stress.
When a person cannot cope with stress, he becomes depressed and may have to turn
to psychiatric help in the long term. And what is the cost of that? A cocktail
of anti-depressants and counselling sessions.
How much exercise do we need?
Sedentary persons or the physically inactive need to exercise five times a week
for at least 30 minutes. You can accumulate your sessions in several 10-minute
bouts over the day, e.g. walking to the MRT station.
The physically active need to exercise three times a week for at least 20 minutes.
Choose an exercise or sport that is fun and involves your family and friends.
You will soon learn what kids already know — that exercise is the best
thing you can give to yourself! |
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1800-223-1313
(for personal health advice during office hours) |
1800-848-1313
(For 24-hour pre-recorded health information) |
Website
http://www.hpb.gov.sg |
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