Exercise is a LOT better than this suggests….

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Today's post: Tuesday, 6-26-2007

Exercise is a LOT better than this suggests….

I saw a comic a few days ago that really got my attention. It suggested that even though exercise helped you live longer, you had to spend as much time working out as the extra time you lived. (One hour of working out produced living an hour longer.)

I wouldn’t want to be the health insurance company for the people who thought that was about right or thought it was funny – or for that cartoonist for that matter.

This comic makes three hidden assumptions. That exercise is always a pain to do. That it doesn’t really influence longevity that much. And, that there’s nothing else to think about when it comes to exercise.

Each of these assumptions is wrong. And, the last one is spectacularly wrong.

1. People who believe exercise is always a pain to do are wrong.

There are actually studies that show that people who really know how much good exercise does for them & how much horrible problems not exercising would cause them -- not only find it less of a pain to exercise, they actually get more benefits from it than people do who don’t know the benefits of exercise.

(My guess is that’s because they do it with more enthusiasm & effort & either do more of it or did more of it before the experiment the study was based on began.)

Sure, there are times that exercise seems more like an extra chore or feels harder to do than you’d like.

But there are quite a number of other effects or experiences of exercising that are actually quite enjoyable. For example, exercises often wakes you up or boosts your energy better than strong coffee.

In the morning some days, you can get out of bed feeling like you need someone with a crane to help you because you are that sleepy & groggy. I’ve often found that on such days my early morning short workout totally zaps that feeling; & I feel wide awake for several hours afterwards. Once the effect of the exercise wears off, then I need my caffeine fix.

Similarly, I’ve worked out in the evening on days I feel like phoning a crew with a stretcher to pick me up after work & take me home to bed. But once I get in the gym & do even ONE brisk set, I feel normal & awake with no extra effort. And, that extra alertness lasts until after I have dinner & a glass of wine later in the evening.

Similarly, a really vigorous exercise where you breathe hard can clear your mind & feel good once you recover.

And, when you are done with a vigorous exercise session, you often feel a kind of afterglow from the extra blood & warmth in your muscles.

In addition, when you find yourself getting stronger or setting new records it’s very gratifying & a considerable ego boost.

And, you also feel better as you see positive changes in your body when you look into a mirror.

Lastly, this comic implies that only working out increases longevity & that other exercises or activities you enjoy don’t count.

Some people like to cook. Some people like to garden. Some people like to dance. Some people like to ride horses. Some people like to swim or surf. Some people like to hike in beautiful places. All these things are also exercise & increase your health & longevity much more than sitting on the couch watching TV.

(You do have to be careful doing some of these like horseback riding or surfing to get more longevity out of doing them. But some people really enjoy them; & they ARE exercise activities also.)

2. Exercise tends to increase longevity more than the time it takes to do it – by itself. But it also increases longevity even more by eating right; not smoking; & otherwise taking care of your health AND exercising regularly.

Then consider this. Exercise helps to prevent heart disease, cancer, & type II diabetes. And, some of these things can kill you off rather quickly and at an age 20 or 30 or even 40 years sooner than you would otherwise live.

The average person who exercises several hours a week may only live 15 years longer. But you might be one of the people who would live more than 20 years longer or much more instead.

Why take that chance?

3. But the most important wrong assumption is the last one.

It’s simple. People who exercise live better—a LOT better. And, the older they get the more that’s so.


They have far fewer diseases like heart disease, cancer, & type II diabetes. And, if they do get them, they are decades older when they do.

They look better. They enjoy sex more & more often.

They resist stress better. They get less depressed.

They stay mentally sharp as they get older. They think better & remember better.

And when they do get older they are still mobile & capable & able to live independently.

If they make money by the time they are older or retire, they can travel to interesting places instead of just going to the doctor’s office or the hospital or a nursing home.

As a result, they not only live longer they live enjoyable lives MUCH, MUCH longer. Say they live 15 years longer. They likely will live enjoyable lives 30 or 40 years longer.

Why go without exercise?

It’s well worth it even on the days it feels like too much work. And, once you learn how to do it well or by doing activities you enjoy, it’s enjoyable enough to exercise even that feeling is rare.