10 Ways Why

10 Reasons to MOVE by Delia Cabe

Prevention Magazine Feb 2009 P. 87 "

1. Improve Language Skills A single treadmill session can make you brainier. Exercisers who ran just two-a-minute sprints, with a 2-minute break in between, learned new words 20% faster than those who rested, in a University of Muenster in Germany study. Getting your heart pumping increases blood flow, delivering more oxygen to your noggin. It also spurs new growth in the areas of the brain that control multitasking, planning and memory. DO THIS~ Add a bout of exercise, like running up and down the stairs, before trying to memorize anything - say, Spanish phrases for your trip to Mexico."

"2.Get All-Natural Pain Relief

It may seem counterintuitive, but rest isn't necessarily best for reducing pain and stiffness in the knees, shoulders, back or neck. Healthy adults who did aerobic activity consistently had 25% less musculoskeletal pain than their couch-bound peers, says Stanford senior research scientist Bonnie Bruce. DrPH, MPH,RD. Exercise releases endorphins, the body's natural pain reliever, and may make you less vulnerable to tiny tears in muscles and tendons. Staying active can also provide relief for chronic conditions such as arthritis: In a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill study, arthritis sufferers experienced 25% less pain and 16% less stiffness after 6 months of low-impact exercise like balance and strengthening moves. Most people start to feel improvement within a few weeks, says study author Leigh Callahan, PhD, an associate professor of medicine at UNC. DO THIS~ Practice yoga or tai chi twice a week, both increase flexibiilty and range of motion and reduce pain."