By Dr.

Mercola If you're interested in living a longer, healthier life, nothing beats proper diet and exerciseeven low amounts of exercise. A recent study published in the journal Lancet, which included several hundred thousand people between !!" and #$$% found that a mere 15 minutes of exercise a day can increase your lifespan by three years& 'hose who got themselves moving for at least ( minutes a day, or !$ minutes a wee), also had a * percent reduced ris) of all+cause mortality. ,urthermore"Every additional 15 minutes of daily exercise beyond the minimum amount of 15 minutes a day further reduced all-cause mortality by 4 percent, and all-cancer mortality by 1 percent. These benefits were applicable to all a e roups and both sexes, and to those with cardiovascular disease ris!s. "ndividuals who were inactive had a 1# percent increased ris! of mortality compared with individuals in the low-volume roup."

How Exercise Increases Life Expectancy

.xercise is )nown to be effective in the prevention of disease of all )inds which, naturally, will allow you to live longer. ,or example, exercise can helpLower your blood pressure 0anage arthritis ,ight depression Lose weight /elieve chronic )nee pain 1low down your aging process 2oost your I3 and thin) better

Lower your ris) of diabetes /educe your ris) of and reverse pre+diabetes cancer Increase your energy levels

Lower your ris) of heart 2uild strong bones disease

/esearchers have measured the biochemical changes that occur during exercise, and found alterations in more than #$ different metabolites. 1ome of these compounds help you burn calories and fat, while others help stabili4e your blood sugar, among other things. .ssentially, being of a healthy weight and exercising regularly creates a healthy feedbac) loop that optimi4es and helps maintain healthy glucose and insulin levels through optimi4ation of insulin receptor sensitivity. And, as I've mentioned before, insulin resistanceprimarily driven by excessive consumption of refined sugars and grains along with lac) of exerciseis the underlyin factor of nearly all chronic disease that can ta)e years off your life.

,or example, heart disease and cancer are two of the top )illers of Americans, and exercise can effectively help prevent the onset of both, primarily by driving down your insulin levels. .xercise also helps lower your estrogen levels, which explains why it appears to be particularly potent against breast cancer. .xercise may also be imperative for successful treatment of serious diseases such as cancer. In fact, a new report issued by 0acmillan 5ancer 1upport argues that exercise should be part of standard cancer care. It recommends that all patients getting cancer treatment should be told to engage in moderate+intensity exercise for two and a half hours every wee!. /esearch has shown that exercise can

Reduce your risk of dying from cancer. ,or example, exercise reduces your ris) of dying from prostate cancer by up to 6$ percent. And a previous study by 7arvard 0edical 1chool researchers found that breast cancer patients who exercise moderately for three to five hours a wee) cut their odds of dying from cancer by about half, compared to sedentary patients. In fact, any amount of wee!ly exercise increased a patient's odds of surviving breast cancer. 'his benefit also remained constant regardless of whether women were diagnosed early on or after their cancer had spread. Reduce your risk of cancer recurrence. /esearch has found that exercise reduces ris) of breast cancer recurrence by about *$ percent Boost energy and minimize t e side effects of con!entional cancer treatment

According to 5iaran 8evane, chief executive of 0acmillan 5ancer 1upport"$ancer patients would be shoc!ed if they !new %ust how much of a benefit physical activity could have on their recovery and lon term health, in some cases reducin their chances of havin to o throu h the ruelin ordeal of treatment all over a ain. "t doesn&t need to be anythin too strenuous' doin the ardenin , oin for a bris! wal! or a swim, all count."

" at#s More Important$ Diet or Exercise%

Actually, as important as exercise is, it only accounts for about #$ percent of the health benefits reaped from a healthy lifestyle. 'he bul) of the benefits are really derived from proper nutrition...

92ody by science9 by 8oug 0c:uff, 08 from Ancestry on ;imeo. 7ere, 8r. 8oug 0c:uff, author of the boo) 92ody by 1cience,9 explains how going bac) to a 9paleo9 way of eating < similar to the way our hunter+gatherer ancestors ate < can help you optimi4e your health and live a longer, more disease+free life. 'he paleo diet is not a fad < with proven science behind it, a growing number of physicians and health advocates are embracing this bac)+to+basics diet, which may be better at lowering body fat than exercise. 8uring the =aleolithic period, about #,$$$ years ago, people ate primarily non+starchy vegetables, fruit, nuts, roots and lean meat, including ostrich and bison as well as organ meats and seafooda far cry from the standard American diet. 'oday, these healthy staples have been largely replaced with refined sugar, high fructose corn syrup, cereal, bread, potatoes and pasteuri4ed mil) products > which are doing you no

favors in terms of health. 8uring the =aleolithic period our ancestors didn't die of heart disease, diabetes and cancer ++ which are among the leading causes of death today, and all are related to diet. 'he primary disease+causing culprits in the modern diet are sugars, particularly fructose, and grains. If you want to avoid heart disease, high cholesterol, type # diabetes or even cancer, you'll want to severely restrict your fructose and grain consumption.

My Diet &lan'(ummary of Basic )oncepts

If you're still confused about what a 9proper diet9 is, I suggest reviewing my Insulin 8iet =lan, which is designed to guide you through the dietary changes in a step+by+step fashion, moving from beginners to intermediary to advanced. ?hen properly applied, it can improve just about anyone's health. ,ollowing is a summary of the basic recommendations

Limit fructose to less than #( grams per day. Ideally, you'll also want to limit the amount of fructose from fruit to ( grams per day, as you're li)ely consuming 'hidden' fructose if you eat even small amounts of processed foods or sweetened beverages Limit or eliminate all processed foods .liminate all gluten, and highly allergenic foods from your diet .at organic foods whenever possible, preferably locally+grown .at at least one+third of your food uncoo)ed @rawA, or as much as you can manage Increase the amount of fresh vegetables in your diet Avoid artificial sweeteners of all )inds 1wap all trans fats @vegetable oils, margarine etcA for healthful fats li)e raw butter or coconut oil 'o re+balance your omega+6 to omega+" ratio, ta)e a high+Buality omega+6 supplement, such as )rill oil, and reduce your consumption of processed omega+" fats from vegetable oils @trans fatsA 8rin) plenty of pure water Cptimi4e your vitamin 8 levels, either through appropriate sun exposure, a safe tanning bed, or as last resort an oral vitamin 86 supplement

*i!e &rinciples of Exercise

:etting bac) to exercise, variety is the name of the game. Dou also need to pay attention to intensity or level of difficulty. ?hen an exercise becomes easy to complete, it's a sign you need to wor) a little harder and give your body a new challenge. 'here are five types of exercises that will turn your pea) fitness regimen into a truly comprehensive exercise plan. Inter!al +,naero-ic. /raining$ 'his really is aerobic and anaerobic, but the research shows that the anaerobic phase if far more important. 'he 2.1' way to condition your heart and burn fat is EC' to jog or wal) steadily for an hour. Instead, itFs to alternate short bursts of high+intensity exercise with gentle recovery periods. 'his type of exercise, )nown as interval training or burst type training, can dramatically improve your cardiovascular fitness and fat+burning capabilities.

Another major benefit of this approach is that it radically decreases the amount of time you spend exercising, while giving you even more benefits. ,or example, intermittent sprinting produces high levels of chemical compounds called catecholamines, which allow more fat to be burned from under your s)in within the exercising muscles. 'he resulting increase in fat oxidation increases weight loss. 1o, short bursts of activity done at a very high intensity can help you reach your optimal weight and level of fitness, in a shorter amount of time. It also promotes the production of human growth hormone @7:7A, )nown as Gthe fitness hormone,H which can help you add youthful vigor to your years, in addition to promoting weight loss and improved muscle building. #. ,ero-ic$ Iogging, using an elliptical machine, and wal)ing fast are all examples of aerobic exercise, which will increase the amount of oxygen in your blood and increase endorphins, which act as natural pain)illers. Aerobic exercise also activates your immune system, helps your heart pump blood more efficiently, and increases your stamina over time. Iust donFt ma)e the mista)e of using aerobic as your primary or only form of exercise, as youFll forgo many of the most potent health benefits exercise has to offer if you do... 6. (trengt /raining$ /ounding out your exercise program with a +set strength training routine will ensure that you're really optimi4ing the possible health benefits of a regular exercise program. Dou need enough repetitions to exhaust your muscles. 'he weight should be heavy enough that this can be done in fewer than # repetitions, yet light enough to do a minimum of four repetitions. It is also important EC' to exercise the same muscle groups every day. 'hey need at least two days of rest to recover, repair and rebuild. *. )ore Exercises$ Dour body has #! core muscles located mostly in your bac), abdomen and pelvis. 'his group of muscles provides the foundation for movement throughout your entire body, and strengthening them can help protect and support your bac), ma)e your spine and body less prone to injury and help you gain greater balance and stability. =ilates and yoga are great for strengthening your core muscles, as are specific exercises you can learn from a personal trainer. .ven if a personal trainer is not in the cards for you right now, please watch these sample videos for examples of healthy exercise routines you can do with very little eBuipment and in virtually any location. ,ocusing on your breath and mindfulness along with increasing your flexibility is an important element of total fitness. (. (tretc ing

Exercise /ips for / ose wit ) ronic Healt &ro-lems

/emember that even if you're chronically ill, exercise can be a potent ally. 'hat said, if you have cancer or any other chronic disease, you will of course need to tailor your exercise routine to your individual scenario, ta)ing into account your stamina and current health. ,or example, you may at times need to exercise at a lower intensity, or for shorter durations, but do ma)e a concerted effort to )eep yourself moving. As mentioned above, even cancer patients should aim for a minimum of #.( hours of exercise a wee), at moderate intensity, to boost their chances of successful recovery.

Always listen to your body and if you feel you need a brea), ta)e time to rest. 2ut even exercising for just a few minutes a day is better than not exercising at all. In the event you are suffering from a very wea)ened immune system, you may want to exercise in your home instead of visiting a public gym. 2ut remember that exercise will ultimately help to boost your immune system, so it's very important to continue with your program, even if you suffer from chronic illness or cancer. 1ource- 'he Lancet August ", #$ 1ource- 2ody by 1cience August # , #$

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