Do you think of your body the way you think of your car? When a few lucky individuals acquire a sports car that boasts of the best automotive engineering available today, watch them read the maintenance manuals religiously. They take their car for inspection even if it purrs like a kitten and take it for repairs as soon as something does not feel right. And they're very concerned. That car is their most prized possession, a symbol of all the long and hard hours they put on the job so they could finally acquire it. It cost an arm and a leg, so taking care of it is logically, their # 1 priority. But how important is the person that drives that car? Shouldn't that person - shouldn't you - be the #1 priority? Lifespan and Physical Appearance …show more content…
The benefits above are general. Let's examine the more specific benefits of exercise on specific parts of the human anatomy, as described by Goldberg and Elliot: Exercise prevents heart disease! The average ratio of total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol) is about 4.5. If this ratio doubles or reaches 7, you double your chances of developing coronary heart disease. You reduce that risk by as much as 50% if your ratio is 3 or lower. The lowdown on cholesterol: not all cholesterol is bad. You have the good one (HDL-1 and HDL-2), the not so bad one (VLDL) and the harmful one (LDL). To get your ratios, divide the total amount of your cholesterol by your amount of HDL. The lower the ratio you have, the better. Exercise prevents osteoporosis! Ponder the statistics: 28 million Americans have osteoporosis and of this number, 80% are women. Only 1/4 of this 80% know they have the condition and only half are being treated. The annual osteoporosis bill to the United States is $14 billion. Studies have shown that sufficient amounts of calcium and regular exercise build strong bones. While genetics play a major role in developing the risks of osteoporosis, individuals can control some factors that will help prevent the