How Can Exercise Help You Manage Chronic Disease?

In the United States, chronic disease is the number one cause of disability and death amongst citizens. We probably all know someone who is affected by diseases like heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure or obesity.

Working out regularly or simply staying physically active can prevent a number of adverse health conditions and can help manage chronic disease and illness effectively. So what exactly is it about the human body that turns on its healing powers when exercising?

How Does Exercise Manage Chronic Disease?

One reason why doctors and physical fitness experts believe exercise can help manage chronic disease and prevent and heal many illnesses is the fact that the human body was not designed to be sedentary. Humans were made for movement. We were designed to be standing and moving most of the time.

Many modern occupations require sitting on your rear end for most or all of your day. Smart phones and tablets keep people inactive. For these reasons and others, chronic disease is on the rise in the 21st century.

There are two basic ways regular exercise effectively treats symptoms of chronic disease.

Healthy Body Weight

First off, exercise helps you regulate a healthy body weight. Every pound that you weigh over your natural body weight puts pressure on your joints, your bones and your muscles.

Being overweight or obese not only is a symptom of many chronic diseases, it’s also at the foundation for multiple illnesses and ailments. So when you’re carrying around too much weight, this condition promotes a number of health problems, and exercise can keep this from happening.

Avoiding Inflammation

Secondly, exercise fights inflammation. Inflammation is a symptom which accompanies almost all chronic disease. It’s your body’s natural response to illness and injury. Unfortunately, chronic inflammation can cause a host of diseases, can trigger flareups of symptoms, and aggravates many diseases or illnesses, making them worse.

Aerobic Exercise

High cholesterol, high blood pressure, persistent pain, inflammation – all of those are things that can be managed with increased physical fitness. As one specific example, participating in aerobic exercise can prevent heart disease. If you already have heart problems, moderate intensity can help stop it from becoming more serious.

Strength Training

Strength training will build muscle and, in turn, promote healthy joints. This will work to preserve mobility and function for healthy people as they get older. If you suffer from arthritis or type 2 diabetes, however, it can help decrease pain and improve glucose control. Flexibility exercises can also do wonders for improving range of motion and reducing the potential of a fall for every body.

Start Slowly

The secret is to start slow with any new exercise program. Figure out what chronic conditions you are suffering from or most at risk for and then use that knowledge to help you design an appropriate workout program that will help bring you better health.

Once you decide on a workout program that you’d like to start, move forward slowly at a comfortable pace. The biggest mistake anyone can make when starting a new exercise program is failing to address their current fitness and activity levels. This leads to them jumping into a program that’s simply going to put too much physical strain on them, increasing their risk of energy and quickly dwindling their motivation to continue.

Instead, figure out where you’re at and start slowly. Push yourself a bit harder each day as you get stronger and increase your endurance. In a matter of weeks, you’ll be amazed at just how far you have come versus trying to go too far from the start and ending up injuring or hurting yourself–that will only slow down your physical fitness progress and hinder your health.

Free Report:  10 Health Benefits With Improved Fitness

If you have not developed any chronic disease, congratulations. Keep exercising and you can keep serious health issues from occurring. If you unfortunately have a disease of some kind, regular exercise can reduce your pain and symptoms.

With the right level of physical activity, you can prevent and manage a range of chronic conditions. Regular physical activity – even at moderate levels – reduces the risk of heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure, and obesity. Cardiovascular exercise and strength training can help to prevent and treat almost every chronic disease that afflicts us. 

For more information, download the free report,  10 Health Benefits With Improved Fitness that provides practical exercise tips, tactics, and guidelines to help you achieve better physical and mental health.