Physical activity is the closest thing to a miracle drug.
It reduces cancer, depression, insomnia, dementia, diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, and many other disabling conditions — and increases healthy longevity. If you have the personality, resources, and inclination for extensive physical activity, that’s great — you’ll be much more likely to avoid disability and live independently into old age.
I can only stick with activities I enjoy. I play squash — not well but enthusiastically; for the hour I’m on a squash court, that’s all I think about, and when I finish, drenched in sweat, endorphins and other beneficial neurochemicals coursing through my body, I can’t wait to play again. So, busy as my schedule is, I fit squash in.
Try to find vigorous activities you love doing. But if that’s not for you, you can still get a large dose of the miracle drug if you build physical activity into your daily routines — taking stairs instead of the elevator, walking farther to work or stores, bicycling whenever possible. A brisk walk, ideally outdoors, is the most accessible. Four brisk walks every week for at least thirty minutes, ideally in a refreshing natural space, can do wonders.
Book: The Formula for Better Health by Tom Frieden
