Science makes a pretty compelling case for the power of exercise. Working up a sweat has been shown to do everything from boosting your mood to fighting cancer, from making you look younger to fending off a cold. But as healthy as a good dose of physical activity is, you can unlock even greater health benefits by also eating right, taking supplements, and getting a good night’s rest. Give your body an extra boost of health with these synergistic pairings. 1. Fight Colds
Maybe it’s time to trade in your Tylenol for the treadmill. Appalachian State University researchers found that people who worked out five or more times a week, were 46 percent less likely to catch the common cold than those who booked it to the gym less than once a week. Frequent exercisers who did get the bug recovered about 1.5 times faster. Regular doses of heart-pumping aerobic activity appear to activate your immune system, boosting the number of bacteria-zapping macrophages and circulating the cells around your body more quickly.
Maybe it’s time to trade in your Tylenol for the treadmill. Appalachian State University researchers found that people who worked out five or more times a week, were 46 percent less likely to catch the common cold than those who booked it to the gym less than once a week. Frequent exercisers who did get the bug recovered about 1.5 times faster. Regular doses of heart-pumping aerobic activity appear to activate your immune system, boosting the number of bacteria-zapping macrophages and circulating the cells around your body more quickly.
Booster Shot: Get More SleepA 2009 Archives of Internal Medicine study found that people who got less than 7 hours of sleep a night were three times more likely to get sick after being in contact with a virus than those who logged a good 8 straight. Your quality of sleep matters, too. Problems such as having trouble falling asleep and waking up in the middle of the night can quadruple your chances of getting ill.
2. Boost Your Mood
Thirty minutes of power-walking, three times a week may be as effective at improving your mood as popping depression meds, says Duke researchers. Aside from triggering a rush of feel-good endorphins and serotonin, exercise stimulates neurons to grow in the hippocampus, your brain’s mood and memory center.
Thirty minutes of power-walking, three times a week may be as effective at improving your mood as popping depression meds, says Duke researchers. Aside from triggering a rush of feel-good endorphins and serotonin, exercise stimulates neurons to grow in the hippocampus, your brain’s mood and memory center.
Booster Shot: Take a Fish Oil Pill
Increasing your intake of omega-3s—whether through fish oil pills or food sources such as salmon, flaxseed, and walnuts—may help combat the blues, according to a 2009 review. The reasoning: People with depression often have low levels of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), omega-3 fatty acids that are found in fish oil. Omega-3 supplementation can help replenish the supply of these chemicals into your blood.
3. Lower Your Stroke Risk
Cardio exercise is good for your heart, sure. But it also helps maintain a steady stream of blood and oxygen to your brain, reducing your risk of stroke. A British Journal of Medicine study found that people who regularly exercised for most of their lives (from ages 15 to 55), were 80 percent less likely to have a stroke. Ten years of frequent exercise cut their risk by more than half. Why? Regular rounds of cardio help lower your blood pressure, boost HDL levels, and increase blood vessel elasticity, all of which lessen your chances of developing blood clots.
Cardio exercise is good for your heart, sure. But it also helps maintain a steady stream of blood and oxygen to your brain, reducing your risk of stroke. A British Journal of Medicine study found that people who regularly exercised for most of their lives (from ages 15 to 55), were 80 percent less likely to have a stroke. Ten years of frequent exercise cut their risk by more than half. Why? Regular rounds of cardio help lower your blood pressure, boost HDL levels, and increase blood vessel elasticity, all of which lessen your chances of developing blood clots.
Booster Shot: Cut the Salt
Here’s a shocking stat: University of California, San Francisco researchers calculated that if we all eliminated 3 grams of sodium from our diet a day, we’d have 66,000 fewer strokes a year. The average man consumers 10.4 grams of sodium a day and the average American woman eats about 7.3 grams—both far above the daily recommended intake of 6 grams a day. While it’s simple enough to lay it easy on the shaker, there are plenty of hidden sources of salt. If it comes in a can or is frozen in a box, chances are your meal is a sodium bomb.
4. Relieve Stress (and Look Younger!)
Sure, it feels good to let out a good roundhouse kick in class after a hard day in the office, but any type of exercise is going to help release pent-up frustration. An intense session at the gym doesn’t just help you feel better, you’ll look better, too. Exercising for 45 minutes, three times a week fights off stress-related cellular damage, according to UCSF researchers. Physical activity seems to protect your cells' telomeres, parts of chromosomes that protect your cells from deterioration and are an indicator of cell longevity.
Sure, it feels good to let out a good roundhouse kick in class after a hard day in the office, but any type of exercise is going to help release pent-up frustration. An intense session at the gym doesn’t just help you feel better, you’ll look better, too. Exercising for 45 minutes, three times a week fights off stress-related cellular damage, according to UCSF researchers. Physical activity seems to protect your cells' telomeres, parts of chromosomes that protect your cells from deterioration and are an indicator of cell longevity.
Translation: Your cells appear younger and so do you.
Booster Shot: Eat More Vitamin C
Chug another glass of OJ, why don’t you? A 2007 study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that women who reported eating higher levels of vitamin C had fewer wrinkles and were less likely to have dry skin. A common ingredient in face creams, the anti-aging antioxidant helps stimulate collagen production.
5. Sharpen Your Memory
Hit the gym and become a regular Sherlock Holmes. Exercise can improve your memory recall as much as mind games. Plus, University of Washington researchers found that 45 minutes of vigorous aerobic exercise can improve the brains of those with early signs of Alzheimer’s compared to those who just do stretching and balancing exercises. While the mechanism behind this is still unknown, mice studies point to the fact that exercise may protect your brain from beta amyloid plaque buildup, a sign of brain decay.
Hit the gym and become a regular Sherlock Holmes. Exercise can improve your memory recall as much as mind games. Plus, University of Washington researchers found that 45 minutes of vigorous aerobic exercise can improve the brains of those with early signs of Alzheimer’s compared to those who just do stretching and balancing exercises. While the mechanism behind this is still unknown, mice studies point to the fact that exercise may protect your brain from beta amyloid plaque buildup, a sign of brain decay.
Booster Shot: Cook with Olive Oil
Pass on the creamy dressings and drizzle olive oil on your salad instead. You’ll not only cut calories, you may boost your brain power. Oleocanthal, a compound found in olive oil, has been shown to slow down ADDL proteins that are suspected in playing a role in Alzheimer’s disease.
6. Sleep Better
A recent study in the journal Sleep Medicine found that 30 to 40 minutes of aerobic exercise four times a week can improve your sleep quality and duration. Just be careful about working out late at night—the exercise high can get you too jazzed up too close to bedtime. Your body needs up to 6 hours to cool down post-exercise, and it’s that drop in temperature that triggers feelings of sleepiness.
A recent study in the journal Sleep Medicine found that 30 to 40 minutes of aerobic exercise four times a week can improve your sleep quality and duration. Just be careful about working out late at night—the exercise high can get you too jazzed up too close to bedtime. Your body needs up to 6 hours to cool down post-exercise, and it’s that drop in temperature that triggers feelings of sleepiness.
Booster Shot: Drink Chamomile Tea
Unwind before bed with a cup of chamomile tea. While research on the calming brew is spotty, chamomile has been used for years as a sleep sedative, much like a glass of warm milk. But all the evidence isn’t anecdotal. According to Japanese researchers, doses of chamomile have been shown to help restless mice fall asleep more quickly.
7. Fight Colon Cancer
Kick back cancer every time you lace up your sneakers. About 50 minutes of walking at a moderate pace daily can cut your risk of developing colon cancer by 24 percent. It’s good to stay active even if you do develop colon cancer. Keeping up a similar level of exercise can decrease your chances of dying from colon cancer by nearly half, say researchers from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Kick back cancer every time you lace up your sneakers. About 50 minutes of walking at a moderate pace daily can cut your risk of developing colon cancer by 24 percent. It’s good to stay active even if you do develop colon cancer. Keeping up a similar level of exercise can decrease your chances of dying from colon cancer by nearly half, say researchers from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Booster Shot: Get Some Vitamin D
In addition to improving your bone density and being associated with a slimmer waistline, the sunshine vitamin may fight off cancer. Patients who had the highest levels of vitamin D were 40 percent less likely to develop colon cancer than those with the lowest, reports a British Medical Journal study. A daily low-dose aspirin may also cut your risk of colon cancer by 24 percent.
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