How exercise promotes health By Miriam Ullrich

The heart beats to bursting. The pulse is at 180. You are drenched in sweat and gasping for breath. But none of that matters. The main thing is to catch the train. who does not know this situation? You're late in the morning, but you have an important meeting at 8:00 a.m., and from 300m away you can already see the train pulling into the station. Then it's time to take your feet up and run as hard as you can.

Unfortunately, for some people, that short morning sprint is their only physical activity. The rest of the day is spent on the PC and in the evenings on the sofa in front of the television.

650 ingenious potentials

Humans have more than 650 muscles. The size is very different: Our smallest muscle, the stapedius muscle, is located in the middle ear. It has the function of dampening loud noises by reflectively contracting from around 75 decibels and reducing the transmission of sound waves. One of our back muscles (latissimus dorsi muscle) is the largest by area, and one of our chewing muscles (masseter muscle) is the strongest muscle in the human body.

Of course, the difference between a "muscular" and an untrained person is not the number of muscles, but the way they are used.

Better than some drugs

Physical activity is good for health; that is common knowledge. But what exactly are the advantages of sport? Which mechanisms play a role? And how much sport is healthy?

Sport affects health in many ways. Physical activity has a positive effect on digestion, sleep and maintaining a healthy weight. Physical activity also stimulates blood circulation and promotes cardiovascular health. Regular training alone can lower blood pressure by around 5-10mmHg. Sporting activity also strengthens the immune system and lowers cholesterol and blood sugar levels. It has a positive effect on the health of bones and joints and not least on the (re)occurrence and progression of widespread diseases such as diabetes, depression and cancer.

Studies have shown that the risk of cardiovascular disease and some forms of cancer increases with the number of hours a person spends sitting. For cardiovascular diseases, this even applies regardless of whether the person concerned is otherwise physically active or not. Many people who have a sedentary job don't have a way to reduce their time at a desk. That's why it's so important to take advantage of every physical activity opportunity that comes your way throughout the day. For example, you can cycle to work instead of driving; use the stairs instead of the elevator; go for a walk in the evening instead of watching a movie, etc.

Climb new heights slowly

But how much exercise is healthy? And which sport is the best? WHO recommends for people aged 18 to 64:

• at least 150 minutes of moderate endurance training or 75 minutes of intensive endurance training per week. (For additional health benefits, the duration of the workout can be doubled.)
• Strength training at least twice a week.

These numbers may at first seem unattainable. But please don't give up too quickly! You don't have to reach the goal overnight. Start small and slowly increase. Every step counts and will bring you closer to your goal.

Some sports are better suited to some people than others. For example, it is not advisable for a person with symptomatic osteoarthritis of the knee to go jogging four times a week. It would be better to go swimming regularly to protect the joints. If you have the opportunity to train outdoors, you should definitely prefer that to training in gyms or other closed rooms. In principle, however, there are no regulations and there is not "one" type of sport that is superior to all others. The key is enjoying the sport. And that usually creates the kind of sport that you like best. So: stay active – no matter how.

exercise and diabetes

In Germany alone, around 4,6 million people between the ages of 18 and 79 suffer from diabetes. There are two forms of diabetes. The much rarer form, type 1 diabetes, is an autoimmune disease in which the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas are destroyed. Type 2 diabetes is characterized by increasing insulin resistance. Possible complications, especially from poorly controlled diabetes, include damage to blood vessels, neuropathies, wound healing disorders, retinal damage, functional impairment of the kidneys and other organs, etc.

In both type 1 and type 2, the problem of the disease lies mainly in the lack of absorption of glucose from the blood into the cells, which leads to an increase in blood sugar levels.

Sporting activity leads to increased glucose consumption in the muscle cells in the short term, which lowers the blood sugar level. Regular training also means that more glucose can be absorbed into the muscle cells. The reason: exercise increases the production of GLUT-4 transporters, through which the glucose enters the cell.

These mechanisms help above all in the prevention of type 2 diabetes and have a positive influence on the course of the disease. Of course, the same effect cannot be achieved in type 1 diabetes, but adjusting lifestyle factors can at least reduce the amount of insulin required and prevent complications.

Movement lifts the mood

Physical activity is also important in depression. A study by Phillips et al. was able to show that the growth factor BDNF plays a crucial role here. BDNF promotes growth and survival of nerve cells involved in emotional and cognitive functions. In the case of depression, the level of exactly this messenger substance is changed. Physical activity can optimize the BDNF level in important areas of the brain and thus lead to the alleviation of depressive symptoms.

Endurance and strong muscles in the fight against cancer

It is believed that 20-30% of all cancers can be prevented by regular physical activity. Those who develop cancer but have previously been physically active have a demonstrably lower risk of recurrence.

Why? First of all, sport strengthens the immune system and thereby reduces the risk of illness. In addition, fewer pro-inflammatory markers are released through sporting activity, which also reduces the risk of cancer. Elevated levels of sugar or insulin in the blood, insulin resistance, elevated levels of estrogens and androgens - all of these can promote many types of cancer. Sport has a positive effect on insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia (too much insulin in the blood) as well as estrogen and androgen levels.

lifestyle and genetics

But what about genetic cancers? A multicentre, controlled, randomized long-term study is currently being conducted to investigate the influence of lifestyle factors such as exercise and nutrition on BRCA-1 and -2 mutation carriers. Mutations in these two genes mean that affected women have an approximately 80% risk of developing breast cancer in their lifetime. The fact that the risk is not 100% despite the presence of a mutation suggests that other factors must also play a role. The first results of the study already show that similar lifestyle factors that can modify the cancer risk for sporadic breast cancer also have an influence on hereditary forms. It remains to be seen whether the results obtained so far can also be confirmed in a larger cohort.

Helpless at the mercy of fate?

These insights show that we are often not – as it may seem at first glance – helplessly at the mercy of fate. Even our genes do not fully determine our future. Our lifestyle has an influence on our health that should not be underestimated. It's up to us to use it. The beauty is that these are simple methods that anyone can use. Sport and a healthy diet – most of us can do that. It doesn't take much to do something good for your body, just a pair of running shoes and a strong will.

Or does it need something more?

Caught in your own web

Many assume that genes largely determine our health. Likewise, the view is widespread that one cannot change one's inner being. »That's just how I am!«, we often hear. Nevertheless, we would love to change things in our behavior and life - have more willpower, no longer get angry, sometimes just shut up, don't react so sensitively, sometimes be able to say no, overcome our own inertia. And yet our old being keeps creeping in on us like a fog or just bursting out like a bolt from the blue. It's like an addiction: we can't get rid of it.

Also, there are the many little things that make us really addicted. "A little of this and that, that can't hurt!" It tastes good, it gets me out of my low, it's fun. But deep down we know: These small drops become like a torrent that leads us further and further into illness and despair. We want to let go, but we're stuck like a butterfly in a net.

We look for solutions: yoga, meditation, fasting... It seems to help us for a while, sometimes longer... And yet it doesn't give the answers and fulfillment we're looking for, especially when our lives are suddenly completely falling apart breaks up, our marriage falls apart, our friends or even our children turn their backs on us.

meet Jesus

But there is a solution! A very special source of spiritual power has proven to be far superior to all other spiritual offers: the encounter with Jesus, the Messiah, who embodied warmth, trustworthiness and freedom like no other. When he died a martyr's death on the cross almost 2000 years ago, it dawned on his followers for the first time: God loves us just as much as this Jewish rabbi, who, even in the greatest torment, still looked after his friends and stood up for his enemies. What power filled his life! Because he possessed this inner strength, he could go through life to death without fear, addiction, or sin.

And even death couldn't hold him! Hundreds have seen the Risen One. Thousands have even met him in dreams to this day. Thousands and thousands have experienced for themselves how they found trust in God again and direct access to the source of power through him. For he said: 'Come to me, all of you who are toiling and overwhelmed by your burdens; I will take them from you.« (Matthew 11,28:XNUMX NG)

This Jesus wants to be our friend – here and now.

A good fresh start

Meeting Jesus motivates, gives strength and brings real movement and health. With him there is a real new beginning - for the soul, but also for the muscles. Both will thank you. The soul can be happy and free again, and the muscles are needed more - and not just to catch the train in the morning.

First appeared in hope TODAY 1, 2019.