"Patriotism is often an arbitrary veneration of real estate above principles."George Jean Nathan
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As a society, we've been more than convinced of the need for daily exercise. From the gimmicky hype of the television info-mercial, to the sound advice of the family physician, we've been bombarded with the reasons why we need to workout.
The medical community has coined the phrase, The Deadly Quartet, to describe four risk factors that plague Americans in disproportionate numbers:
The Deadly Quartet
Obesity
High blood pressure
High blood cholesterol, and triglyceride levels
Reduced sensitivity to insulin
Despite all this information that's been made available, overweight and out of shape Americans still huff and puff their way through their day. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports that obesity alone results in over 300,000 preventable deaths in the United States every year.
More than 60 percent of all Americans are classified as overweight or obese, while at any given time 30 to 40 percent of all Americans are trying to get in shape. An even higher percentage of cardiovascular disease is related to obesity, and being overweight nearly doubles your chance of developing high blood pressure.
But hears the good news, an article published in the March 2001 issue of The Annals of Internal Medicine has revealed that thirty minutes of daily exercise can extend human life.
This elaborate study took place from 1984 to 1989 in Finland using 1300 middle-aged men. Upon follow-up in 1997, researchers recorded 124 total deaths from both cardio and non-cardiovascular causes. After making adjustments for other risk factors (such as age and smoking), low fitness levels were associated with an almost three times higher mortality rate.
Scientists have proven that twenty to thirty minutes of moderate physical activity per day, forestalls the onset of the deadly quartet, and thereby prevents chronic disease, while extending human life.
Following a sensible exercise program will bring about significant change in the body's chemistry, and its ability to perform work efficiently. This training effect lowers blood pressure, cholesterol and triglyceride levels, as well as increases insulin sensitivity, and thereby forestalling the onset of type II diabetes.
But besides these all-important health benefits, the right kind of exercise also burns fat, and sculpts our bodies into lean, high performance machines. Following a properly orchestrated workout program will not only add years to your life, it will add quality years that are reminiscent of youth, where you'll look forward to the dawning of each fun-filled day.
About the Author
Michael Stefano is a 20-year veteran of FDNY, as well as author of The Firefighter's Workout Book and creator of The Firefighter's Workout Video.
His workout routines and articles have been featured on such internet giants as America Online, Yahoo! and eDiets.com.
Currently Michael is editor in chief at http://www.firefightersworkout.com, where you can get more information about his book and other services, as well as sign up for his FREE Train For Life Newsletter.
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