A good way to self-medicate

There is no pill for a 60-minute walk. Nor is there one for push-ups, lifting weights or doing planks.

While medical procedures and pharmaceuticals dominate the health care landscape, there are a handful of professionals who prescribe exercise to prevent sickness and disease, improve mental health and help people recover from sickness and disease, including cancer.

Dipal Shah is a North Carolina-based health strategist and wellness expert who believes the benefits of exercise extend well beyond the physical nature.

“It’s important to keep in mind that exercise comes in two forms: physical and mental,” Shah says. “Both are important to health, but many people find success when using both together to increase overall well-being.”

Shah notes how exercise can help a person manage their health and weight, make them stronger and increase their life expectancy while improving their mental health.

“The role exercise plays in mental health is huge,” she says. “Exercise has been shown to release hormones such as cortisol, and massively increase endorphins and dopamine. Maintaining a positive outlook on life and motivation to accomplish your goals begins with your mindset and hormones — two things exercise shifts. When you are regularly exercising, you are setting yourself up for success physically, mentally and emotionally.

“As long as the body is moving and you are active in your day, versus sitting at a desk or watching TV, your body and mind will remain happier.”

Dr. Daniel Boyer of the Farr Institute agrees regular exercise can set one up for success while helping control certain mental disorders.

“Regular exercises, ranging from moderate to vigorous, may enhance the release of mood-boosting hormones that help manage certain mental disorders likes stress or anxiety,” Boyer said. “There is also scientific research to suggest that exercise may improve the quality of sleep people get. It has been proven people experiencing quality sleep have an improved quality of life compared to those struggling to sleep.”

Approximately 30 million Americans have Type 2 diabetes, and roughly the same amount have been diagnosed with heart disease. Medical advisor and Michigan-based nutritionist Heather Hanks notes that along with proper diet, exercise is one of the most important things a person can do to prevent disease and stay healthy.

“Exercising helps prevent obesity, which is a major contributing factor for heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure,” Hanks says.

A study by Stanford Medicine states regular exercise can even reduce the risk of genetic heart disease, she adds. The study, which was released in 2018, found that people with higher levels of grip strength, physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness had reduced risks of heart attacks and stroke, even if they had a genetic predisposition to develop heart disease.

According to Boyer, many scientific studies have claimed regular exercise may help delay the development of certain cancers, including those of breast, colon and lung.

“Regular or moderate exercise also reduces the symptoms of some cancers or even prevents them from becoming more severe,” he adds. “Exercise may also promote the healing process by reverting abnormal body functions caused by the side effects of prescription drugs.”

Exercise can also ease the mental and emotional effects that battling cancer can bring to the forefront, Shah says.

“Exercise can provide you with the mental strength to battle the disease and begin the healing process,” she adds.

Thomas Roe has been a personal trainer for more than a quarter of a century and believes regular exercise greatly aids preventing sickness and shortening the duration of illness. In July 2021, Roe was sick for three weeks with COVID-19, and believes if he wasn’t an endurance athlete and avid cyclist the virus would have been more debilitating.

“When I got COVID it was the worst three weeks of my life, but if I wasn’t in great shape and training for a triathlon I can’t imagine how much harder I would have been hit by it,” Roe says. “The clean diet and balanced aerobic training schedule helped prevent other minor cold and flu-like symptoms and gave me the strength to muscle through COVID.”

Shah believes exercise should be part of one’s self-care routine.

“Exercise plays a tremendous role in boosting the immune system, with studies and research showing that regular exercise helps the immune cells fight viruses and bacteria better,” she said. “It’s so important to understand that there are so many ways to exercise, and that whatever you enjoy should be your priority when incorporating physical activity.”