You can add protection against skin cancer to the long list of exercise's benefits. When researchers exposed mice to ultraviolet-B (UVB) light (the wavelength of light that can cause skin cancer), the mice with continuous access to running wheels developed 32 per cent fewer skin tumours than the mice that didn't have running wheels. Why the difference? Exercise enhances cell turnover and thereby replaces sun-damaged cells with new, healthy ones more quickly. But don't get the idea that regular workouts are an excuse to go and bake in the sun unprotected.
A study in the UK found that school kids who exercised three or four times a week got higher than average exam grades at age ten and eleven. Aerobic exercise is believed to boost mental powers by getting extra oxygen and nutrients to your energy-guzzling brain. Even simply walking for half an hour three times a week can improve abilities such as learning, concentration and abstract reasoning by 15 per cent. And every extra kilometre that you walk per week has measurable benefits. It's a dream come true for those who don't like studying.
Exercise is by far the best way to stay in shape. When you go on a crash diet or cut down your daily kilojoule (calorie) intake, your body doesn't realise that you want to lose weight; instead it mistakes your attempt to lose weight for a shortage of food, and it slows down your metabolism so as not to starve.
Although almost everyone knows how important exercise is for a healthy life, most of us just aren't getting the amount of exercise we need. The Australian government guidelines recommend growing teenagers get at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise every day! I know it sounds like a lot, but all the sports you do at school can count towards this amount. Moderate-intensity activity causes a slight but noticeable increase in breathing and heart rate. A good example is a brisk walk, at a pace where you can comfortably talk but not sing. Other examples include medium-paced swimming, cycling or mowing the lawn. Vigorous activity makes you huff and puff to the point where talking in full sentences is difficult. Good examples are netball, basketball, speed walking, fast cycling, aerobics, circuit training, football, squash and brisk rowing.
Exercise revitalises you in several ways: it speeds up your blood flow and your breathing rate; it brings more oxygen to your heart, lungs, brain and muscles - less oxygen makes you tired, more oxygen (to a certain degree) perks you up - and working out is fun (especially with friends), so it peps you up physically and mentally.
You can easily build exercise into your day by making it part of getting where you want to go. If it's close enough, don't rely on Mum or Dad to drive you; walk, cycle or rollerblade instead. Take the stairs instead of taking the lift. You may not think it's doing much, but every step adds up to a better butt. Take your dog for a walk around the neighbourhood. Put your favourite music on and dance like crazy around your bedroom. You'll have so much fun that you won't even notice you're working out. All these sorts of activities can contribute to your daily exercise quota. Remember, some activity is better than none, and more is better than a little.
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