Transcript Lecture 8: Health Benefits of Exercise · 2017-01-02 · To learn how fast a person...

Transcript Lecture 8: Health Benefits of Exercise

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Introductory Video:

Thanks for being here today! Do you remember the Blue Zones, those places in the world where people live an

extraordinary long time? Take a moment, and think back to why they live such long healthy lives… Dr. Dean

Ornish has also come up with his list. He is very clear that the four keys to a heathy life are:

1. A whole food, plant based diet naturally low in fat, refined carbohydrates, and sugars,

2. Stress management techniques like yoga and/or meditation,

3. Moderate regular exercise,

4. Social support and community, love and intimacy.

Both residents of the Blue Zones and Dr. Ornish agree that moderate regular exercise, a physically active

lifestyle, is an essential key to a happy, healthy long life. That what this session is all about. Our session will

specifically include the impact of exercise on cardiovascular disease, and chronic diseases such as diabetes,

cancer, osteoporosis, and arthritis. We will talk briefly about pregnancy and aging as well as stress, mood, and

depression.

We will talk about getting started and maintaining an exercise routine, go over a number of quick tips, and hear

from some famous vegan athletes.

This session lasts about one hour; I will jump in two other times to recap important points. I’m sure you

reviewed the questions for reflection and discussion first, to set the stage for learning new information. Thanks

for joining me today, I really appreciate it! This is so much fun! Now grab that notebook, water and a healthy

snack, and let’s GO!

Power Point Slides:

2. Do we have our head in the sand about exercise? Does anyone NOT believe that exercise is beneficial to our

health and wellbeing? Since the 1950’s, research has indicated that there is irrefutable evidence that exercise

positively benefits our health and wellbeing. Health experts agree that people of all ages can improve the quality

of their life and reduce risk of chronic disease and mortality.

The key take away here is that more exercise equals more benefits.

However, the Center for Disease Control tells us that more than half of us do not get enough exercise. Perhaps

this presentation will help you and your family, via more knowledge and thus more motivation, to integrate

more exercise into daily life.

A recent study of over 331,000 adults over 12 year period in Europe found that a brisk, 20 minute, per day walk

lowers risk of premature death up to 30%. Published in the American Journal of Clinical Exercise, the study

reassures us how little we need. We do not need to become marathon runners to remain healthy!

3. Do you see the screen shot here of Google results? Over 19 million results popped up regarding the positive

health benefits of exercise. While many of us don’t get enough exercise, there is good news that more of us are



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exercising. Unfortunately obesity and chronic disease rates are still sky rocketing. Yes it’s true. Many of us are

exercising more than before, yet as a population we are fatter and sicker than ever. Hmmm. More on that later.

4. I love this graphic from the European Heart Journal and how it shows that exercise influences every part of

our body. We can see that neurologically, anxiety, depression, and risk of stroke are lowered while cognitive

function is improved. Our heart muscle is in better shape when we exercise so our mortality, coronary artery

diseases, and blood pressure are all lowered. Our endocrine system is also positively impacted with less weight,

less diabetes, less bad cholesterol, that’s the LDL type, and an increase in the good cholesterol, the HDL type.

Our bones are stronger, we have less falls and disability. Finally, less cancer. Who can argue with any other

that?

Later in this session we will talk more about starting and maintaining an exercise regime. But first we will talk

about various specific conditions that are improved with exercise, including chronic diseases, pregnancy, our

moods, self-esteem and aging.

5. Let’s talk specifically about exercise and cardiovascular disease (CVD). High levels of fitness reduce the risk

of death from heart disease 50%! Not smoking, eating a heart healthy diet, staying lean, avoiding stress and

depression must accompany exercise to seriously combat heart diseases. Aim for 150 minutes per week (that is

2.5 hours) of aerobic exercise of moderate intensity.

The agreed upon recommendations for the amount of exercise we need is 150 minutes of moderately intense

activity, or 75 minutes of very vigorous activity per week. What is considered vigorous? Good question! On our

own personal scale of 1-10, vigorous would be about 7 or 8. Keep in mind, my scale is going to be very

different than an ultra-marathoner, which will be very different than someone recovery from knee surgery; we

each have our own scale of what is considered vigorous. The most important thing is to keep moving and to

push ourselves a bit more.

Even just one hour walking per week helps. According to the Cleveland Clinic, even small amounts of exercise

can help us. Sometimes the goal of 150 minutes per week is simply too much, too much pressure, so it’s easier

to do nothing instead. Just remember that some exercise is better than no exercise at all.

It is never too late to start. Typically though, once people start exercising they feel better, they sleep better,

mood improves, and weight falls off so they want to keep up exercising. It’s a win-win situation!

But some people have not exercised at all, ever, or are recovering from surgery so need to start slowly, that’s

ok, just start.

Another study at Tufts University followed almost 5,000 people aged 65 and older for 21 years and tracked

their exercise, their health status, their weight, diet, smoking, and so on. They found that the people who

walked at a pace of 2 miles per hour, or faster, had a reduced rate of heart failure. The people who kept their

weight at a stable heathy level, did not smoke, exercised regularly and drank alcohol in moderation - or not at

all - had the best health outcomes. To learn how fast a person walks either use a treadmill, a smart phone app, a

pedometer strapped to a belt or waist band, or walk a known length of track like at a high school, and keep time.

Just 2 miles per hour, is the baseline, then make efforts to increase it.



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6. Let’s shift gears to another combination of chronic diseases, diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of symptoms like too much fat around our waist, high blood pressure, low HDL

cholesterol, high triglycerides, and high blood sugar. It was unheard of a few decades ago and now very

common. Type 2 diabetes, as we have discussed, is a chronic condition that has to do with too much glucose in

our blood and our bodies’ processing of that excess sugar.

Moderate exercise for 150 minutes per week is more effective than medication alone. Talk about value for

money!

The Community Preventive Services Task Force concluded that diet and exercise are cost effective, help restore

blood sugar to normal levels, and reduce the number of other risk factors like obesity, high blood pressure and

cholesterol. This Task Force was conducted by a variety of government, academic, policy, and practice based

scientists. Their role is to find solutions that work and are cost effective. Diet and exercise do work and are

inexpensive to boot.

If you have both heart disease and diabetes, then walk 2 or more hours a week, you will reduce risk of

premature death 40-50%.

Weight loss through diet and exercise reduce the incidence of Diabetes 40-60-% over 3-4 years – now

that is impressive!

Obesity and inactivity are the main reasons for the global epidemic of type 2 diabetes and metabolic

syndrome.

Remember that 15-45 minutes of exercise per day, every day, will maintain a weight that is 11-18

pounds lighter than if you did not exercise at all.

When we feel better, we will want to stay active and do more. Just doing chores, yard work, cleaning,

running around at the park with the kids, going places and doing things are more fun and are simply

easier if we have the energy and mobility. When we feel sluggish, or overall just crummy, we don’t

want to do much at all.

7. Related to diabetes and metabolic syndrome, is obesity. We talked about belly fat before, remember it’s a

whole different kind of fat. The bad news is that belly fat leads to inflammation in the body which promotes

various diseases. The good news is that belly fat responds very well to exercise.

The Mayo Clinic reported a study of sedentary women who began to exercise; the researchers found the women

lost 2% of their regular fat but 10% of their belly fat after one year. That’s fantastic! Oh and another thing, sit

up's don’t work for belly fat, they work for strengthening core muscles yes, but not belly fat. Aerobic walking

or jogging + some strengthening exercise are the BEST for belly fat.

Diet + Exercise are essential to lose or maintain weight, there is no secret. It is simply the consistency of our

lifestyle choices. The balance of calories ingested, our nutrition, and the number of calories expended in

exercise, determine so much of our physical and mental health.



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8. Cancer is a chronic disease we talked about before and I will only add that the Center for Disease Control

explains that routine exercise specifically reduces the incidence of breast and colon cancer. Some research

findings indicate that exercise specifically lowers the risk of lung and endometrial cancer as well.

Regular exercise is associated with overall improvements in quality of life and health status, meaning we just

feel better all over! Some exercise is better than none and DO please consult with your health care team before

starting an exercise program, especially post-surgery. Physical therapists can be fantastic and help with all sorts

of rehab exercises.

9. Many older people are legitimately concerned with osteoporosis and we know how a fall or broken hip

changes lives forever. The CDC also states that weight bearing exercise slows the rate of bone loss due to age.

Every time I talk with my mom I ask her if she took a walk or exercised that day, she is 90, and no she is not off

the hook! Often she walks around her building to stay out of the wind or weather.

Exercise reduces our risk of hip fractures, with a minimum of only 120 minutes of exercise per week, that’s just

4 sessions of 30 minutes each). We can prevent and reverse bone loss of 1% per year with regular consistent

exercise.

Perhaps even more importantly, we can maintain functional independence and activities of daily living which

are so important for many older people. None of us want to be dependent on others to care for our physical daily

needs.

With regular exercise, we reduce the risk of falling. There are many places to walk, the mall is safe, warm, and

dry, the park, up and down the halls of a large building, or on a well-lit street or school track. Walk with proper

shoes, a flashlight in your fanny pack, and I always wear a whistle on a lanyard around my neck, just in case

loose, scary dogs run up to me.

10. Arthritis is something I have to deal with myself and can certainly attest that movement and exercise help.

I'm convinced that if I ate a standard typical American diet and didn’t exercise it would be worse. I am not

alone, as about 25% of us have osteoarthritis and 23 of us are under the age of 65.

Swimming, biking, and aquatic walking are ideal as these exercises do not have any impact on weight bearing

joints. It is a fine line between doing exercise to help, doing too much, or the wrong thing, and then hurting due

to our arthritis and rheumatic diseases. We want to exercise but we don’t want hurt ourselves either. That’s why

low or non-impact movement is so great. The other big problem is that when our joints hurt, we don’t want to

move them because of the pain, so people often succumb to other chronic conditions that can lead to heart

disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. People can also become depressed as life simply isn’t as comfortable as it

used to be due to our joints stiffness, swelling and loss of function. The trick is to find a substitute activity. If

we can’t walk, can we walk in the water or swim? If we can’t garden in the ground, can we garden in raised

beds or pots? Various research studies indicate that the bottom line is: if we don’t use it, we lose it. If we don’t

get up, eventually, we won’t be able to at all!



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As well as moving around, and building movement into daily life, it is really helpful to control weight so extra

burdens are not placed on knee and hips. Even small weight loss helps. Additionally, to support sore knees do

leg strengthening exercises and weight lifting to really ‘shore up’ those weaker muscles surround arthritic joints.

Bottom line:

Regular exercise improves the quality of our life

Reduces stiffness

Helps us manage pain

Helps us perform everyday tasks with more ease due to increased joint function

Exercise increase flexibility and joint stability. I’m all for that!

11. Dr. Dean Ornish writes “More than 86% of the $3 trillion dollars in annual US health care costs are from

chronic diseases which can be prevented and even reversed by making healthier diet and lifestyle choices at a

fraction of the cost, and the only side effects are good ones!” Dr. Ornish calls this sick care not health care.

BTW this is an actual stack of three trillion dollars.

What can we do with that kind of money? Well we could put people through college. With $3 trillion dollars,

and an average annual cost of $30,000 for that includes room and board, university tuition and books, about 30

million people could go through all four years of college with a bit extra for coffee. That’s almost as many total

number of residents in the state of CA and a bit more than live in TX! Wow that’s a lot of people! Too bad we

are so sick and our kids have to pay for college eh?

Speaking of kids, did you know we could strengthen our immunity with exercise?

12. Yes, we can strengthen our immunity with exercise! Sneezing is no fun! The common cold is a hassle. As

one who has worked in public schools for many years, I have seen the toll that respiratory infections and colds

take on kids, their parents, and teachers.

Exercise reduce respiratory infections (a.k.a. the common cold)

As Dr. Greger explains, when kids run around for 6 minutes they boost the number of good immune cells in

their blood streams by more than one third, in just 6 minutes! Sedentary women in their 70s have 50% chance

of getting a cold. Those who walk 30 minutes per day, cut that risk down to 20%. People who exercised

vigorously cut the risk to 10%.

VIDEO SNIPPET #1

We have just spoken about the powerful effects of exercise on heart disease and other chronic diseases.

Exercise and a plant based diet can work wonders. We also know that our health care costs are skyrocketing

and out of control. A healthy plant based diet, mixed with moderate regular exercise, work together to alleviate

many of our health concerns, and are inexpensive to boot. They provide great value for money.

Now let’s shift to three specific groups of people: (1) pregnant women, (2) people who suffer from stress,

anxiety and/or depression and (3) older people, and discuss the impact of exercise. Then we will discuss getting



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started and maintaining an exercise routine with a series of quick tips for success. We will also answer the

eternal question of diet vs exercise…… which is more important? Just for fun, if you had to choose only one,

which would it be? Ok place your votes now, is it diet or exercise?

Power Point Slides:

13. Exercising During Pregnancy: A Win -Win for Mom and Baby. Pregnancy is a time most women have a lot

of contact with health care providers. Encouraging a healthy lifestyle is paramount for the mother, and her baby.

In fact, pregnancy is a great time to improve fitness levels as exercise will boost mood and energy; help with

sleeping, prevent excess weight gain and increase strength and stamina. It’s a win-win for mom and baby!

However, in a review of 37 studies published between 2001 and 2014, findings indicate that during the past

decade physicians have seen an increase in women who are overweight or obese at the time of conception. This

means they are extremely heavy before pregnancy.

Previous research has indicated that gaining too much weight during pregnancy can increase the risks of

gestational diabetes, high blood pressure, large babies (who are over 8.8 pounds) and difficulties at birth.

Newborns also have a higher risk of childhood obesity which leads to all sorts of problems later. Gestational

diabetes is one of the most frequent complications of pregnancy and is associated with a number of serious

other disorders as well as having long term effects on the mother and child. A research team in Spain, involving

2,800 women found that exercise reduced the risk of gestational diabetes by more than 30% and up to 36% for

women who combined toning, strength, flexibility and aerobic exercises. Of course those women also did not

gain as much weight either.

A review of literature, which involved almost 12,000 women, indicates that regimens combining diet and

exercise are the best method to reduce excess weight gain during pregnancy. The diet in the study was

especially low in sugar while the exercise included walking, low impact aerobics, Pilates, and dance. The

women who participated had lower blood pressure, easier births, less caesarians, and smaller babies as well as

recovering faster from giving birth.

Most experts recommend that pregnant women, who have not exercised before to start slowly and gently. Aim

for 30 minutes a day which would include warming up, stretching, exercising, cooling down and stretching

again. If she has been exercising quite bit before pregnancy, changing the routines during the various trimesters

is easy to adjust. And always consult with health care professionals about exercise routines before starting.

Also, immediately call the Doctor if there is any pain, spotting or bleeding.

Safe forms of exercise include: Swimming, brisk walking, indoor stationary bicycling, prenatal yoga, and low

impact aerobics like water aerobics. Jogging is ok in moderation but it may be difficult to balance and

coordinate later as the baby grows larger. Pregnancy is an exciting, happy time in life, my hope is that all moms

and treasured baby reap the rewards of long lasting health and vitality with positive lifestyle behaviors that

include a whole food, plant based diet and regular exercise.

14. Stress, mood, depression, and anxiety are all impacted by exercise.



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Researchers at the Cleveland clinic note that poor outcomes for cardiac patients are tied into feelings of

depression and hopelessness. We have talked before about the close relationship between heart disease and

depression. Part of any comprehensive cardiac rehab includes stress reduction and depression management.

Some programs teach meditation or behavior modification to help patients get through this scary time. In one

study, the patients who walked or biked at least 3 times per week reduced scores on a “hopelessness survey” by

12%. The worse shape we are in, the more positive results we get from starting an exercise program. Exercise

such as walking can be done anywhere and really all we need are comfortable shoes. There is no need for

special equipment so it’s easy to start. Just grab the house key and go.

Other findings indicate that exercising 3-5 times per week for 30 to 60 minutes keeps thinking, learning, and

judgment skills sharp, reduces depression, and helps us sleep.

We manage stress more effectively with aerobic exercise. Plan for a minimum of 3 times per week for at least

20 minutes per session, maintain that for at least 3 months, and see how you feel. I know I feel better the very

same day I vigorously exercise. Short term feel good effects last 24 hours, long term effects obviously take

longer like 3-4 months.

Exercise reduces tension, fatigue, and anger; and exercise increases a positive mood. Back in 1999, researchers

at Duke University found that depressed adults who vigorously aerobically exercised, for 45 minutes 3 times a

week, improved their mood as much or more as the patients who took the medication Zoloft. Exercise increases

the feel good hormones serotonin and endorphins, and lower the stress hormone cortisol.

15. Stress, depression, and anxiety are part of every family, it is very common for us to feel badly at some time

or other and not to be ashamed of. Life is complicated.

People with depression often not inclined to exercise … However, patients with depression say exercise is the

most important thing they do to relieve feelings of depression! Don’t give up if it takes a while; significant

benefits appear after 3-4 months. Aerobic exercise is a very powerful antidote for anxiety, distress, and fear.

Yoga also has very powerful impact on stress, mood, and depression. Yoga is taught everywhere. There are

many kinds of yoga too and is easy to find one that fits your needs. We will talk more about yoga in the stress

reduction session. I would suggest doing a bit of playing around and testing out the many types of yoga to see

what works for you before spending much money. Go online, or to the library, and borrow some DVDs and

books.

Dr. Ornish is very clear about including some sort of stress reduction in our lifestyle, we all can benefit from it!

We will talk more about this is out stress reduction session.

16. Self-esteem, how we feel about ourselves does matter and plays into our positive self-image as healthy

happy hopeful individuals.

Sports competence, body image, physical condition, body attractiveness, and strength all contribute

to self-esteem.

We gain and maintain confidence through physical activity.



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We learn new skills plus have the opportunity to meet new friends.

After we talk about aging and exercise, we will talk about getting started and maintaining exercise routines.

17. Aging is different for the very active.

A study in Australia followed over 200,000 people aged 45 to 75 for about 6 years. The researchers found an

inverse relationship existed between exercise and mortality. Meaning the more people vigorously exercised, the

less risk they had for early mortality. The researchers called this the “mortality benefit” because even after

controlling for chronic illness, BMI, age, weight and so on, the people who regularly vigorously exercised lived

longer.

All physical declines due to age are not true! With age, yes, older people have less endurance and less muscle

mass. A Swedish study found that physically active people aged 75 and older lived 5.4 years longer than their

less active peers. At age 85 and older, a physically active socially engaged lifestyle added an extra 4 years of

longevity. Another study of senior athletes wanted to compare fitness age with chronological age so they

performed a bunch of tests and analyses. After studying 5,000 adults of all ages, the Norwegian scientists were

able to create a complicated algorithm to calculate an individuals’ fitness age. In the Senior Olympics program,

these researchers discovered that while chronological age of the participants was 68, the average fitness age was

closer to 43 or 25 years younger due to exercise. So yes it’s the exercise not the age. We can say with

confidence that exercise is a prescription for youth!

Dr. Ornish explains it in a bit more detail. He said that his latest research indicates that a healthy lifestyle

lengthens our telomeres, which are the ends of our chromosomes that control aging. This is pretty exciting. As

our telomeres get longer, our life gets longer.

Dr. Ornish is also quick to add that everything we can do helps. Every little positive bit we add to our lifestyle

to make it healthy helps us at any and every age. So it’s not all or nothing. If we eat most of a cake and don’t

exercise for a few days, it is not over. If we feel agitated and stressed out, or can’t relax for a few days, it’s ok.

Try the next day. Remember it is all about progress not perfection. It is the overall pattern of how we live our

lives that matters most.

18. Let’s back up for a minute and talk about getting started, then we will talk about maintaining exercise

routines.

Start slowly! Gradually increase time and effort. That whole ‘no pain gain thing’ is just plain wrong.

Do not hurt yourself!

‘Weekend Warriors’ often injure themselves, results indicate this is not an effective strategy. If you

have chronic conditions, talk with health professionals, check limits, and create a plan.

Overall, the beneficial health effects of exercise outweigh the risk of getting hurt.

Please do manage weight through a healthy whole food, plant based diet, so you feel like being more

active.



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19. Maintaining routines is the challenge. The first step isn't always the hardest is it? No it isn’t, its keeping up

the exercise program once we have started.

When is the best time to exercise? Well…… when you exercise! Seriously, there is no best time, just whenever

it works for you. In my twenties, I used to swim at 10 PM and I slept like baby. But many people who work out

later in the evenings do have a harder time falling asleep due to a rise in body temperature and all that

stimulation. A long hot shower can be super relaxing before sleep. Experiment with different times but make

sure it works for you and your family.

Then for years, I vigorously walked our dogs at 6 AM before work. This got me going for the day and super

charged to take on the challenges of day. Rain or shine we walked, there was a group of us dog walkers that

would circle the park, often in the dark, and we would all say hello and chit chat for a bit. I loved it.

As far as eating, it’s better to eat about 60-90 minutes before exercising so we don’t get stomach upset. It’s a

tricky balance, we don’t want to be hungry but we don’t want to be full either. Sometime a healthy simple snack

like a glass of water or iced tea, an orange, or peanut butter and banana can tide us over.

20. More maintenance strategies include:

Invoke positive memories of fun hikes, days at beach, playing when feeling fit. Recall times as a youth feeling

strong and powerful playing soccer, football, and tennis. Use the power of recall to keep you motivated today.

Banish boredom: make sure it’s fun and change it up. We usually don’t do things unless we want

too, seriously, if it’s awful and we hate it, it’s easy to drop off.

Set aside time and schedule what you plan to do. Make this part of daily life like eating and sleeping.

Keep walking/hiking shoes or gym bag in the car or always packed ready to go.

Be accountable to a partner, a team, or a class. We are social creatures and often the group is what

keeps us going. Now with the advent of so many online social communities our teams can be virtual!

Always dress for weather outside, why not sing in the rain! Actually I love to walk my dogs in the

rain. They don’t care, they love walking!

Keep a journal or calendar and log miles, activities, and accomplishments to reflect upon later.

21. A new study, published in the Health Psychology journal, about habitual exercisers found that our “cues”

are critical. The researchers found, that the most consistent exercisers, were those who made exercise into a

specific type of habit; one triggered by a cue, like hearing the morning alarm and going to the gym without even

thinking about it. “It’s not something you have to deliberate about; you don’t have to consider the pros and cons

of going to the gym after work,” explains Alison Phillips, assistant professor of psychology at Iowa State

University and one of the study’s authors.

Instead, it’s an automatic decision instigated by our own personalized internal or environmental cue. They

found that the only factor that predicted how often a person exercised over the long-term, was the strength of

their instigation habit. But sticking with a cue, instead of clinging to the same tired routine, appears to be what



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will get us back to our workout again and again. So don’t think about it, like the famous advertisement declares:

Identify your own personal cue and just do it!

22. The next three slides list out quick tips for MORE exercise:

Take the stairs instead of the elevator, if possible, try to increase your speed if this is a regular part of the

day. Researchers are now studying how to get more people to take the stairs and found that when stairs

were right there, and the elevator or escalator were farther away, people walked. When taking the stairs

is the default choice, we walk. So until buildings are redesigned, just get in the habit to walk instead of

ride.

If you work in a multistory building, run or walk up and down stairs at work. Add a bit of spice to your

weekly workout routine and deliberately, intentionally use the stairs as the main core of the workout.

See if you can get a buddy or two to join in.

Swing arms widely while walking. Yes, and look up and out, keep your head erect and not on your feet

unless the terrain is rocky, swing the arms and breathe, take a moment and reflect, it’s so good to be out

walking.

Wear (or carry) comfortable walking shoes where ever you go.

Get up and every hour or so and move around when stationed at a desk or chair. Just to stand up and

stretch feels good. I like to stand and move around when I talked on the phone for a long time, it helps

me stay focused yet relaxed. In a former office I had a 20 ft. telephone cord and would pace. With cell

phones it is even easier.

Park, or get off transit, farther away from the final destination and walk. This is a classic and easy

method to add more steps every day.

23. More quick tips for MORE exercise:

Try out walking sticks, do they help? Are they enjoyable? Some people swear by them.

Connect with others. We are social creatures, we learn from each other. Walking, working out, with

others both virtually and face to face is motivating and fun. Many communities and teams have sprung

up on line, start exploring the apps or sites you frequent.

While watching TV, stretch or get on an exercise bike, do jumping jacks, run in place, do something!

Once you get going, and have a pattern, try to vary workouts to stay engaged and have more fun over the

long haul. To think we have to do the same work out, every day, for the rest of our lives, can be thought

of as drudgery. For example, I rotate between swimming laps, the elliptical, or stationary bike as well as

lifting light weights and walking the dogs a few days each week.

Have work out DVDs for backups or when travelling. Also, save links to online videos for works outs,

yoga, dancing or whatever is fun for you. While travelling, do check out the gym in the hotel and make

arrangements to work out.

Invest in technology to listen to music, and track daily steps, heart rate etc. A study published, in the

journal Sports Medicine, indicated that when people listen to music expressly synchronized to their pace

they had better adherence to their cardiac rehab. People were found to stick with their exercise routines



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70% more when listening to music pre-programed to their personalized walking or running pace. This is

great news, because there is a high dropout rate at cardiac rehab and people don’t always keep up their

exercise routines at home. The music was found to help people take … the … next …. step and helps

maintain a faster pace. I know this works for me. When I work out on the elliptical machine I listen to

music with a strong fast beat; it keeps me going and keeps me engaged! Do invest in the technology

needed to listen to music if you are not already doing so.

All movement counts. Chores like cleaning up our living space and car, working in the yard, or garage,

are a great way to keep moderate levels of movement part of every day. Do chores with more intensity

and see if you can get your heart rate up.

OK, a few more quick tips then we will talk about diet vs exercise. I wonder if you will be surprised.

24. And finally a few last quick tips for MORE exercise:

Warm up slowly, and stay injury free; that mean to work out intentionally, to pay attention to your body

and what you are doing.

Stretching after exercising, while warm, also helps protect us against injuries.

Remember to breathe deeply so the body gets more oxygen.

Do stuff instead of sit around. Be active with family and friends, like go for walk instead of watching a

movie. So often our socializing is so sedentary. Shake it up.

Join a local class or group, there are countless places to join exercise classes and groups. Look at the

local rec center, gym, look online at meetup dot com, or the local community college, as well as ask

friends and neighbors where they go.

Get fit for a cause. Sign up for a community walk, bike ride, or run. You know, those charity sponsored

walks and fun runs abound and are a great reason to train. Find your favorite charity like the ALS walk,

Walk for Autism, or Mothers against Drunk Driving. Fitness magazine online lists too many to count.

We want our muscles to have a chance to repair after exercising, so do alternate muscle groups, and

don’t exercise the same muscles every day. For example I lift weights (light ones for sure) 3 x a week,

always on alternating days.

25. Now the big question is: Diet vs. Exercise? I love the phrase “We can’t out run a bad diet!” and that reveals

the answer. According to a recent editorial in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, we need to get over the

myth that if we simply exercise we will lose weight.

We can be a normal weight, eat poorly, exercise, and still be unhealthy.

Exercise alone doesn’t lead to weight loss but does lead to positive health effects and reduces risk of

cardio vascular disease, depression, type 2 diabetes, dementia, and some cancers by at least 30%.

A poor diet promotes more diseases than physical inactivity, alcohol and smoking combined!

Exercise burns up fewer calories than we think. For example, jogging for 30 minutes might burn off 350

calories. What does approximately 350 calories look like in food? Well, one 3-ounce bag of potato chips

has about 400 calories; one chocolate-frosted doughnut has over 300 calories, and a medium blueberry

muffin has well over 400 calories. Besides, how often do we jog or work out strenuously for 30



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minutes? Better yet, why not cut out 2 unhealthy sodas a day, or those sugary salty snacks, skip those

excess calories AND work out for a more effective and lasting change.

From 2001 to 2009 the percentage of people exercising increased as did the rates of obesity. The good

news is that more people are exercising and that’s terrific! But rates of obesity continue to rise. Right

now we have more people overweight in the US than people of normal weight. Hmm, so it’s not the

exercise is it?

Research repeatedly demonstrates that diet and exercise, combined, are the key to health and wellness,

to lasting positive results.

26. The Center for Science in the Public Interest tells us that the processed food industry spends 33 billion

dollars a year on advertising.

This money creates enough marketing messages for each man, woman, and child to receive 1 marketing

message every 14 seconds. We are “overstocked” with advertising! The food industry is very clever, and

manipulates us to buy what they are selling. It is not just about our willpower as we walk up and down the

aisles. It is how the stores and items are arranged, how the food is labeled, the size of containers, and the

specific combinations of sugar, salt, and fat which are so addicting.

The processed food industry public relation’s tactics are similar to the tobacco industry’s PR tactics in the past.

The PR tactics used by the tobacco industry are well known. These include instilling doubt and confusion about

the negative health effects of smoking. For years, celebrities promoted smoking and we all thought it was OK,

glamorous and cool. Now, years later, we know it isn’t. The constant heavy promotion of sports drinks and

soda, both diet and regular, as well as sugary junk foods is leading us down a path of obesity and chronic

disease. Sugar is a problem as we have discussed. There are vast food deserts in many areas where healthy,

whole foods are rare.

Instead of food environments that are filled with sugary, chemical laden, junk food, and drinks, we need food

environments that are filed with fresh, healthy, whole foods. As we discussed earlier, living in a food desert is a

real problem for many people.

Eating well should be an easy choice for everyone. Perhaps that will be the norm in our near future.

VIDEO SNIPPET #2

Let’s recap the main points of what we just went over. Pregnant women are getting larger, unhealthier, and

need to exercise more. This not only effects the mom to be, but the baby, and the entire family if there does

happen to be – god forbid - a health crisis.

We also talked at length that stress, mood, depression, and anxiety are all positively impacted by exercise.

There is no secret; when we exercise regularly, we feel better emotionally.

We manage stress more effectively with aerobic exercise. Exercise reduces tension, fatigue, and anger; and

exercise increases a positive mood. We need to do something active every day. As far as anxiety and depression,



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which are very common and the topic of an entire session – exercise increases the feel good hormones serotonin

and euphoric endorphins, as well as lower the stress hormone cortisol.

Aging is also completely different for active people. Studying senior athletes, scientists have learned that

exercise is a prescription for youth and vibrant health. Again, we all need to DO something every day. Since it

is never too late to start, start today!

By the way, how did you do on the diet vs exercise quiz? Which one did you pick as the most important? You are

correct, it is diet. Don’t you love that phrase: You can’t outrun a bad diet!

Whole food, plant based professional athletes have a unique perspective, and we will hear from a few of them

next. There are many more I could not include so look them up on your own.

Due to our reliance on technology, I also mention a few apps to install on your devices, but do look for others

and play around with various exercise apps.

We close where we started, with the secrets to a happy life which are not really a secret are they? After the

session, read over the questions for reflection and discussion. Actively think about them as you continue to

learn more about sustaining a healthy plant based lifestyle for you and your family.

Power Point Slides:

27. The famous quote by Jack Lalanne has been revised to read: Diet is King! Exercise is Queen! Together, you

have a kingdom! Jack Lalanne, the famous health and fitness icon died a few years ago at age 96. He had many

things to say about exercise such as “Living is a pain in the butt. Dying is easy. It's like an athletic event. You've

got to train for it. You've got to eat right. You've got to exercise. Your health account, your bank account,

they're the same thing. The more you put in, the more you can take out. Exercise is king and nutrition is queen:

together, you have a kingdom.”

Rip Esselstyn, who we will talk about next, has switched that around to Diet is King! Exercise is Queen! Due to

the plethora of research regarding exercise and nutrition, we now say that diet is the king and exercise is the

queen. I know it might sound sexist and stuck in traditional, royal, gender roles and all that, but still, it’s a

memorable way to keep the idea in mind that we need both.

First and foremost, we need excellent nutrition and then regular exercise. Let’s continue and talk about several,

whole food, plant based athletes.

28. Rip Esselstyn has a great story. As you can guess, his father is the celebrated Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn who’s

early work with cardiac patients at the Cleveland Clinic changed how we think about heart disease and

nutrition. His mother, Ann, and sister, Jane, have published a variety of fantastic cookbooks. Ann had to create

the program her husband Caldwell was researching so a tremendous amount of credit goes to her. I know she

saved our lives!

Rip is an accomplished, former professional athlete. After graduating from college in 1986, Rip became a

totally plant powered “top ten” triathlete for the next 10 years and 6x winner of the grueling Escape from



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Alcatraz triathlon. He trained for 4-8 hours per day and ate about 5,000 calories per day. He is firm believer in

eating heathy, whole, plant based foods and not taking any supplements or adding protein powders. Read his

book for the details and meal plans.

Since 1984, when Rip was in college and his dad was performing cardiac research at the Cleveland Clinic, he

has been interested in plant based nutrition. He saw firsthand the miracles his dad was performing at the

hospital and was able to enjoy at home the fabulous plant based meals his mom, Ann, was creating.

After competing, Rip became a fire fighter and was stationed at the Fire Station #2 in Austin. He got all those

milk shake loving, meat loving, and cheese pizza eating firefighters to adopt a plant based diet because as you

know fire fighters have to cook at their station houses while on duty. Around the same time, one of his

firefighting brothers had a cholesterol reading of 340, yes and at age 33. Rip challenged him to eat only plants

for one month. After that month, the guy’s cholesterol was down 148 points to 198! Of course he lost weight

and felt fantastic! The media got hold of that story and a few months later Rip was asked to write the book.

He recruited 62 people to be part of a study, involved a medical director, and spent two years researching and

working on the book. Published in 2009, it quickly became a best seller.

Rip has a lot of experience with going up against the idea that only “real men eat meat” and thinks that is

completely ridiculous due to the negative health effects of eating animals and dairy along with compassion for

animals plus the environmental degradation due to the animal agriculture industry as we discuss in other

sessions.

So real men DO care for the planet, care for animals, their families' health and DO eat plants!

30. Pictured here is Carl Lewis, a well-known vegan athlete. He credits his outstanding 1991 results in part to

the vegan diet he adopted in 1990, when he was in his late twenties. He has claimed it was better suited to him

because he can eat a larger quantity without affecting his athleticism and he believes that switching to a vegan

diet can lead to improved athletic performance.

When I Googled the term “vegan athletes” just for fun, I got over one million results. There is a ton of

information out there and we will cover just a wee bit here. I really just want everyone to understand that there

are many athletes who eat only plants and do just fine, well more than just fine, they are in superb shape! I also

want to add that vegan, not eating animal based foods, unto itself is not enough. We can drink coke, eat Jell-O,

Oreos, popcorn and french fries all day long and be vegan. When I use the term “vegan”, I intend for it to be

interchangeable with the term “whole food, plant based nutrition”, I’m inferring the healthy vegan diet not the

junk food, vegan diet. During all these sessions, I always mean a healthy vegan, whole food, plant based

nutrition, but that does get a bit wordy!

We just talked about Rip Esselstyn who has done so much for spreading the word about athletes and plant based

nutrition. Have you heard of these two other amazing plant powered athletes?

Scott Jurek is an ultra-marathoner, he has won a 135 mile Ultra Marathon, and several 100 mile marathons, one

of which he set a record for seven times! In 2010 he ran 165 miles in one day. In 2015, at age 41, he completed



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the Appalachian Trail, well he actually broke the record for this 46 day long 2,189 mile race. He calls it his

masterpiece. The Washington Times newspaper calls Scott Jurek one of the top runners of the decade.

Another plant powered vegan athlete is Rich Roll. At age 47, he completed the equivalence of 5 ironman

triathlons in one week. That is crazy! An ironman consists of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bicycle ride and a

marathon 26.2-mile run, raced in that order and without a break. It is widely considered one of the most difficult

one-day sporting events in the world. For winning athletes, that is about a 4-8 hour race day of running,

bicycling and swimming at top speed.

All kinds of athletes have proven success and perform at high levels eating only whole food, plant based

nutrition

Yes “fitness foods” have been found to promote eating more and exercising less! Yes, it is interesting that

fitness foods, you know those special bars and drinks, are found to be counterproductive because people were

eating more and exercising less. A study in the Journal of Marketing Research found that consumers seemed to

perceive the ‘fitness food’ as a substitute for exercise. The effect of labeling on the food items was considered

significant, again demonstrating how the packaged food industry is constantly influencing us.

Robert Cheeke's new book will answer all sorts of practical questions about athleticism and plant based

nutrition. He has a slightly different view of athletes’ protein needs.

31. As you can see from this ad for Robert Cheeke’s new book, Rich Roll, the amazing vegan athlete I just

mentioned, gave him a wonderful endorsement. Robert Cheeke addresses the popular protein myth from an

athlete’s point of view: Energy comes from carbs and fat, protein is the last resort for energy, if you get

adequate calories you will have adequate protein. He is not a believer in adding a lot of extra protein as are

some other athletes.

From the website, and I quote: “ Robert Cheeke’s newest book, Shred It!, is a comprehensive guide to setting

achievable goals, burning fat, and building muscle on a whole-food, plant-based diet. As one of only a few

books to combine a completely whole-food, plant-based menu with detailed training programs, Shred It! has

been endorsed by 28 of the biggest names in the health and fitness industry, including Dr. T. Colin Campbell.,

Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr., Kathy Freston, Rich Roll, Julieanna Hever, and Rip Esselstyn.

Robert Cheeke is a big believer in consistency and effort. He says “It doesn’t matter what you do, as long as its

exercise.” He also says the more we exercise, the more fun it is, because it feels so good and we get such good

results!

In the book he discusses:

• How to set achievable goals that lead to real results

• The most effective ways to burn fat

• How to build muscle efficiently on a whole-food, plant-based diet



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• How to identify what could be holding us back from reaching our fitness potential

• How to exercise nearly anywhere, anytime, and manage our time effectively

Not all of us are going to be super athletes, but we can eat well and can exercise every day. You can see from

his photo, this former scrawny, skinny kid, looks fantastic! All without any meat or dairy products, just plants

like sweet potatoes, fruit, and many more delicious plants, yes only plants!

32. There’s an app for that! We hear that all the time don’t we?! As we wind down this presentation let’s talk

about technology for just a minute. There are so many apps to choose from! Here are just a few that are mostly

free, but do a search and see what appeals to you. The point is to keep exercise fresh, fun, and a constant part of

life. If an app helps that’s great! The apps range from simple trackers, organizing data like steps, miles, distance

and time, to games you play with space invaders, zombies, or super heroes. It’s all in good fun. Then there are

those apps that interact with the larger world like Charity Miles. Down load a few and play with them all.

Search, experiment, share, and join the online community of the ones you like.

My new obsession is Charity Miles. I donate to the charity of choice paid for by corporate sponsorship.

Every time I walk the dogs, or work out on the elliptical, I tap a few buttons on my phone and away I go

earning money for any variety of charities. Large corporations donate on my behalf a set dollar amount

per mile. It’s awesome!

Nexercise is an app where people can earn points to redeem at stores. I have not used it but it sounds fun

especially if you like to shop.

Pact: Like the name suggests, make pacts with others to achieve healthy goals using real life money, yes

money! Money motivates many of us doesn’t it?

Digifit iCardio is an app for iPhone and android (it's called simply iCardio in Google Play). You can pair

it with any supported heart rate monitor to track runs, bicycle rides, and other workouts. Digifit iCardio

records heart rate, of course, but also distance, time, and pace.

When you hit the gym, do you still carry a notebook or crumpled sheet of paper to all the stations and

machines? Don't. With mobile apps for the gym, there are better ways to keep track of sets and reps. The

Jefit Workout app gives us simple tools for crafting weight-lifting workouts and keeping track of the

details as we complete our routines. We can log sets and reps, as well as how much we lifted. A calendar

helps us plan each workout day.

The Johnson and Johnson Official 7 Minute Workout App is free and helps us squeeze some exercise

into the day at a personalized intensity level. All we need is a chair and seven minutes—or about 11

minutes if we add the warm-up and cool down. A medium-intensity workout can include jumping jacks,

pushups, wall chair, high-knee running in place, crunches, plank, side plank, triceps dips using a chair,

and a few other moves. The app coaches us through each move as it comes up in the workout. It's a great

app for people of all ability levels.

MyFitnessPal is a mobile app and website that gives us a wealth of tools for tracking what and how

much we eat, and how many calories we burn through activity. Of all the calorie counters reviewed,

MyFitnessPal is said to be by far the easiest one to manage, and it comes with the largest database of

foods and drinks. With the MyFitnessPal app we can fastidiously watch what we eat 24/7.



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Every day new apps are published, explore and see what you like and what works for you.

Before we conclude, Dr. Ornish has a great message to share.

33. Dr. Dean Ornish recently published an article called “The Secrets to a Healthy Life”.

Actually it is not a secret at all! We have talked about Dr. Dean Ornish before. He is a pioneering cardiologist

who published some the very early research regarding whole food, plant based nutrition and heart disease. After

over 40 years of clinical practice, teaching, and countless publications, he knows a thing or two! His belief

regarding the secrets of a healthy life are as follows and are a perfect ending for this session on exercise as well

as a perfect segue to our next session on stress reduction and maintaining a positive mental outlook.

Dr. Ornish is very clear, emphatic, and passionate that the four keys to a heathy life are:

1. Whole food, plant based diet naturally low in fat and refined carbohydrates and sugars,

2. Stress Management techniques like yoga and/or meditation,

3. Moderate regular exercise,

4. Social support and community, love and intimacy.

These interventions are simple, low tech, inexpensive, and effective. There is not a lot of money to be made by

the medical or pharmaceutical industry with lifestyle changes because we simply don’t need what they are

offering. But make no mistake, a lot of money is saved, and that’s why larger organizations are getting so

interested in these lifestyle interventions. We know they work and know they are sustainable.

For example, Highmark Blue Cross found overall health costs were reduced 50% in the first year that patients

went through Dr. Ornish's program in 24 hospitals in West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Nebraska. In patients

who spent more than $25,000 on health care the previous year, costs were reduced 40% the following year.

Likewise Mutual of Omaha found they saved people $30,000 the first year that they seriously changed to a

healthy lifestyle. Ask if your medical center or Insurance Company is involved in Dr. Ornish's work, or one

similar. Medicare, as well as other insurance companies, now reimburse for his program.

“Our genes are our predisposition but our genes are not our fate”, Dr. Ornish says that changing our lifestyle

actually changes our genes. Yes because with a healthy lifestyle, following those 4 positive behaviors, we “turn

off” the genes that promote disease and “turn on” the genes that promote health and vitality. Exactly the same

thing Dr. Campbell found in the Philippines back in the 60s studying kids and liver cancer.

These lifestyle changes also often reverse the progression of diseases such as severe coronary heart diseases,

cardiac events, type 2 diabetes, some cancers, and other chronic conditions as we have discussed

Oh and speaking of money …

34. Worldwide, costs for non-communicable, chronic diseases, the ones we have been talking about in all these

presentations, cost us about 6.6 trillion dollars per year, and are expected to rise to $13 trillion dollars a year by

2030. Can we afford this? Would we rather help alleviate suffering and sickness? A team the worlds’ top



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doctors have released a policy statement asking for global cooperation across all types and levels of

organizations in eradicating lifestyle diseases (such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity, some cancers, and so on).

They ask for all hands on deck. In other words, it’s up to everyone, it’s up to us.

In the policy report they write: “We must look beyond the traditional healthcare model (for example hospital

and clinical settings) to implement healthy lifestyle initiatives”. They also add that “Prevention is the key”.

We can do this. The research is there. We have the knowledge. It is up to each of us to act upon this information

however we can. Healthy lifestyles benefit everyone. We can work with our families, our youngest and oldest

members of our communities, at schools, on the sporting field, in faith based organizations, businesses, and in

community based organizations. We can work at the grass roots, local level, state, or at the highest levels of

global organization. I created these presentations for you and your family so that I can share my expertise with

you.

35. Now in summary: Stay active as a way of life! The more we exercise, the more we benefit. Do something

physical every day. Stay healthy together, play together, work hard, and have fun! Our next session is about

stress, a positive mental aspect, and nutritional implications on our moods and emotional wellbeing. We have

touched upon depression and anxiety, in this next session we will go into more detail about how a whole food,

plant based diet can help us with our thoughts and feelings. Until then, thanks so much, and bye for now!

Transcript Lecture 8: Health Benefits of Exercise · 2017-01-02 · To learn how fast a person...

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Transcript of Transcript Lecture 8: Health Benefits of Exercise · 2017-01-02 · To learn how fast a person...