|
April 2002
Second Wind
Lomita, California
Dear Friends:
A growing body
of evidence indicates that people who exercise regularly have far less cancer
than those who are pretty much “couch potatoes” and avoid as much physical
activity as possible. Of course,
exercise may be a marker of other healthy habits such as weight control, eating
a high fiber diet, and being interested in maintaining a state of high physical
fitness. In addition, exercise may
help purge the lung of carcinogens by deep breathing, increase bowel motility
and stimulate the immune system to be able to deal with invading cancer cells
that may mutate from normal cells in all of us.
It has been known since the tuberculosis era of the past, that exercise
stimulates appetite and improves sleep. Regular
exercise reduces respiratory and heart rate at a given task, and it combats
anxiety and depression. It
mitigates shortness of breath. Exercise
can be used as an adjunct to smoking cessation.
So, for whatever reason, everyone is strongly advised to exercise for
health each day. My own schedule is
to walk at least 30 minutes every day, and some days even more.
So get out there, take your walk today and tomorrow and every day to
reduce your risk of cancer as you improve your quality of life.
I'll be in touch next month.
Your friend,
Thomas Petty, MD
|
