Exercise is seen as “pleiotropic,” simply meaning that it has “many effects,” says Shawn Flanagan, PhD, an assistant professor in the department of sports medicine and nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh. Exercise can enhance sleep, protect and improve brain function, develop or maintain bone, muscle, heart and other connective tissues, and promote a healthy immune system, he says.
“Wounds heal faster, medication doses can sometimes be reduced or maintained, and disease severity can be improved considerably depending on the condition,” Dr. Flanagan adds. “The practical benefits are impressive.”
When it comes to the brain, Flanagan says: “Exercise promotes the release of a number of factors that protect neurons, improve recovery from injury, and likely enhance the integrity of the blood-brain barrier.” The blood-brain barrier is the group of blood vessels that control what gets transported from the blood into the brain, making sure toxins, pathogens, and inflammation stay out, and helpful cells and molecules get in.
All those things are important when it comes to staving off chronic disease, Flanagan explains. Neuron damage and inflammation in the brain, for example, are known to happen in people who have multiple sclerosis,
Alzheimer’s disease, and
Parkinson’s disease, for example.
There isn’t a condition out there that “fitness can’t help,” says Scott Parker, a personal trainer in private practice in Los Angeles and a spokesperson for the American Heart Association. While there’s a lot of conversation about how to exercise to get a certain body type or look, people can overlook the fact that a huge function of exercise is to maintain and improve our overall health.
Here’s a closer look at how exercise can improve management and symptom relief for several chronic health conditions. And remember, if you have a chronic health condition or other chronic symptoms, check with your doctor before starting a new exercise routine to make sure it’s safe for you to do and won’t cause further damage.
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