Exercise is the closest thing we have to a magic bullet when it comes to personal health and well being. First of all, any amount of exercise above what you are already doing is most likely going to be better for you (unless you are already an elite level athlete and in peak physical condition). Also, exercising is totally free; you don't need to spend one red cent to get all the health promoting benefits of exercise. So if we all know it's good for us, and its free, why don't more people do it?

I think the problem lies with our distorted view of value and money. In a society driven by money that measures worth based price, how could something totally free be of any value? So it must not make sense to many people that something completely free could be of such incredible value and worth. Most people can tell you what a house is "worth" or what a car is "worth". But ask them to tell you how much a few hours per week of exercising is "worth" and you'll most likely get a blank stare. How can you put a dollar figure to the benefits of a lifetime of exercising and living a healthy lifestyle? The answer is, you can't! There is no amount of money that can buy you back your health once you let it go! But this concept must truly be lost considering the amount of people that are succumbing to lifestyle disorders like diabetes, heart disease and obesity. All of which can be reduced or flat out removed by living a healthy lifestyle and exercising.

Instead of putting a little effort into regular workouts most people would rather take a drug to deal with lifestyle disease problems. I believe this happens for three reasons.

1) Because this makes more sense to them, it is a simple value for a dollar equation. After all, prescriptions come from the best that medical science can offer. And obviously the more expensive the drug or treatment is, the better it must be, again value for the dollar. You work hard for your money, and you are trained to believe that money should be able to buy you everything else you need in your life, including your health. And this couldn't be further from the truth. Isn't it ironic that the pharmaceutical industry spends billions of dollars researching and marketing drugs that do the same thing as a few (free) workouts per week can do!

2) People are just too busy to "fit in" a few workouts per week. People who have not grown up with the habit of exercising simply do not factor it into their daily routine. As little as three 30 minute workouts per week would do wonders for anyone who doesn't exercise at all. But even this little amount of time spent (1.5 hours per week) seems to be too much.

3) Effort. Even though exercising is completely free and can provide more health benefits than all the drugs in the world, most people don't want to put in the effort. I believe people feel they work hard enough at their jobs, school, raising a family and whatever else they are involved in. Ask a person to spend some of their precious free time working out and it must seem like the work never ends.

So the answer is there, we all know what to do, but most people won't own up and do what it takes. Not having enough time is simply an excuse. Even the busiest person on earth can find 1.5 hours per week of spare time to throw in a few short workouts. But for some reason, even though everyone knows exercising is good for them, they still avoid it.

And this is the most troubling point of it all. Exercising is free, and has more health benefits than any amount of drugs could ever have. Regular exercise can reduce blood cholesterol, reduce blood lipids, improve cardiovascular functioning and fitness, lower your blood pressure, improve your insulin sensitivity, help improve symptoms of type 2 diabetes, reduce body weight, reduce body fat, improve the overall look of your body, increase bone density, build strong muscles, improve your self image and self confidence, helps to alleviate depression, adds structure to your day, provides a gratifying experience that builds confidence and character, and teaches you the concept of delayed gratification and a bit of self sacrifice for long term gain. Now could you imagine a drug that could do all of that!

Copyright (c) 2008 John Barban