Benefits of Being More Active

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Written By Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII

The Benefits of Being More Active Are:

  • You strengthen muscles that help you breathe.
  • You become a better fat burner; you actually make more of the enzymes that burn fat in your body.
  • You?ll have more energy.
  • You?ll regulate your appetite better
  • You will improve insulin sensitivity which helps you to burn calories easier rather than store them as fat.
  • Your self-esteem will increase so you feel confident about the decisions you are making.
  • Your tension and anxiety are more manageable so you make better food decisions.
  • You decrease your risk of colon cancer and possibly other cancers.
  • You may help retard the aging process of your body.
  • You may increase your brain power.

Weight bearing and resistance exercise will:

  • Help increase bone strength and prevent osteoporosis.
  • Help you develop overall muscle strength.
  • Increase basal metabolic rate so you burn more calories even while sleeping.
  • Help keep you from falling.

The Specific Benefits to Your Heart Are:

  • An increase in stroke volume (the amount of blood pumped out each time your heart beats).
  • A decrease in heart rate and resting pulse (so the heart works less at rest time!)
  • An increase in the amount of work you can do before getting chest pains if you have angina.
  • Protection against rapid heart rate

Exercise affects other risk factors for heart disease by:

  • Decreasing blood pressure.
  • Decreasing the circulating blood fats (triglycerides).
  • Decreasing weight around the middle.
  • Increasing HDL, the good cholesterol.
  • Helping with smoking cessation.
  • Helping to control blood sugar.
  • Relieving stress
  • Altering a sedentary lifestyle.

By Nancy Kennedy, MS, RD, Cardiac Rehab Educator, Shelby Township, MI

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Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII

Judy’s passion for cooking began with helping her grandmother make raisin oatmeal for breakfast. From there, she earned her first food service job at 15, was accepted to the world-famous Culinary Institute of America at 18 (where she graduated second in her class), and went on to the Fachschule Richemont in Switzerland, where she focused on pastry arts and baking. After a decade in food service for Hyatt Hotels, Judy launched Food and Health Communications to focus on flavor and health. She graduated with Summa Cum Laude distinction from Johnson and Wales University with a BS in Culinary Arts, holds a master’s degree in Food Business from the Culinary Institute of America, two art certificates from UC Berkeley Extension, and runs a food photography & motion studio where her love is creating fun recipes and content.

Judy received The Culinary Institute of America’s Pro Chef II certification, the American Culinary Federation Bronze Medal, Gold Medal, and ACF Chef of the Year. Her enthusiasm for eating nutritiously and deliciously leads her to constantly innovate and use the latest nutritional science and Dietary Guidelines to guide her creativity, from putting new twists on fajitas to adapting Italian brownies to include ingredients like toasted nuts and cooked honey. Judy’s publishing company, Food and Health Communications, is dedicated to her vision that everyone can make food that tastes as good as it is for you.

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