In part 2 of my conversation with my brother, Theron, he starts out with a funny analogy imagining one of those drug commercials touting the benefits of a fill-in-the-blank medication. These clips always show people enjoying nature, family gatherings and quiet evenings preparing healthy food and reading together and seem to end with the same invitation: Ask your doctor if blank medication is right for you! Now imagine, says Theron that the medicine is exercise and you ask your doctor if it might be exactly what you need—the answer is a resounding YES. There isn’t a physician on the planet that wouldn’t recommend an appropriate and consistent exercise regimen for a patient, regardless of what ails them. Exercise is powerful medicine!

Here are just a few of the proven benefits of regular exercise …

1. Lowers blood pressure

2. Improves mood

3. Increases bone density

4. Helps you sleep better

5. Benefits self esteem and mental well-being

6. Improves brain health

And the best news of all lies in the minimal effective dose—it’s very little. In other words you don’t have to hit the gym for 45 minutes a day 4 to 5 days a week to see and FEEL the positive effects of exercise in your life.

Listen and learn about the importance of a balanced approach to exercise that includes flexibility and agility, cardiovascular/aerobic and resistance or strength training. Especially as we age, we need to make sure we are moving in the ways that will best help us navigate the challenges and risks of midlife and beyond!

Theron mentioned a study out of Rutgers that helped us better understand the measurable results of resistance training in elderly women. Click HERE for more information.

I am loving the TRX suspension trainer. I have had one for a couple of years now and I use it 3 to 4 times a week for about 15 minutes. TRX is all about using your body as your weight machine—it’s something that doesn’t take a lot of room or expensive equipment. Click HERE to learn more!

AND, my favorite resistance routine is one that I learned from The Happy Body. I highly recommend this book and the information inside. I’m a bigger fan of their approach to exercise than diet, but both are sound and can help you get started on a healthier path.

I started today’s episode with Jack Lalane—American fitness pioneer who lived 96 active years and taught millions of people (especially women) in their homes how to eat better and move to feel and look better. Here’s a clip from his early days …

Thanks to Close To My Heart for their generosity in supplying Story Starter kits to anyone who’s SpeakPipe message I play on the show. Today I played a message from Amy McGrew!