Exercise - What is Alternative Medicine?

In the Orient, there is an old expression: The body is like a hinge on a door. If it is not swung open, it will rust.

Indeed, virtually all cultures recognize the importance of regularly moving all parts of the body. In India, yogic exercise has played an important role in Aruyvedic medicine for over 6,000 years. Similarly, in China, exercise has been practiced for 2,500 years using martial arts such as tai chi.

Given the critical importance of regular exercise, it is surprising that as many as an estimated 75% of all Americans, including children, do not exercise enough.

Many studies, as cited in Chapters 6 and 7, have shown that people who exercise regularly have fewer illnesses than sedentary persons. Vigorous exercise benefits the body both directly and indirectly by stimulating the immune system and enabling people to cope with a variety of stressors and toxins. The psychological benefits are equally as important, and exercise has been successfully used to treat several disorders such as depression.

Regular exercise is almost always a key component of any holistic medical program because next to diet it most effectively produces total body health. In fact, the American Cancer Society now recommends regular exercise as part of its 10-step program to prevent cancer. The many functions exercise plays in maintaining health and preventing disease are documented in Chapter 6.