​According to a Mayo Clinic Article on Healthy Lifestyle “Everyone can benefit from exercise, regardless of age, gender, or physical ability”.  This should be a no brainer.  Everyone seems know that some kind of physical movement is good for you.  The bigger questions is “How Good?”
More and more studies are showing that exercise not only prevents disease, but it also aids in disease treatment. 
In an article from The National Parkinson Foundation on the Neuroprotective Benefits of Exercise, it states that, “People with Parkinson’s enrolled in an exercise program with durations longer than six months, regardless of intensity have shown significant gains in functional balance and mobility.”  And still further in the article it states, “when it comes to exercise and PD (Parkinson’s Disease), greater intensity equals greater benefits.”
Here’s a quote from the American Cancer Society in an article on Physical Activity and the Cancer Patient, it states that “Exercise is not only safe and possible during cancer treatment, but it can improve how well you function physically and your quality of life.”
From a Physiological standpoint and understanding that life is in the blood, when we exercise we improve circulation and carrying that life giving blood to all parts of the body.  Our heart has to beat harder to push that life giving blood to every working muscle to help it maintain activity.  Oxygen and nutrients are brought in while toxins and waste are moved out.  This is a vital process for life and vitality. 
Exercise is not the 'end all, be all' of disease prevention and treatment, as you'll see in the video below, but all efforts should be made to add to your day some kind of exercise routine.  It should become one of those items at the top of your priority list.  Go for a walk, a bike ride, walk the dog, park in the parking spot furthest from the door of the store, make any excuse you can to get moving and you’ll be amazed at how much more exercise you’ll add to your day.

It is the beginning of the year and what do many people feel inclined to make to kick it off?  New Years Resolutions, that list of things you "plan" to do.  A lot of people have resolutions involving behavioral changes they hope to make in the upcoming year.  And I would argue a lot of these resolutions are health related.  The gyms are packed with new faces the first few weeks and/or months of the year before the majority of these new faces vanish from the scene and only a few are left following through with resolutions and achieving the desired behavioral change.


What makes the difference? I believe there are many factors but the one I want to focus on today is our outlook.  When we sit down and start to dream about all 2018 could offer, what type of mindset do we have?  Is it positive or negative?  I would argue that it is positive.  We believe we can achieve the goals.  For some that belief is grounded in the fact that they have a well thought out plan to achieve them.  For others, it may be based on the fact that 2018 holds something magical that will produce the changes they want.  Whether realistic or unrealistic it all starts with positive thinking.  And that is what a person has to maintain throughout the year to succeed with the behavioral change.  Adopting and maintaining positive thoughts as we encounter the many barriers and temptations to quit will not only help us meet the goals, but there is research that shows positive thoughts have a direct correlation to our health.  (We will touch on this later.)


So my challenge for us all is to begin each day with positive thoughts about our desired behavioral changes for 2018.  Here are just a few ideas:

1. “Lord, I do not know what today’s has in store but I believe that you will give me the strength I need to follow through with the things I need to do for my health”
2. “I may be too tired to exercise today but the reason I am exercising is to increase my energy, so this feeling is to be expected.”
3. “These fruits and vegetables will taste so good once I detox my taste buds from the unhealthy things I am accustomed to eating.”
4. “I may have failed in 2017 but this year I have a plan and although I may fail I will not quit this year.”