"We like to be alive, too! And look! We're cute!"
I came across this article today which basically states that exercise (14 minutes a day or 42 minutes over a three day period) can inhibit chromosomal aging (damage to the ends of chromosomes, called the telomeres) due to stress. My interpretation? The more stressed I am, the more I need exercise.
The article specified that not just any exercise counts. It has to be heart-pumping, sweat-inducing exercise. And that exercise not only protects the telomeres, but actually helps the body produce telomere-protective enzyme.
What does this have to do with being vegan? Have you ever noticed that when you exercise, something internal gets reset? I crave very specific foods after I exercise. Before I became vegan, I would crave eggs and sugar. Now, I start craving kale and spinach smoothies and tofu. I think exercise resets my cravings to what my body needs, rather than what my mind wants.
If you're like me, you identify more with these guys and would rather nap under a heat lamp than exercise!
So what am I going to do about it? Probably nothing this morning, since my sinus infection seems to have come back and running out in the cold probably isn't the best idea (even though the article also suggests that exercise helps to strengthen the immune system), but maybe I'll get in front of the TV and put on the exercise channel later, and then dig into my CSA box for some greens.
***
2 hours later
I did it! I spent twenty minutes sweating in front of the Exercise TV channel doing kickboxing! Two minutes in I felt like giving up, but once I got over the hump, it was a good feeling to get the endorphins going.
Thanks for the article link. I can't wait to read it. The last article I read on telomeres said moderate activity was better than strenous for the immune system boost. I guess I need to find the original science next. ;-)
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Ali
Hi Ali! Yes, I agree with what you are saying...I have over-exercised and gotten sick as a result. Both times I felt like I was fighting something and both times I did way more than my share of exercise when I should have, like you said, did moderate exercise instead. Power yoga and riding my bike straight up an 8 mile long stretch of mountain both did me in. Now, I wonder if exercise will help me actually combat this sinusitis, or is it more of a preventative thing.
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