When talking about the benefits of exercise, most folks assume we are talking about cardiovascular exercise, which is a very good place to start. However, there are many other components of exercise, specifically strength training, stretching, and meditation/relaxation, all of which are important. Like with cardiovascular exercise, you don’t have to hit the gym. You can dance, swim, walk, or cycle; the point is to keep moving. Strength training can be done with nautilus equipment; rubber bands, free weights, or holding your body weight up in different poses as in Hatha yoga. (Think of sustaining yourself in a half push-up…now that is weight lifting!) It also includes lifting children, pushing a vacuum or hitting a tennis ball. Just remember to protect your back! There are many exercise videos on the subject of strength training. I recommend renting a couple and see what you like before you purchase one. As far as stretching, even the exercise gurus sometimes skimp on this one. Stretching is one of the most important weapons in your arsenal for injury prevention. Stretching is especially integral to the health of your spine and the muscles that support it. You don’t have to wrap you legs around your neck to properly stretch. Proper stretching revolves around reaching your limits and then gently pushing those limits. The best time to stretch is after a work out or at the very least after a 5-10 minute warm up. You want to stay away from stretching muscles that are cold and tight. Reward yourself after a workout, relax or meditate. I belong to a gym, because I usually work out at night and I am not keen about running or walking by myself at that time. My favorite way to relax/meditate is to lie in what is called the corpse pose. It’s pretty self explanatory, just lay flat on your back. For my low back pain folks who have problems doing this bring you knees up about 45° , most of the time this will relieve the stress on your low back or find another position in which to relax. I like to kill two birds with one stone. I get into the corpse pose out by the pool (indoor) and soak up some sun for 5 to 10 minutes. Sunlight aids in the production of vitamin D (important to your bones) and studies have shown sunlight helps fight winter blahs. Please don’t take this to mean I am advocating baking out in the sun, remember everything revolves around balance. Anyway for me, that is my favorite form of relaxation. In fact, I was practicing this last Sunday. I’m sure I was quite a site. A gentleman approached me and asked what the heck I was doing. I told him I was hard at work making my vitamin D and staving off the winter blues. He looked at me like I was a little nuts even though I assured him there was a method to my madness. I don’t think he believed me because he did not exactly throw himself into the corpse pose and start making his vitamin D. The point I guess is relaxation is a personal thing, and you have find what works for you. Mine sure does work for me!

All the components of exercise are important for your health. The following was taken directly from "What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Premenopause", by John R. Lee, M.D. and Jesse Hanley, M.D. They have a wonderful section on balancing hormones naturally. The following aspects of exercise apply to both males and females alike. Here are some of the benefits you can expect:

• Your heart and blood vessels are strengthened, so they can keep blood circulating throughout the body without as much effort. New capillaries (microscopic blood vessels) form throughout the body furthers improving circulation.
• Your muscles become hardier and develop greater endurance. So everyday tasks feel easier and workouts feel exhilarating.
• Your bones and connective tissues are strengthened by weight bearing and strength-training exercise. The younger you start to exercise, the more dense your bones become, and that means far less risk of osteoporosis (Hey guys you can get this too!)
• Your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, breast cancer and stroke all decrease dramatically.
• Your respiratory muscles are strengthened, allowing deeper and easier breathing during exercise and throughout the day.
• Exercise sweeps excess cortisol (stress hormones) from the bloodstream. That is why a good workout feels so soothing after a stressful day.
• Immunity is boosted after each exercise session, so a regular exercise program means better resistance against infectious diseases.
• Exercise causes an increase in the body’s natural antioxidant defenses.
• High-density lipoprotein or HDL ("good") cholesterol is boosted by exercise.
• Sleep quality improves on the days you work out.
• Those that exercise report more satisfying sex lives.
• When you exercise, your body makes hormones called endorphins, which are natural painkillers and mood enhancers.
• Exercise is a natural appetite suppressant and a good way to ease cravings.
• Increased muscle mass from strength training raises your body’s energy requirements. That means more calories are expended all day long, every day. The idea of fat turning into muscle isn’t true, but if you have more muscle you burn more fat.