Reader's Corner

It’s tough to keep racking up miles, laps, and reps when the scale won’t budge – but hang in there. You’re getting lots of benefits that will help you live a happier, healthier and possibly longer life.

1. Lower Heart Disease Risk. Exercise can decrease circulating levels of soluble cell adhesion molecules – high levels appear to increase the risk of heart disease – even if you don’t lose weight and have high blood pressure
2. Prevent Diabetes. When researches at East Carolina University in Greenville had nine sedentary men, average age 58, ride stationary bikes at a moderate intensity for an hour, 7 days in a row, their body’s sensitivity to insulin improved by 33 percent, which may reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
3. Control Cholesterol. Researchers at Northeastern University in Boston discovered that when eight obese women, average age 43, exercised just 2 days a week for 20 to 40 minutes, their total cholesterol levels dropped an average of 20 points. Their “good” HDL cholesterol got a little boost too. And their blood pressure dropped a total of 10 points in 16 weeks

Although there was no significant weight loss, they did not decrease their body fat percentage from 42 to 40 percent – which you won’t see on your bathroom scale.