Thursday, September 25, 2008
Exercise in a pill?
There may be one day when all you need to do to reap the benefits of exercise is pop a pill .... probably a darn pretty and expensive pill! The research currently is underway, and scientists claim it has some potential.
Can you guess if I think that makes sense? Yes, you’re right — I really don’t think you can replicate all the benefits of exercise in a pill. I do understand the drive to create something like that, though. If we all could pop a pill and look lean and toned, that’s pretty tempting. But can you truly get every benefit you gain from physical activity from that pill? I really doubt it.
For one, exercise is great at releasing endorphins, which help you release stress and feel better, both physically and emotionally. My life is a bit on overwhelm at the moment, but I keep fitting in exercise because it helps me deal with stress. After I exercise — whether it’s a hike, yoga or a session at the gym — I can much better cope with all I need to do. I feel physically and emotionally better. No side effects, no danger, only good stuff.
Next, when you use your muscles in physical activity, you grow stronger and those muscles now can work better. That helps prevent pain when you go about your daily life. Will a pill truly make muscles stronger and allow them to work in unison like they should?
Exercise also boosts your mood, helps you sleep better, strengthens your heart and lungs, helps manage your blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and might help prevent some types of cancer, type 2 diabetes and osteoporosis. That’s a tall order for a pill.
The exercise pill would “chemically mimic” the effects of exercise, according to researchers. That doesn’t sound too promising to me. Most times when we chemically mimic anything natural, we only get inferior results. We don’t need yet another low quality imitation. We need the real thing.