The lovely spring weather is a pleasant wake-up call after a long, cold and sometimes dreary winter in my home state of Minnesota. As a friend is fond of saying, “It’s time to come out of hibernation.”
We should be invigorated by the longer hours of sunshine and warmer temperatures. But somehow, after a few months of “resting,” many of us are more fatigued than ever. That doesn’t seem to make sense, but a new study by the University of Virginia has found overwhelming evidence that regular exercise can play a significant role in reducing fatigue.
Researchers analyzed 70 previous exercise trials that had originally looked at whether exercise helped prevent or improve symptoms of conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and obesity. This time around, they also examined whether exercise reduced fatigue.
“More than 90 percent of the studies showed the same thing: Sedentary people who completed a regular exercise program reported improved fatigue compared to groups that did not exercise,” says Patrick O’Connor, co-director of the University of Georgia exercise psychology laboratory. “A lot of times when people are fatigued, the last thing they want to do is exercise. But if you’re physically inactive and fatigued, being just a little more active will help.”
The researchers found in their analysis that nearly every group, whether it was healthy adults, cancer patients or people with chronic conditions such as diabetes or heart disease, benefited from exercise. And though it may seem counterintuitive that expending energy will give you more energy, study after study told the same story.
“We live in a society that’s always looking for the next sports drink, energy bar or cup of coffee that will give them the extra edge to get through the day,” said the lead author of the University of Virginia study. “But it may be that lacing up your tennis shoes and getting out there and doing some physical activity every day can provide that spark of energy that people are looking for.”
I don’t need a study to tell me about exercise. I’ve been doing it all my life. It just makes me feel better, gives me energy to work more productively and, I hope, live longer. My philosophy is exercise doesn’t take time; it makes time.
Back in the 1960s, I attended Stanford University for three months for its Graduate School of Business Executive Program. There were many people from other countries in the group who were addicted to running, and they asked me to join them. It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I’ve been a runner ever since and have run 10 marathons.
I also swim regularly and play a lot of golf. And I walk the courses whenever possible. Mark Twain quipped that golf was a good walk spoiled. And while my game isn’t always on, I can’t emphasize enough how much I disagree with that quote. There’s never a bad day if you can spend part of it on a golf course.
I have a few friends who think my passion for exercise is a little over the top. One of them recently told me, “If swimming is so good for your figure, how do you explain whales?”
I’m not talking hard-core here. I don’t go for the “no pain, no gain” mentality. Just get moving, even if it means taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or parking at the far end of the parking lot. You don’t need a personal trainer or a special wardrobe.
At Mackay Envelope Co., we have groups of employees who go out every noon hour for a walk – year-round, even in the snow.
A 12-year Harvard Medical School study showed that as little as 10 to 15 minutes a day of private time can cut down on tension, headaches, colds, poor sleep and can reduce stress … and increase your productivity. Block out time in your planner to exercise!
Mackay’s Moral: Too many people confine their exercise to jumping at conclusions, running down their friends, sidestepping responsibility and pushing their luck.
Harvey Mackay is author of the New York Times bestseller “Pushing the Envelope.” He can be reached through his Web site, www.mackay.com, or at Mackay Envelope Corp., 2100 Elm St., Minneapolis, Minn. 55414.
