GM FYI Blog

By Joel Bender, M.D., Ph.D.
GM Corporate Medical Director

As soon as the ball drops in Times Square, about 100 million Americans venture down a well-traveled path paved with bold New Year’s resolutions. It’s a route covered with promises to exercise more, lose weight, reduce stress and eat a healthier diet.

Our GM employees, retirees and their families are generally no different than the population of the U.S. Our employees fight obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol, smoking and stress at the same rates that the rest of the nation does. And many of our employees, like thousands of other Americans, start the New Year off with a commitment to change bad or unhealthy habits.

We know that physical activity is associated with good health. Science has confirmed that people who lead active lifestyles are less likely to experience major illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes and colon cancer.

Evidence shows that regular exercise can:

• Increase levels of HDL, or “good,” cholesterol
• Lower high blood pressure
• Help improve body composition by burning fat
• Promote healthy blood sugar levels
• Promote bone density
• Boost the immune system
• Improve mood and reduce the chance of depression

Despite the strong case for staying active, many people find it difficult to begin a habit of regular exercise. Did you know that lack of regular exercise increases the risk of a heart attack or stroke by the same amount as smoking?

There is now strong scientific evidence that moderately intense activity most days of the week is enough to promote health and prevent illness. For an adult, moderately intense physical activity means using up about an extra 200 calories per day. This equates to about 30 minutes of activity, such as a two-mile brisk walk, that should make you feel warm and mildly out of breath. During moderately intense activities, you should still be able to talk without panting in-between your words.

If you have previously been inactive and 30 minutes of activity per day sounds like a tall order, the good news is that separate sessions of 10 minutes can count toward the total.

This regular activity can also improve the way you look and feel. In combination with a balanced diet, regular activity helps to maintain a healthy weight. It can even boost self-confidence and reduce the risk of depression.

If your plan for the New Year is to get in shape, know that you’re not alone. But, just signing up for the gym isn’t enough. Experts say finding a gym or fitness club where you feel comfortable and physically challenged and that allows you to attain your health goals is the key.

Enjoy it! Exercising releases chemicals in the brain that have a strong effect on your mood, helping reduce anxiety, stress and depression. So whenever you don’t feel like exercising, try to remind yourself how good you’ll feel afterwards. Happy New Year!