Exercise benefits -

EXERCISE BENEFITS

Written By: Bay Pang Boon, PhD, CSCS

Last updated: 13 March 2022

Exercise.

It has been called ‘medicine’ by the American College of Sports Medicine¹ and a ‘miracle cure’ by the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges^. While these might sound like exaggerations, they are not!

Decades of scientific data strongly support the notion that regular exercise does single-handedly provide a multitude of health benefits.

To many of us, the irreplaceable benefits of exercise comes as no surprise. What IS surprising, however, is how slowly people are adopting it.

Only 3 in 10 Singaporeans engage in regular leisure exercise2. That means about 70% of our population is missing out on the amazing health benefits of exercise!

3 in 10

people living in Singapore engage in regular leisure exercise

– National Population Health Survey 2020, Ministry of Health and Health Promotion Board, Singapore

Below is an ever-growing list of benefits that are achievable when you exercise regularly (accumulating up to 150 to 300 minutes of total exercise weekly).

Want to learn more about how much exercise and what exercise you should do? (Hint: it’s mostly just cardio and strength). Visit our exercise recommendation page. (Coming soon)

“Exercise is probably the best investment we can make for our personal health.

Whether your motivation is to look better, to have fun, or to socialise, so long as you’re doing it, you WILL receive the promised benefits.

If you’re a busy adult struggling to clock your weekly exercise, well, I have good news for you- research has shown that you can still achieve health benefits even with small amounts (5 minutes) of exercise daily!

The key is to start NOW.

Do however much you can. Even if it is just 3 minutes daily. It all adds up.

Over time, you’ll feel stronger and fitter, and likely, also happier!”

– Boon, PhD, CSCS

PROTECTIVE BENEFITS OF EXERCISE

All-Cause Mortality

(death from any cause)

Up to 30% reduced risk^

Heart Disease

Up to 40% reduced risk^

Hypertension

Up to 50% reduced risk^

Stroke

Up to 30% reduced risk^

Type-2 Diabetes

Up to 50% reduced risk^

Alzheimer’s Disease

Up to 40% reduced risk*

Dementia

Up to 30% reduced risk^

Cognitive Decline

Up to 38% reduced risk*

Obesity

Up to 10% reduced risk^

Risk of Fall (in older adults)

Up to 30% reduced risk**

Major Fractures

Up to 50% reduced risk^

Osteoarthritis

Up to 50% reduced risk^

Osteoporosis

Up to 40% reduced risk^

Low Back Pain

Up to 40% reduced risk^

Depression

Engaging in more than 30 minutes per day of activity reduced the odds of experiencing depression by 48%*

State Anxiety

Small but significant reduction in state anxiety systems following acute exercise*

Trait Anxiety

Studies have shown exercise to be as effective as standard care treatment for trait anxiety and sometimes even better*

CANCER RISK REDUCTION

Pancreatic Cancer

Up to 39% reduced risk*

Risk reduction is only found in studies where the median age is below 50 years.

Colon Cancer

Up to 19% reduced risk*

Breast Cancer

Up to 12-23% reduced risk*

Up to 23% risk reduction for premenopausal women and 12% for postmenopausal women

Prostate Cancer

Up to 10% reduced risk*

Gastric Cancer

Up to 19% reduced risk*

Lung Cancer

Up to 25% reduced risk*

Risk reduction seems to apply mostly to former and current smokers, and not to individuals who have never smoked.

Bladder Cancer

Up to 17% reduced risk*

Endometrial Cancer

Up to 27% reduced risk*

Esophageal Cancer

Up to 21% reduced risk*

Renal Cancer

Up to 23% reduced risk*

References

1. https://www.exerciseismedicine.org/

2. National Population Health Survey 2020. Epidemiology & Disease Control Division and Policy, Research & Surveillance Group. Ministry of Health and Health Promotion Board, Singapore

^ Academy of Medical Royal Colleges. Exercise: The Miracle Cure and the Role of the Doctor in Promoting It. London: AoMRC; 2015.

* 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee. 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee Scientific Report. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2018.

** Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee. Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee Report, 2008. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2008.

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