Cycling Tips & Stories

"From the top of our heads to the bottom of our toes, physical activity is the stimulus that gets almost all our organs working at their best," Tufts exercise expert Miriam Nelson says.

She and her colleagues give 10 ways that inactivity can take a toll on our bodies because when we are inactive, our ability to transfer oxygen from the bloodstream to cells is diminished. When we can’t get as much oxygen out of our blood, we can’t walk up a flight of stairs as easily, and all our other systems are also affected by this loss. Here is the list:

* Diabetes. Insulin sensitivity appears to deteriorate when we are inactive, but it responds positively when we get back to regular training. . . .

* Cancer. A Harvard study says, "The evidence is fairly clear now that men and women who are physically active have a 30-40 percent lower risk of colon cancer compared to individuals who are not active." . . .

* Stroke. Active folks are 25 percent less likely to have a stroke than their sedentary counterparts. . . .

* Mental health. Those who are active are less likely to develop depression . . .

* Immune system. If you frequently get colds, you might need to boost your immune system. Thirty to 45 minutes of walking about five days a week is good, but for sure, don’t overdo it.