Physical activity is not just good for your health, it is good for the mind too, that whole body and mind thing as some may put it. Yes, it is true that people exercise to feel good in the moment as well as to help promote long-term health and mobility. Many people enjoy being physically active and are more than happy to get away from everything to exercise thanks to those feel-good endorphins that are released. After all, it’s not just about today, science has shown that what you do or don’t do today can affect your health in the years to come.
Recent headlines have been made about scientists claiming to have developed a pill that mimics the effects of vigorous exercise, this is, to say the least very interesting. You might think that this means that people can just sit back and take that pill to get exercise benefits without actually having to do anything, but at the moment you would be wrong. It’s not there, yet. This new study uses locamidazole (LAMZ), and while it did mimic physical exercise by reinvigorating muscle and bone, those effects were only observed in mice, thus far.
Anyone who follows research knows that what is observed in animals rarely translates to humans. Even if LAMZ was found to be safe and effective in humans, studies like that take years and years to be conducted and even longer to go through the regulatory standards and approval processes. On the off chance that all this happens, the well-documented benefits of actual physical exercise go well beyond its effects on muscle and bone tissue with the extent even reaching into mental health and longevity.
Realistically, if LAMZ eventually becomes available, treatments like this will more than likely be for those who are no longer able to exercise. For the rest of us, sorry to burst that bubble, but that good old-fashioned physical activity will remain the best way to maintain your healthy muscles, bones, and minds to enjoy those anti-aging benefits in the years to come.
There’s a pill for just about everything, but if you are looking for a prescription for health, pretty much every doctor will recommend that you follow a healthy lifestyle, which includes getting enough sleep, keeping stress in check, nurturing social bonds, having a positive mindset, following a healthy diet, and being physically active. There is no magic pill for the benefits that living a healthful lifestyle can provide, you need to put in the work. Along the way, you may have some setbacks, but consider those learning opportunities that you can grow from and carry on in your journey because you are worth it. Be well.
