Why Regular Exercise is Free Cell Therapy | #THEHUE
Investigating the science behind why regular exercise is your answer to free cell therapy.
When you think of exercise you rarely think about what it does for your cells. Most of us start exercising— or attempt to integrate some kind of a routine— in the quest for a better body; or at the least, the promise of better health.
Whether online, or in person, by lifestyle magazines, health media, doctors, fitspo influencers, and all who fall in between— that’s the story you’ve been told, that exercise will make you drop weight and look your best. Whether getting swole, shredded, cut, or pumped with that dream Brazilian booty is your draw, or perhaps the joys of flexibility and mobility as you contort yourself through backbends, aerial yoga and calisthenic wonders— there’s an exercise for you.
A path to a better you is always what’s promised. The dominant rhetoric that’s being sold is a future version of yourself— a better-looking you. Leaning into human vanity, you are the product it’s selling— but a lighter, slimmer, leaner, and fitter future version of yourself. However, the results are left up to you. How convenient.
But, what if I tell you that the aesthetic benefits are just the bonus of consistent exercise? What if science proves that the parts of you that stand to gain the most are down to the cellular levels?
It’s not about how lean you’ll look or what fat percentage your body will be, what if exercise is more about cultivating the environment conducive for your body to maximise its intelligence and do what it does best— to optimise and thrive?
You are a result of generations of evolution.
Your body exists on the backbone of the legacies of knowledge, information, and intelligence that have been passed down to you by your ancestors and your ancestors, ancestors, and those that have continued the lineage to the beginning of homo sapiens themselves.
Your body is a result of generations of adaptation. Its wisdom surpasses anything you can truly comprehend because it has lived through years of trials before you were even conceived. You wouldn’t be where you are if it weren’t for the genetic intelligence that’s been passed down to you through the generations.
But, as humans are in the era of abundance, you, like most people in the developed world likely have your basic needs covered. You no longer need to hunt and gather for food, nor worry about where you’ll safely sleep tonight. Your basic needs are secured and life is no longer about merely surviving but more about self-actualising and thriving.
Thriving is a Choice
In the post-industrialised technology-enabled conditions you live in today, surviving is mostly a given, but thriving is a choice. While there are a multitude of factors that contribute to your ability to thrive, many of which are beyond your control— one of the greatest advantages you have is your control over your lifestyle. What you choose day to day is what will compound as the essential ingredients that’ll either diminish you or help you flourish.
If you tell a farmer to grow his crop in the desolate frigid winters of Antarctica, the farmer will think you’re crazy because the farmer knows that barely anything grows in the dead of winter. Without the resources, the weather, the natural nutrients, and the support it needs for its seedlings to prosper, the farmer knows that the odds are against him.
But, if you tell a farmer, to go into the mountains of Bali, where the soil is rich with volcanic debris and the climate is picturesque with ample rainfall and generous sunlight, the farmer knows to embrace these ideal conditions. He knows the chances of a great harvest are on his side, as the farmer knows the right conditions are what matters most to apply his skills favourably.
Capitalise on the things you can control.
Your body is the same. Your body is intelligent. It has the knowledge to prosper, but it needs your support in creating the right circumstances. If you’re creating the right climate over your lifetime your cells and all the microbial organisms that are contained within it will know how to do what it does best to help you flourish.
Within a hyper-industrialised world, where ultra-processed foods are constant temptations and modern-day conveniences are pushing you towards a more sedentary lifestyle, you, unfortunately, have to be a lot more deliberate with how you choose to live. The environment you’re living in is not conducive to supporting your ultimate well-being. Health in this age is a proactive choice and why the paradox of prosperity and declining health exists.
More than the aesthetic bonuses exercise is a habit that’s responsible for steering yourself vigilantly towards the conditions that promote your health over your lifetime. Committing to a routine of regular exercise is a necessary proactive preventative measure.
If you engage in even moderate levels of aerobic exercise, the research shows that you can improve the health of your cells and their mitochondrial efficiencies. However, the WHO recommends 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise each week or at least 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity for adults 18-64 years old, or an equivalent combination. But something is always better than nothing.
What are mitochondria and why do they matter?
Mitochondria are like the powerhouses of a cell. If you think of each cell in your body as its own contained factory, helping you to function and thrive through every function in your body, then your mitochondria are the main sources of power that help you to operate each cell efficiently.
Each mitochondria within each cell is like a tiny energy factory, multiplied by the trillions. They produce an energy molecule called ATP, which is the main energy source to power your cells. ATP is like the currency of cellular energy in your body, from muscle contraction to nerve impulses, ATP is the stored energy that’s converted to power these processes.
For any healthy adult, you have an average of about 28-36 trillion cells, all of which need ATP. While each cell itself is microscopic, realise that’s the equivalent of twelve zeros behind that number to account for how your cells function to keep you alive.
If one cell starts to malfunction, then there’s no big deal. But what happens if the majority of your cells start to experience a glitch, over a long duration? Consider the collective impact over your lifespan if your cells aren’t working well. What do you think will happen over time as you age?
The Root Cause of Most Modern Western Diseases
What many scientists acknowledge, is how the cause of most modern Western diseases— like Alzheimer's, heart diseases, cancer, neurological degradation, and metabolic diseases— that are increasingly more common in developed nations are rooted in either your gut health or your body’s metabolic efficiency. In other words, health is defined by your health down at its cellular levels.
The main benefit of exercise isn’t weight loss, nor should it be merely about looking good, fit, and lean. Regular exercise is the decision that allows you to empower yourself to take control of your health over the long term. It’s the ultimate form of self-care— an accessible form of free cell therapy. By committing to a consistent routine, you’re improving your cellular health which over time compounds to greater overall wellbeing.
