I'm baaaaack....

Back in the saddle....

Ok...I can definitely say that I have been seriously remiss in my blog posting responsibilities. I apologize. :-)

Anyway, I figured that the best way to make sure I continue to post on a regular basis and also provide helpful or interesting material will be to keep my post short and to the point...similar to John Tesh's "Did you know..." blurbs. Speaking of....here is some info I got from his website about the added benefits of exercise....

Here's What a Workout Can Do for You

You know you have to exercise to keep your weight in check, but there are a slew of other things a daily workout can do for you. Here are the facts, courtesy of Psychology Today magazine.

• You’ll smoke less. A short bout of moderate exercise – like a walk around the block – may be all that’s needed to help smokers resist the urge to light up. How? Exercise affects the mood centers of the brain, reducing cravings and boosting your ability to manage withdrawal symptoms. In fact, researchers say, if a drug were to be invented that had the same effects, it would be hailed as a breakthrough.
• Exercise is good for your memory. According to the National Academy of Sciences, exercise strengthens your memory by stimulating the growth of nerve cells in the part of the brain where age-related memory loss usually occurs.
• It protects your heart. Researchers at Columbia University found that moderate and high-intensity exercise decreases inflammation throughout the body. This reduces the risk of fatty buildup in the arteries – which is what triggers most heart attacks.
• Exercise keeps you healthier! According to the book Brain, Behavior and Immunity, a short muscle-building workout before getting a flu shot gives your immune system a boost! How? The stress of exercise – that includes working with weights – causes an inflammatory reaction in your body. Although that might SOUND bad, this reaction actually revs up your antibody production, improving your response to the flu shot.