By Dr. Ben Lerner

The most significant diseases we face today are, for the most part, self-perpetuated. In other words, if we get sick, chances are it was our own fault.

Places like the American Heart Association, The Texas University Cancer Prevention Institute, the National Institute of Health, and The Center for Disease Control are finding that the only effective treatment for prevention or recovery of heart disease, cancer, and diabetes is lifestyle. As much as 85 percent of these conditions can be prevented through properly caring for your body.

Prevention is always the best cure.

Establishing health can seem complicated, but it’s really quite simple. A patient of mine, just had an article written about him titled "100 Isn’t Even A Speed Bump." To know him is to know that he’s 100 and going strong. He credits avoiding medication, eating several healthy meals a day (taking careful consideration of what he eats), seeing the chiropractor regularly, riding his bike every day and working in the yard. That is living your life the way God intended, which always equals reaching your potential. (Science and the Bible both point to the fact that life expectancy is 120 years.)

Over the past several years science has accumulated a wealth of data about turning your life and health around. What has been proven is that the body has an amazing, God-given capacity to heal itself.

As Dr. Jeffery Koplan, director for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says, "At any time you decide to improve your behavior and make lifestyle changes, they make a difference from that point on. Maybe not right away. It’s like slamming on the brakes. You do need a certain skid distance."

In addition to your blue-printed Mercola nutritional program, you need to participate in a consistent thoughtful movement program otherwise known as exercise. Research on exercise shows that it creates a minimum of an additional 50 percent boost in your immune system’s chance of preventing cancer and causes improved function in all metabolic activities. On the contrary, avoiding thoughtful movement can produce the opposite effect, or poorer function and decreased immunity.

All disease and symptoms are related to poor body function, physiological imbalance and lowered immunity. On the contrary, exercise improves body function, helps to balance metabolic activity and significantly boosts immunity. Unfortunately, for many exercise is more of an annual event. At last check only one out of every four Americans were found to exercise regularly enough to improve or even maintain their current level of health.

The three most common excuses for not exercising are:

• Time
• Boredom
• Pain
  

There is great news here! It turns out that the best kind of exercise is the kind that doesn’t hurt or take that long. Thus, you might even like it.

The Power of 10 Minutes

One of the most encouraging discoveries in the history of exercise was when they found the power of 10 minutes. In as little as 10 minutes your body begins to function better and increase metabolic processes with benefits that can last as much as 24 hours.

Additionally, 10 minutes twice a day--a morning power walk while praying or meditating followed by an evening bike ride with the family--has all the benefits of 20 straight minutes. Anyone can find 10 minutes.

*To determine your most effective--pain-free--pace, calculate your fat burning zone using the following formula:

1. Find your Maximum Heart Rate (MHR):

Maximum Heart Rate (MHR) = 220 - Your Age

2. 2. Find your Fat Utilization Rate:

Fat Utilization Rate (FUR) = 55 - 75 percent of your MHR

Example Calculation for Determining Moving Zone Heart Rates

Age: 40

MHR: 220 -- 40 = 180 BPM

Fat Burning Rates:

FUR = 55 -- 75 percent of 180 = 99 -- 135 BPM

You can find your heartbeat simply by placing your fingers lightly but firmly over the inside of your wrist or on your neck just below the angle of your jaw. (Caution: Do not put too much pressure on the neck; this can slow down the heart, make you dizzy, make you pass out, and can be dangerous for anyone with potential blockages of blood vessels in the neck.) Another way to arrive at this number is to put your hand over your heart to count the number of beats or simply use a heart monitor.

Spend 10 minutes or more a day at your fat burning rate and you will enjoyably, safely, comfortably, and easily feel better, trim down and enhance health. I always say that the reason my patients who exercise regularly and stay very active live into their 90s and 100s is, "It’s hard to hit a moving target."

Keep moving!

Caution: If you have any questions or concerns about your exercise program, your target heart rate, or if you feel ill in any way while performing exercise, consult your physician.

Dr. Ben Lerner is the New York Times Best-Selling author of Body by God: The Owner’s Manual For Maximized Living. He was a 1996 and 2000 Olympic Team Chiropractor, nutritionist, and strength and conditioning trainer. To learn more about his breakthrough strategies for making exercise safe, easy and effective or to find a qualified Chiropractor near you go to thebodybygod.com.

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

I met Dr. Lerner early in 2004 and am convinced he is an authentic leader in the health field. He is incredibly fit and nearly made it into the Olympics as a wrestler. His passion is to improve other people’s health, and through his work with thousands of patients he discovered a proven pathway to build health instead of merely treating disease, which is a major part of the vision of this Web site. His new book, Body By God: The Owner’s Manual for Maximized Living, is an excellent resource for anyone looking to improve their health through the following principles: Maximizing Your Life Nutrition Exercise Stress Management Time Management Because Dr. Lerner is an athlete he focuses much of the book on very specific exercises you can use to improve your physical health in a minimal amount of time. Dr. Lerner will be a regular contributor to the newsletter, so keep an eye out for more of his insightful articles in future editions. Related Articles: Exercise Reduces Diabetes by Reducing Insulin Resistance Protect Yourself From Heart Disease With Simple Lifestyle Changes Exercise Benefits Cancer Patients Exercise Can Reverse Pre-Diabetes Exercise May Slow Some Effects Of Aging If You’re Over 40, You Need Frequent Exercise to Prevent Type 2 Diabetes