Health and Wellness
I know firsthand the benefits that exercise in general, and weight training in particular, can bring. Not only did weight lifting help me combat scoliosis, but it gave me the strength and energy to live an active life of sport, travel, and family. In addition, to physical strength, it helped me develop the mental strength and discipline to become a top Phi Beta Kappa student and an Ivy League educated lawyer. My doctor tells me that weight training has also given me good cholesterol levels, helped me keep off those extra pounds that usually comes as someone gets older, and slowed many of the normal signs of aging.
Anyone who has heard the television news or picked up a newspaper or looked on the Internet lately knows that there is an epidemic of child obesity. According to the National Institute of Health, almost 36% of adults in America are obese. Incredibly, three quarters of American men are overweight or obese. Obesity-related health conditions include heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer, some of the leading causes of preventable death. Even worse, overweight and obese children are more likely to become overweight or obese adults. As a country, we are heading towards a crises of having millions of people who are not only an expensive burden on the healthcare system, but who will be not enjoy a quality of life. This can be prevented if more people exercised.