ABBOTT PARK, Ill., Oct. 30, 2015
/PRNewswire/ -- Well known for its culture, theater, and cuisine,
New York is also one of the 25
healthiest cities in the United
States. It's this fitness side that will be on show this
weekend with the TCS New York City Marathon.
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From elite athletes to non-athletes to people overcoming
meaningful obstacles, every runner has their own personal reasons
for tackling those 26.2 miles. And all of these reasons have to do
– in one way or another – with living their lives more richly and
fully. The key to this personal achievement is health – the
power that allows these runners, and all of us, to pursue our best
and most fulfilled lives.
The marathon represents all the faces of health and its many
benefits – benefits that are invaluable, but often quantifiable.
Healthier people positively impact our economy as well as our
communities. Staying active elevates a person's general health,
fitness, perseverance, and sense of personal well-being. If you
surveyed marathon runners this weekend, most, if not all, would
surely list these among the reasons why they ran.
We all could learn a thing or two from these marathoners. Good
health does more than just get us through the day. It allows people
to live happier, more productive lives. It enables us to
enjoy the things we love. This can be captured in productivity
measures (like GDP), as well as by our ability to spend time with
our children, pursue our hobbies, or simply take a walk around the
block – whatever it is that each person sees as living the best and
fullest life they can. And that range is broad, fascinating and
inspiring, as we're finding through a global effort to ask one
million people what living a full life means to them (you can add
your own views at www.LifetotheFullest.abbott).
The importance and broad benefits of health have been strongly
endorsed by the White House, which recently concluded that a
healthier population could slow the growth of healthcare costs by
1.5 percent – and increase U.S. GDP by 8 percent by
2030.1 According to the Institute of Medicine, a 50
percent reduction in adult obesity would reduce U.S. healthcare
spending by $58 billion
annually.2
On a personal level, consider how an active lifestyle benefits
mental health. During exercise, our bodies release endorphins and
serotonin.3 These chemicals boost a person's happiness
while reducing daily stress. This has been shown repeatedly in
multiple studies.
For example, one 2012 study published in the American Journal
of Epidemiology reported on a group of individuals tracked for
four years. Those who engaged in regular exercise were twice as
likely to report being happy as those who remained
inactive.4
A healthy lifestyle also significantly reduces the risk of
cardiovascular disease. That's because exercise combats chronic
inflammation – a primary cause of heart attacks and strokes. In
fact, moderate exercise and healthy eating could prevent an
estimated 200,000 deaths per year.5
Further, exercise boosts concentration and productivity. Just 30
minutes of rigorous activity allows the brain to better resist
distractions.6 Exercise also strengthens connections
between brain cells, enhancing problem-solving
capabilities.7
The collateral benefits of a healthy lifestyle extend to the
workplace as well. Stockholm University
researchers asked employees to dedicate 2.5 hours of their workweek
to exercise. Despite spending less time on job tasks, employees
exercising half an hour a day equaled or exceeded their previous
output – an impressive gain in both productivity and health.
Regular exercise also helps fight off sickness.8 That
means workers miss fewer days. A study published in Health
Affairs determined that for every dollar spent on wellness
programs, companies save $2.73
through reduced absenteeism.9
As individuals and as a country, we must recognize the
possibilities that come from taking good care of ourselves. Health
benefits can be both personal and societal. At their healthiest,
people have the potential to live not just longer, but better.
That's why Abbott (NYSE: ABT) became the title sponsor of
the Abbott World Marathon Majors series, which consists of six of
the most renowned marathons in the world, including the one in
New York this weekend – to
celebrate what's possible with good health. We believe that health
is the foundation for all we can enjoy and achieve in life – and we
want to inspire people to think about what matters most to them and
motivate them to live healthier lives.
The marathoners gathering in New
York are running to achieve personal goals, to better their
own health, and to improve the lives of the people around them.
This is their way of living fully – what's yours?
1
https://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/cea/TheEconomicCaseforHealthCareReform/
2
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/magazine/public-health-economy-election/
3
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennifercohen/2012/05/08/6-ways-exercise-makes-you-smarter/
4
http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/content/176/12/1095.long
5
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/04/07/cardiovascular-disease-preventable.aspx
6 http://www.karenpostal.com/exercise-think-better/
7 http://www.karenpostal.com/exercise-think-better/
8
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110906121011.htm
9
http://content.healthaffairs.org/content/29/2/304.full
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SOURCE Abbott