Twenty minutes on a treadmill will certainly help you fit into that one-size-too-small dress. But new research suggests that exercise may also help increase the production of nitric oxide, a substance that does a variety of important jobs in the body, perhaps none more valuable than to help prevent heart disease.
“Nitric oxide does a variety of jobs,” explains Dr. Jason Allen of Duke University. “It tends to be antiatherogenic, which means that it helps prevent your arteries from becoming clogged. From start to finish, this is a 40-year process which depends on lifestyle.” That is, it’s a function of what you eat, how you exercise, and the stresses you are under.