Why exercise? Physical activity and its health benefits

[Guest guest]

What type of exercise/activities does everyone like to do?

Be Well,

Misty L. Trepke

http://www..com

 

Why exercise? Physical activity and its health benefits

 

http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?objectid=99F7C3F7-E048-4361-

AAE4BB565DF1AD1E

 

No sport, no spandex, no gain?

 

Not so.

 

Health officials at the Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of

Health say that most health benefits of rigorous

exercise still can be gained with moderate physical

activity if done on a regular basis. But this physical

activity should add up to at least 30 minutes on most,

if not all, days of the week. And, here's good news

for many of us: It could include many common household

chores and lifestyle activities, such as walking the

dog, washing the car or playing with your kids. If it

gets your heart rate up, it counts.

 

" You don't have to be a marathon runner to gain the

bulk of health benefits, " says Edward Laskowski, M.D.,

co-director of the Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Center

at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. " A marathon runner

may be very active and also very fit. But the

additional cardiovascular protection they gain over

someone who is regularly active and gardens, walks the

dog, or takes the stairs, for example, may be smaller

than you think. 'Health' benefits of physical activity

are different than 'fitness' benefits. And the biggest

chunk of cardiovascular benefit is achieved when a

person commits to accumulate about 30 minutes of

physical activity on most days of the week. "

 

 

Risky business

Although you don't have to sweat in spandex 30 minutes

every day, it's important to realize that doing no

activity (being sedentary) or doing less than the

recommended 30 minutes of daily physical activity

poses a significant risk. Yet data from the CDC

indicates that just one in four adults achieve the

necessary amount of physical activity each week.

 

" It's important for people to know that sedentary

lifestyle is an independent risk factor for

cardiovascular disease, just like diabetes, smoking

and high blood pressure, " says Dr. Laskowski. In

addition, inactivity is associated with a greater risk

of obesity, diabetes and some cancers.

 

And being thin doesn't mean you're off the hook

because it doesn't necessarily mean that you're fit.

Fitness (the result of physical activity) is as

important as — or is perhaps more important than —

weight as a predictor of both death from

cardiovascular disease and death from all causes.

 

 

Activity vs. exercise

Despite known risks of being sedentary, many still

don't know how to have a more active life. Some people

feel that they're too busy, too out of shape or too

old to start being active. However, there are no

excuses when you introduce an " activity " approach to

health and fitness that's not tied to vigorous

exercise programs.

 

IMAGE

 

25 ways to get active

Fitting exercise into your schedule isn't as hard as

you may think.

<< ENLARGE

 

 

Lifestyle activity is like snacking on exercise. Do a

dollop of activity in the morning. Have two or three

more servings later in the day. Only 5 or 10 minutes

here and there add up over time. There's no need to

reserve an hour to drive to the fitness center, change

into your workout duds, then exercise for 30 minutes.

Instead, serve up those 30 minutes in 10-minute

slices. For example, walk or stair climb at the office

or while running errands.

 

" Exercise usually implies using a specific machine or

playing a preferred sport. But physical activity could

be many things, such as gardening, doing housework or

taking the stairs instead of the elevator, " says Dr.

Laskowski. The most important thing is to find

enjoyable activities, get started and stay active.

 

In one study published in a 1999 issue of the Journal

of the American Medical Association, researchers

divided 235 sedentary men and women into two groups.

One group did traditional structured exercise for 20

to 60 continuous minutes, 3 to 5 days a week. The

other group worked into their day brisk walks, stair

climbing and other moderate-intensity lifestyle

activities. After 24 months, both groups had similar

gains in blood cholesterol, blood pressure, percentage

of body fat and cardiovascular fitness. The structured

exercisers gained more cardiovascular fitness, but the

moderate-intensity folks did benefit significantly

from the activities they performed.

 

" While certain conditions may prevent people from

doing certain activities, almost everyone can

participate in some form of physical activity, " says

Dr. Laskowski. Talk with a doctor before starting a

new physical activity program if you're over 40 and

sedentary, you smoke, are overweight or have a chronic

health condition (heart disease, high blood pressure,

osteoporosis, kidney disease, liver disease or

arthritis).

 

 

Small steps, big impact

The primary plus from engaging in regular physical

activity is a decreased risk of cardiovascular

disease. Even accumulating three short periods of

activity, say 10 minutes a shot, over the span of a

day, can significantly reduce your chances for

developing or dying of heart disease. And if you're

already active, adding more time or substituting more

vigorous activities for moderate ones might provide

even more benefit.

 

Health benefits of regular physical activity can

include a reduced risk of:

 

 

Cardiovascular disease

Colon cancer — the second leading cause of

cancer-related deaths in the United States

High blood pressure

Obesity

Osteoarthritis

Type 2 (formerly called adult-onset or

noninsulin-dependent) diabetes

Death from all causes

 

Also, regular physical activity might reduce the risk

of:

 

 

Anxiety and stress

Depression

 

Finally, people might just enjoy a better quality of

life.

 

" Increasing your physical activity improves

cardiovascular fitness, making your heart stronger and

more efficient, " says Dr. Laskowski. " As a result,

besides the general health benefits, people will also

find that they'll probably be able to do more things,

and with less effort. "

 

 

Tips for success

Although it can be tough to get started and stay

motivated, there are things you can do to help

yourself on your journey to better health. Here are

some tips to help you succeed:

 

 

Choose activities you know you like or will want to

do. If you don't like it, you probably won't stick

with it. So if you start an activity and find that

it's not for you, switch to something else. " There

isn't one, perfect activity, " says Dr. Laskowski.

Set goals. Instead of trying to stick to a certain

exercise formula or prescription, set your own goals.

You might want to prepare for a sport or an activity

you enjoy, or you might want to lose a little weight.

Perhaps you just want to be able to do activities more

quickly or with greater ease. No matter what you do,

you'll be improving your health and longevity.

Keep track of your progress. In order to know whether

you're improving or reaching your goals, it helps to

track your progress. As you become more fit, certain

things will become easier. But if you don't keep

track, you might not even notice.