THE "SECRET" OF A LONG, HEALTHY LIFE: PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
What is it?
- Physical activity does not need to be strenuous to achieve health benefits.
- Men and women of all ages benefit from a moderate amount of daily physical activity (for example: 30 minutes of brisk walking or 15 minutes of jogging).
- Previously sedentary people who begin physical activity programs should start with short sessions (5-10 minutes) and build up to the desired level of physical activity.
Why is it so important?
- Physical activity improves quality of life.
- Physical activity extends longevity, protects against the development of CHD, stroke, hypertension, obesity, non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, osteoporosis, colon cancer, and depression.
- Physical activity helps maintain full functioning and independence among the elderly.
- Relationships between physical activity and improved health include:
- A reduced oxygen demand at any given level of physical activity.
- A reduced tendency for blood to form clots where arteries have narrowed.
- An increased elasticity in the arteries.
- Changes in the brain and brain chemistry that may improve mood and cognitive functioning.
Just the facts!!
- 80% of US adults do not engage in the recommended amount of activity (http://www.cbsnews.com/).
- Approximately 25% of US adults are not active at all.
- About half of all deaths in the U.S. can be attributed to largely preventable behaviors and exposures, with tobacco use and poor diet/physical inactivity accounting for the majority of preventable deaths, according to a study in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
- Chronic disease costs the US $1 Trillion costs annualy (Milken Institute analysis).
- Heart disease kills an estimated 630,000 Americans each year (American Heart Month).
General Guidelines
- Control your health status through a medical checkup before beginning a program.
- Progress slowly in the exercise program.
- Choose primarily activities which engage as large a muscle mass as possible, ie: jogging, cycling, swimming, cross-country skiing, etc.
- Remember, it is not necessary to be exhausted to achieve improvement in physical fitness.
- The training should be accomplished continuously and intermittently.
- The improvement in physical fitness will depend on your initial fitness level.
- It is never too late to start exercising regularly.
"Exercise Lite"
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend the following as a means of physical activity:- "Accumulate 30 minutes or more of moderate-intensity physical activity over the course of most days of the week"
- Incorporating more activity into your daily routine can improve your health status
- Daily activities may include:
- walking stairs (instead of taking the elevator)
- gardening
- raking leaves
- dancing
- mall walking while shopping
- carrying a grocery basket rather than pushing a cart (when applicable)
- parking in the farthest parking spot and walking to the office or store
- carrying or pushing a golf bag instead of taking a cart while golfing
- Alternately, 30 minutes of activity may come from planned exercise or recreation
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| Source: fitsugar |
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| Metabolic Equivalents (METs) are commonly used to express the intensity of physical activities. MET is the ratio of a person's working metabolic rate relative to their resting metabolic rate. One MET is defined as the energy cost of sitting quietly and is equivalent to a caloric consumption of 1kcal/kg/hour. It is estimated that compared with sitting quietly, a person's caloric consumption is three to six times higher when being moderately active (3-6 METs) and more than six times higher when being vigorously active (>6 METs). Source: http://www.who.int/ |
Sources: Georgia State University Department of Kinesiology and Health
