A crucial part of healthy medicine is the implementation of healthy exercise. Exercise can be as rewarding as anything in life as fitness levels, self-esteem, body image, motivation and concentration all increase. It will provide you with more energy for every day, but it is important to understand your body and the dangers associated with not exercising properly.
Healthy exercise incorporates the training principle of specificity, where physical activity closely resembles a trainees physiological attributes. The intensity, duration and frequency of physical activity should all be considered when designing or undertaking in a training program. Doing too much, too soon can result in fatigue, injury and Overtraining, where performances plateau and fitness levels decrease.
All training should be tailored to your current fitness level. This will maximise fitness benefits, while also decreasing the chance of injury. If you haven't participated in physical activity for over a month, Pre-testing, including a complete medical check-up, should be undertaken. This will determine current fitness levels and can provide a benchmark for future assessment. Pre-testing results can also act as stimulus for future oriented goal setting (ie. i did 10 pushups today, i want to do 20 pushups in two weeks time).
In conjuction with healthy eating, healthy exercise can be your tonic to a happier lifestyle, free of diseases such as stroke, heart disease, cancer and diabetes.
Benefits of Exercise
- reduces risk of heart disease
- reduces risk of high blood pressure
- decreases resting heart rate (so your heart doesn't have
- to work as hard)
- increases bone density
- reduces risk of osteoporosis
- improves strength and stamina
- increases co-ordination and balance (especially important
- for older adults)
- improves flexibility
- improves respiration
- improves circulation
- helps to prevent constipation
- helps with weight control
- improves sense of well-being and reduces stress
The evidence that we need to do more to promote healthy exercise is considerable. In 2004-5, the Australian Bureau of Statistics undertook a National Health Survey to examine the health status of the Australian population and the effects of lifestyle.
The results showed the nation to be in need of some healthy exercise.
- Only 18% of those with arthritis and osteoporosis reported exercising most days
- Long term conditions of the heart and circulatory system affected another 18% with 11% of the population reporting high blood pressure
- High cholesterol was found in 7% of the population with it affecting 22% of people over 65
- Of those with heart conditions 60% were obese or overweight and 77% reported having sedentary or low levels of exercise
- Of the whole population 49%were classified as obese or overweight and 70% reported sedentary or low levels of exercise
- 699,600 people suffered from medically diagnosed diabetes mellitus. The true number is considered to be much higher due to the large number of undiagnosed cases
- 83% of diabetes was Type 2 (adult onset)
- The proportion of males classified as overweight or obese rose from 52% in 1995 to 62% in 2004-5; for females the increase was from 37% to 45%
- Increases were recorded in both overweight and obese groups across all age group
National Health Survey, 2004-05, Australian Bureau of Statistics
These are but a few of the statistics that paint the picture of the health of a population
What needs to be done?
Physical activity needs to be thought of as an essential part of our life, as important as our education, our jobs, our leisure and our families because it enhances all of these things and more. We all know and acknowledge that healthy exercise has so much to offer. Why do so few of us start it and even fewer keep it up?
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- It is too hard I don’t know what to do
- I don’t have time
- I don’t like pain
- It is too expensive
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None of this need be true. Healthy exercise is a choice, just the same as watching a game show on TV, going shopping for more things you don’t need and working more hours.
Healthy exercise is about leading a physically active lifestyle. It can be as simple as a walk after dinner instead of plonking yourself down in front of the computer or television. Walk to the train or shops. Rediscover your garden or walk the dog.
It does not have to hurt, cost a fortune, take you hours or require you to wear lycraHealthy Exercise Guidance
Let us help you get started into a world of healthy exercise.
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