What Is Exercise?

• Exercise doesn’t 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 begin with short sessions (5-10 minutes) and build up to the desired level of physical activity.

Why Is Exercise So Important?

• Exercise 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.

• Exercise assists maintain full functioning and independence one of the elderly.

• Relationships between physical activity and improved health include

o A reduced oxygen demand at any given level of physical activity.

o A decreased tendency for blood to form clots where arteries have narrowed.

o an increased elasticity in the arteries.

o Changes in the brain and brain chemistry that may improve mood and cognitive functioning.

The Facts About Physical Activity

• More than 60 percent of USA adults don’t engage in the advised amount of activity.

• Approximately 25% of U.S. adults are not active at all.

• A 1993 study concerning causes of death in the United States – #1 Tobacco, #2 Lack of exercise/poor diet, #3 Alcohol.

• Chronic disease costs the USA $655 Billion in healthcare costs.

• In this year, 1.5 million people will have a heart attack in the U.S. and 500,000 will die.

General Guidelines for Exercise

• Control your health status through a medical checkup before beginning a exercise program.

• Progress little by little in the fitness program.

• Pick primarily activities which engage as big a muscle mass as possible, ie – jogging, cycling, swimming, cross-country skiing, etc.

• Don’t forget, it is not necessary to be exhausted to achieve improvement in fitness.

• the training ought to be accomplished continuously and intermittently.

• the improvement in physical fitness will depend on your initialfitness level.

• It’s never too late to begin exercising regularly.

Physical Activity Lite

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the USA Centers for Disease Control and Avoidance (CDC) recommend the following to physical activity

• “Accumulate 30 minutes or more of moderate-intensity exercise over the during most days of the week”

• Incorporating more activity into your daily routine can improve your health status

• Daily activities can include

   o walking stairs (instead of taking the elevator)

   o gardening

   o raking leaves

   o dancing

   o mall walking while shopping

   o carrying a grocery basket rather than pushing a cart (when applicable)

   o parking in the farthest parking spot and walking to the office or store

   o carrying or pushing a golf bag in lieu of taking a cart while golfing

• Alternately, 30 minutes of activity may come from planned exercise or recreation

Want to know more about physical activity?

Make certain to check out the Surgeon General’s Report on Physical Activity