Staying Healthy
Through Physical Conditioning
Our bodies are naturally designed for work. At
one time our survival depended both on an ability to escape from
danger and a capacity for hard work. Physical conditioning was
the natural result of such a life. But modern conveniences have
dramatically changed the way we use our bodies. Instead of
working in the fields or chasing down dinner, many of us spend
all day at a desk and our evenings in front of a television set.
Elevators and escalators have replaced
staircases and vacuum cleaners have replaced rug beating.
The automobile has become so much a part of our lives that
in some areas anyone seen walking on the sidewalk is viewed
with suspicion. So if our daily routine does not provide the
necessary movement to keep us fit, we owe it to ourselves to
find another alternative.
Using our bodies as they were meant to be used is an
essential part of living a healthy and balanced life. Along
with a proper diet, regular exercise helps prevent many
diseases, lengthens life span, and improves the overall
quality of life.
Our risk of developing one of the "illnesses of modern
civilization" can be decreased by regular exercise. For some
time now it has been known that exercising can reduce blood
pressure, lower cholesterol levels, improve the ratio of
lean muscle to fat, and strengthen and increase the heart's
efficiency. All of these effects decrease the chance of
death due to cardiovascular disease. More recently,
scientists have noted a possible connection between certain
types of cancer and inactivity. And finally, regular
exercise combined with a sensible diet is still the most
effective way in combating obesity.
Women benefit from regular exercise in another important way
- exercise reduces the risk of osteoporosis by increasing
bone formation and delaying bone loss. For women who already
have the condition, exercise can help stop the progression
of the disease. And because regular exercise reduces
glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, it is helpful in
controlling diabetes as well as in reducing the risk of
adult-onset diabetes. Exercise also stimulates the secretion
of other kinds of hormones that have been linked to
decreases in clinical symptoms of anxiety and depression.
In addition, by improving circulation and nourishing
tissues, exercise increases the range of movement of body
joints, reduces the effects of stress and tension, and
decreases or even cures insomnia. Of course there is some
risk of injury with any kind of exercise. But the improved
strength, balance, and coordination that comes from regular
exercise greatly reduces the risk of all kinds of injuries.
Many activities can improve physical fitness, but some may
be more suitable for you than others. A well-rounded fitness
program should incorporate three basic components:
cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, and
flexibility. Following this guideline, any program you
select should include exercises that increase heart and lung
capacity, stretch tight muscle groups and strengthen weak
ones.
Cardiorespiratory fitness refers to how well the lungs
deliver oxygen to the blood and how well the heart and
circulatory system send blood and its nutrients throughout
the body.
Programs that develop heart and lung capacity are often
referred to as being aerobic, and they accomplish their goal
by elevating the heart rate for a sustained period.
Aerobic exercise typically serves as the foundation for any
fitness program since a healthy heart and lungs are
essential to the safe and skillful performance of almost all
activities and sports.
Depending on your level of fitness and what you hope to
achieve, most experts recommend a minimum of 20 minutes of
aerobic exercise three to five days a week. You may choose
any activity that uses large muscle groups that can be
maintained continuously and that is cardiorespiratory in
nature. Examples include brisk walking, swimming, sprinting,
bicycling, cross-country skiing, skating, stair-climbing,
hiking, dancing, basketball, and soccer.
Intensity, or the speed of the workout, is crucial and is
measured by how fast the heart is made to beat. Usually the
goal is to reach 65% to 90% of the exerciser's highest
possible heart rate and sustain this rate for some length of
time.
Muscular strength and endurance exercises use progressive
resistance to increase the size and strength of muscle
fibers, resulting in a greater physical ability to perform
work. Free weights are typical examples of the types of
resistance equipment used in building strength. Push-ups,
chin-ups, and curls produce similar results, but require no
special equipment since they utilize the body's own weight
as the source of resistance.
Despite popular conceptions, strength and endurance training
is not just for weight lifters, boxers, and body-builders,
but is an effective way of improving general fitness,
converting fat to muscle, and increasing metabolic rate.
Stretching is an aspect of fitness that is often neglected.
Many people choose activities that focus on strength and
cardiorespiratory fitness but little in support of
flexibility. However, most physical fitness professionals
consider it an important element in achieving top physical
performance. Some people are naturally less limber than
others; to avoid strain or injury, the safest flexibility
exercise is a slow, sustained stretch.
Flexibility training is all about increasing the range of
motion around a joint. Many things determine a joint's
flexibility, including the structure of the joint and the
resilience of the attached muscles and connective tissue. As
muscles become stronger through exercise, they also become
tighter. That is, unless flexibility training is done. On
this basis, gentle stretching may reduce the tightening
effect of strength training and other endurance activities,
as well as reduce the risk of injury.
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