Long Term Health Benefits Of Exercise example essay topic

There is good news for those who shudder at the thought of a grueling, sweaty, "no pain, no gain" exercise routine. Research shows that even a small increase in physical activity can yield big results. The health benefits of such moderately intense physical activity as dancing, gardening, and cleaning house have been confirmed by a number of large research studies (Roberts 28). The scientific evidence is overwhelming: Regular exercise leads to a healthier and longer life, with benefits ranging from a stronger heart, muscles, and bones, to improved balance and coordination, to simply getting more fun out of life.

Daily physical activity can reduce your risk for several diseases and conditions. It can prevent heart disease and stroke by strengthening the heart muscle, lowering blood pressure, raising high-density lipoprotein levels (good cholesterol) and lowering low-density lipoprotein levels (bad cholesterol) (Ortlund 94). Exercise also improves blood flow and increases the heart's working capacity. Research shows that people who are physically fit are eight times less likely to die from cardiovascular disease than those who are unfit.

Physical fitness also reduces the risk of premature death by 53 percent in men and 98 percent in women (Gregory 25). Physical activity helps to reduce body fat by building or preserving muscle mass and improving the body's ability to use calories. When physical activity is combined with proper nutrition, it can help control weight and prevent obesity, a major risk factor for many diseases. By increasing muscle strength and endurance and improving flexibility and posture, regular exercise helps to prevent back pain. When exercise increases the metabolism, it allows the body to burn calories faster, thus aiding in weight control. For people with varicose veins, exercise improves circulation, preventing blood from poking in legs and easing leg spasms and fatigue.

Exercise training also increases the efficiency of the heart both during exercise and at rest. According to research, exercise improves the circulation of blood to ankles and feet, typically areas of poor circulation in persons with chronic heart failure (Roberts 67). This poor circulation weakens the legs and can make walking painful. Studies have shown that exercise helps people with arthritis in many ways. Exercise reduces joint pain and stiffness and increases flexibility, muscle strength and endurance. Keeping joints flexible and building muscle strength reduces the functional effects of arthritis and protects joints from further problems.

Weight control can be important to people who have arthritis because extra weight puts extra pressure on many joints. Strengthening exercises can be performed to increase muscle strength, which help support and protect joints affected by arthritis. By reducing body fatness, physical activity can help to prevent and control non insulin-dependent diabetes. Regular exercise lowers blood sugar levels in people with adult-onset diabetes and is important for good diabetes management (Freed 33). It also keeps blood sugar levels in range. Physically active people also experience less bone loss than inactive persons.

The right kind of exercise fends off osteoporosis. Regular weight-bearing exercise promotes bone formation and may prevent many forms of bone loss associated with aging (Ortlund 29). Exercise also prevents injuries. Improved balance and agility help prevent falls.

While the long-term health benefits of exercise are significant, it is the immediate daily boost that motivates most people to stick with a program. By exercising on a daily basis, people of all ages notice an improved ability to conduct ordinary activities, such as carrying groceries and running for the bus because of their increased energy and stamina. Studies on the psychological effects of exercise have found that regular physical activity can improve your mood and the way you feel about yourself. Even a ten-minute walk has been shown to improve mood. Studies also show that in times of stress, active people are more likely than inactive ones to be able to relax. Researchers have found that exercise is likely to reduce depression and anxiety and help you to better manage stress (Roberts 14).

Exercisers also tend to be more optimistic about their future, feel more in touch with their bodies, and experience a greater sense of control over their lives. Exactly how much exercise is needed to get results? A study done at Stanford University's School of Medicine found improved fitness in people who did 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity daily for 8 weeks. The benefit was realized regardless of whether the activity was performed for 30 minutes continuously or was accomplished in smaller chunks throughout the day (Gregory 25). Even though more intense, strenuous exercise (such as running or swimming in 30-minute blocks) can increase the health rewards, physical activity in any form and at any level will contribute to a healthier, longer life. Ironically, the approximately 60 percent of Americans who currently do the least physical activity may have the most to gain by making small changes in lifestyle.

According to Public Health Reports, inactive individuals who change their ways achieve the greatest gain in health benefits (Freed 59). Adopting just a few new habits - such as walking rather than driving to the store, climbing the stairs rather than taking the elevator, and taking a walk after dinner each evening - can lead to dramatic improvements and keep you feeling young. Consistency, moderation, and self-awareness are the keys to preventing injuries. It's safer to exercise on a consistent, regular basis (30 minutes a day for 4 days in a row) than to do nothing all week and overstress you muscles in a 2-hour Sunday workout (Roberts 83). Moderate workouts that are vigorous but not too demanding are best for achieving health goals.

Self-awareness is also important. Pay attention to the messages coming from your own body and set limits based on these messages. A gentle tug on the muscles, and even some mild soreness, is proof that you " re working hard enough. Sharp pain or prolonged achiness, however, means you " re doing too much. Your energy level should increase as a result of your activity and you should feel better. If you feel worse, seem tired, or have difficulty sleeping, you are probably overdoing your routine.

Other signs of overdoing it include increases of 5 to 10 beats per minute in your normal resting heart rate, and unexplained weight loss (Ortlund 37). To find motivation for a daily exercise routine, choose an activity you enjoy doing. Do you prefer competitive or noncompetitive activities? Are you the type of person who likes to exercise alone in the living room to relaxing music?

Or would you be more inspired when surrounded by people pumping iron, climbing stairmaster's, and taking aerobic dance classes? Also, consider what types of exercise best fit in your schedule. Can you set aside a half-hour in the morning to exercise? Or is midday or evening more realistic? The most important goal for beginners is to be consistent so that exercise becomes a habit.

Weekly goals ("I'm going to walk a total of 8 miles this week") are helpful for sustaining motivation in the short term. Longer-term goals ("By summer I'm going to have enough energy to play tennis twice a week") can get you through immediate obstacles and provide inspiration to keep you going. The barriers to an active lifestyle take many forms, including lack of energy, ability, support, money, interest, motivation, partners, self-discipline, and time. Identify your personal obstacles, question whether they are real problems or just excuses, and focus on what you can do to overcome them. Illness, bad weather, a job or family crisis, and a thousand other problems can and probably will lead to an occasional lapse in your exercise program. When this happens, don't waste time berating yourself; just start your program again as soon as possible.

But be careful to take the time to rebuild your fitness level. Many people find that recording their goals, plans, and achievements helps them recognize improvements and stay on course. Start by taking measurements of your waist, abdomen, buttocks, and the middle of one thigh; recheck the measurements in 20 weeks (Gregory 26). You can also track short-term changes in mood and energy level, and long-term effects on blood pressure, heart rate, cholesterol, and blood sugar. Any physical activity that you can add to your daily life will have a positive impact on your health. Exercise may start out as a means to an end, but turn out to be a meaningful and satisfying experience in its own right.

An inactive lifestyle can make you feel "too tired" to have a good time. The physically fit, on the other hand, find they have energy to spare for pleasurable pursuits.

Bibliography

Freed, Paul, and John Pavlik. A Walk A Day. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1998.
Gregory, Anne. "Healthy Living". Self Jan. 2001: 25-26.
Ortlund, Susan. The Smart Body. New York: David Cook Publishing, 1999.
Physical Activity and Weight Control". NIDDK. Online. Internet. 20 April 2001.
Roberts, Kenneth. Health, Mind and Body. Connecticut: Fawcett Publications, Inc., 1997.