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Physical Fitness: Be physically active each day | ||||
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Reducing Health Problems with Exercise: Americans young and old should incorporate regular physical activity into their everyday lives. This does not necessarily mean joining an expensive gym or committing to a rigorous exercise or training routine. However, it is important to choose activities that fit into your daily routine that speed your heart rate and breathing, or increase your strength and flexibility. Examples include walking to work, gardening, taking extra stairs, or mowing the lawn with a push mower. Besides building strength and aerobic fitness, regular exercise relieves stress, provides motivation, promotes relaxation, and facilitates sleep. Such activity reduces the risk of dying of coronary heart disease and decreases the risk for colon cancer, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Healthy lifestyles are more influential than genetic factors in avoiding deterioration traditionally associated with aging. Currently, almost one-third of the total U.S. health care expenditures are for older adults. These expenditures are largely due to treatment and care of chronic diseases, and the cost associated with many of these conditions could be reduced through regular physical activity.  |
Children: Almost any physical activity is sufficient as long as they are moving. Playing actively or participating in athletic or physical fitness activities during school, running, biking, jumping rope, and dancing – instead of watching television or playing video games – all provide children with the kinds of activity they need. Child Facts:  Many behaviors that lead to adult obesity are established during childhood. Just 15 years ago, type 2 diabetes was virtually unknown in children and adolescents. Obesity accounts for almost 50 percent of new cases of pediatric diabetes in some communities. Medical complications associated with obesity in children can lead to hospitalizations for type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, and asthma. Almost 15 percent of young Americans, are overweight. More than a third of young people in grades 9-12 do not regularly engage in vigorous-intensity physical activity.
While activity at a higher intensity or performed longer offers more health benefits, this level of activity may not be a realistic goal for everyone, at least not to start with. Many Americans, for whom the term "exercise" brings up negative images and emotions, can celebrate the good news by setting a new personal goal-achieving |
 and enjoying the benefits of a regularly active lifestyle that includes a variety of moderate- and/or vigorous-intensity activities.Obesity Facts: In the last 10 years, obesity rates have increased by more than 60 percent among adults. Obesity impacts other diseases such as type 2 diabetes, a major consequence of obesity.Are you currently inactive? The evidence is growing and is more convincing than ever! People of all ages who are generally inactive can improve their health and well-being by becoming active at a moderate-intensity on a regular basis. Despite the proven benefits of physical activity, more than 50% of American adults do not get enough physical activity to provide health benefits. Can a lack of physical activity hurt your health? Evidence shows that those who are not physically active are definitely not helping their health, and may likely be hurting it. The closer we look at the health risks associated with a lack of physical activity, the more convincing it is that Americans who are not yet regularly physically active should become active. | |||
Copyright 2006, Mecosta County Medical Center