If you’re a gym-goer who eats a balanced diet and regularly gets enough sleep, it may be easy to assume you’re healthy and fit. However, if you smoke, don’t get enough exercise or struggle with mental health issues, your fitness and overall well-being can be affected.
There are many benefits of regular physical activity. It promotes strong muscles and bones, improves respiratory and cardiovascular health, and can help you maintain a healthy weight. It also reduces the risk of certain diseases and can improve your mood and quality of life. In addition, it can help prevent injuries like sprain/strain, contusion and fracture.
Physical activity can be anything from playing sports or taking part in a fitness class to gardening and walking around the zoo with your family. It is important to be active throughout the day and increase your level of activity with age. Inactive people are at greater risk for developing chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.
The most effective way to improve your health and fitness is to start small and build up gradually. Try to do at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity on most days. Aim to increase the amount of time you’re active every few weeks. You can also talk to an Exercise Physiologist/physical therapist for recommendations on what types of exercises are best for you and your specific health and fitness goals.
Endurance (cardiovascular and cardio-respiratory): This measures your body’s ability to take up and use oxygen, which feeds all your cells. Muscular endurance is another aspect of this, and it’s your ability to do something continuously for a long period of time. Flexibility is the ability of your joints to move through a full range of motion. Strength is the ability of your muscles and a group of muscles to apply force. Power is the ability of your muscles to exert a large amount of force in a short period of time. Speed is the ability to move quickly.
Several studies have found that regular exercise may help protect against some forms of cancer. This is thought to be because it boosts the body’s immune system, which may prevent or slow the growth of cancerous cells. It also appears to lower levels of the female hormones estrogen and progesterone, which may reduce the risk of breast and uterine cancers.
Despite the many health advantages of exercise, some people avoid it due to the fear of injury. However, most exercise-related injuries are minor and can be prevented. The most common are sprains/strains, contusions and fractures. Generally, most of these injuries occur in the musculoskeletal system and can be avoided by starting slowly and increasing your level of activity gradually. You should also discuss your level of activity with your GP or Exercise Physiologist/physical therapist before you begin.