The
Benefits of Being Fit
It is thought
that as many as 250,000 deaths a year can be blamed on
inactivity. Sixty percent of adults do not get the amount
of exercise recommended by the U.S. Surgeon General,
at least 30 minutes, most days of the week. The most
common obstacles to physical activity are lack of energy
and lack of time yet experts say that regular exercise
increases energy. Furthermore, it is not necessary to
hit the gym for a grueling workout. Most experts agree
that thirty minutes of any kind of physical activity,
such as walking to and from class or work, cleaning,
or raking leaves can have positive effects on one's health.
Regular
exercise is probably the single most important behavior
that can be done to reduce one's risk for chronic illness.
It has been found that active people have almost half
the risk of heart disease than inactive people. In fact,
inactivity is one of the four major risk factors for
heart attack (the other three include smoking, high blood
pressure, and high cholesterol). Research has shown that
moderate physical activity may reduce a young woman's
risk of developing breast cancer later in life by as
much as 60 percent. Physical activity can also reduce
one's risk for adult-onset diabetes and can benefit individuals
who are insulin dependent by helping with weight management
and improving insulin sensitivity.
It is important
that you choose workouts that you will enjoy as you will
be more likely to stick with it. Begin by writing a list
of fun activities including some indoor, some outdoor
and some group sports. Get into the habit of being physically
active every day and don't feel guilty for penciling
this time into your calendar. Lastly, in order to avoid
injury, start any new exercise program slowly and make
sure you do warm ups and cool downs to sufficiently stretch
your muscles.
