The Importance Of Physical Activity

Physical activity is defined as an individual not obtaining the recommended 150 minutes per week. engaging in moderate physical activity is very important, if the recommended time that should be spend on excersie per week is not achieved it can increase the risks of chronic diseases such as Heath disease, type 2 diabetes and stroke. Physicals inactivity also increases biomedical determinants such as body weight leading to obesity, high blood pressure and blood cholesterol which have a negative effects on an individual's well being. According to AIHW, 2012, 60% of Australians over 15 did not undertake in sufficient physical activity. Getting the required 150 minutes a week or more is a great protective factor which will decrease the ricks of various chronic diseases and also provides other benefits such as reducing body weight and improving mental

Exercise plays a beneficial role for many health concerns in general and improves quality of life

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that less than half of American adults get the recommended amount of physical activity, as defined by the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines established by the US Department of Health and Human Services (Centers for Disease Control, 2013). In addition, the American Heart Association reports that the 2011 National Health Interview Survey showed 32% of adults in the United States did not participate in leisure time activity, and only 21% of adults in the United States participate in adequate amounts of both aerobic and muscle-strengthening activity (American Heart Association, 2013).

The Mayo Clinic Staff (Mayo Clinic, 2014) wrote, “Want to feel better, have more energy and perhaps even live longer? Look no further than exercise.” Most people have heard that regular exercise is the key to being healthy and can help prevent health conditions and diseases such as high blood pressure, heart diseases, and obesity. Type 2 Diabetes is becoming a world-wide health crisis and exercise helps lower the risk of the onset of the disease. (Whitbourne, 2012). According to many research studies, exercise benefits a lot of things including, quality of life, staying fit, boosting your energy, promotes a better sleep pattern, improves your mood, promote social relationships, and it can also put the spark back into your sex life (Mayo

In addition, chronic diseases account for 70% of all deaths in the U.S. each year. According to American Health Association, these conditions are preventable. Exercise helps the heart grows stronger while making it more efficient at pumping blood to all parts of the body. Without exercise the body slowly loses the overall ability to function well. The body will also lose strength and stamina. In addition, not exercising affects a person’s ability to control their weight. In North Carolina, approximately 36% of people were overweight and approximately 30% of adults had obesity.

The issues that are brought up are what happens when people are physically active and what happens when they are not physically active. Regarding the website, CBSNews.com, the article “CDC: 80 percent of American adults don’t get recommended exercise” states that at least eighty percent of adult Americans neglect their weekly amount of exercise (Jaslow, 2013). With this statistic, there are multiple health issues that are raised for why people should be physically active. The health issues that correlate with exercising focuses on obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and mental illnesses (“Physical Activity and Health”, 2015). Although physical activity can be a hassled effort to work through, inactivity can lead to a worse outcome. Another article from the CBSNews.com website titled “Inactivity tied to 5.3 million deaths worldwide, similar to smoking”, states that deaths regarding coronary heart disease, type two diabetes, colon and breast cancer and obesity are tied to people being inactive (Jaslow, 2012). These informational statistics give the information that numerous adults are inactive and that different types of diseases are tied to inactivity. With the given information, and an article from the Center for Disease control and Prevention website, titled “The Benefits of Physical Activity”, there are problems that come from being

This text, “At-A-Glance”, developed as a presentation by the CDC, describes the health benefits of exercise for each major age group. It provides examples of moderate physical activity, gives statistics about activity in the US among different groups of people, and convinces its reader of the numerous benefits of partaking in regular physical activity. According to this text, physical activity doesn’t have to be extremely vigorous to be beneficial to one’s health. This is supported by examples of moderate physical activity, such as bicycling (for 30 minutes, about 5 miles), taking walks (2 miles in 30 minutes), shoveling snow (for 15 minutes), and participating in sports such as volleyball and basketball for 45 minutes and 15 minutes, respectively. This is important for me,

Physical inactivity is risk factor for several chronic diseases, including obesity, depression, osteoporosis, type 2 diabetes (Schuzer & Graves, 2004), disability and death (Lin et al , 2007). Exercise, by increasing fitness, can help lower the risks for these diseases (Brady & Nies, 1999; Resnick, 2001; Duchman & Berg, 2006; cited in Abolfazl et al, 2011), and help lower overall morbidity and mortality (Pate et al, 1995; cited in Schuzer & Graves, 2004) and is generally associated with physical and psychosocial benefits for older adults (Lin et al , 2007; Ringsberg et al 2001, cited in Abolfazl et al, 2011). Being physically fit also helps maintain functional ability and prolong independence across life span (Schuzer & Graves, 2004; Brady & Nies, 1999 cited in Abolfazl et al, 2011), which were two of the most cited factors by frail elders to consider themselves ‘healthy’ in a 2012 swedish study (Ebrahimi et al, 2012). Although exercise brings health benefits to elderly people, it’s a difficult task to persuade this age group to become physically active (Schuzer & Graves, 2004) and according to a 1996 report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, older adults aged 65 and older have the highest inactivity level of all age groups (cited in Schuzer & Graves, 2004); with only one third of this population reporting regular exercise (Clark 1999, cited in Abolfazl et al,

The need for exercise is important for the aging population. There is a growing need for exercise since people are living longer. It prevents ADL disability and can help adults achieve a higher quality of life. The need to take care of older adults will continue to grow as we are living longer. As we age, we look to achieve an overall quality of life. Doing things that make us happy and that bring enjoyment to our life. In article, Physical Activity and Quality of Life in Older Adults, the effects of physical activity are associated with overall quality of life, “changes in physical activity[...] would be directly associated with changes in self-efficacy; changes in self-efficacy would be directly associated with changes in physical self-worth and disability; and changes in physical self-worth and disability would be directly associated with changes in global QOL” (Phillips, Wojcicki, & McAuley. 2013.) Older adults must go through the aging process and many people don’t like the idea of “growing old” physical activity is a lifestyle factor that reduces the effects of aging and gives older adults a community of people who all share the same

The meaning of being physically active has been re-conceptualized many times over the past 30 years. There have been gradual shifts in public health recommendations, with agencies first emphasizing vigorous activity, then suggesting more moderate levels of activity, and, finally, recommending active living. At the end of the 1970s, physical activity for health benefits was accomplished through 20 continuous minutes of ‘vigorous activities’ three or more times a week (41). In the mid-1990s, a significant change occurred in the conceptualization of physical activity, as activities of moderate intensity were highlighted. A 1996 report from the US Department of Health and Human Services stated that accumulating 30 to 45 minutes of moderately

As humans, it was necessary to live an active lifestyle when survival was a crucial aspect of life. However, with modern day conveniences, a sedentary lifestyle seems much more effortless. It is important to remember that an active lifestyle is essential to overall health and wellbeing, especially for living a long and relatively pain free life throughout aging. Exercise is necessary for preventing many diseases, such as coronary artery disease or CAD, as well as cancer and diabetes. Additionally, staying active can have a positive effect on mental health, especially for those who suffer from anxiety and/or depression. Despite the overwhelming evidence describing the positive benefits of exercise, only around 20% of adults reach the physical activity health guidelines (Sharkey and Gaskill). Living a sedentary lifestyle can be dangerous for your health, especially due to disease and early mortality, but exercise also has a numerous amount of benefits that improves overall wellness.

Despite the physical and emotional benefits of moderate physical activity, most Americans are not getting enough exercise to sustain healthy behavior and reduce their risks of illness. A lack of physical activity has been shown to be a risk factor for several conditions. Less active people tend to have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, as well as feelings of anxiety and depression (Johns Hopkins Medicine, 2015). Studies have shown the physically inactive people have an increased risk of colon and breast cancer. One study showed a 40% decrease in cancer mortality in people who were physically active. Physical activity also prevents insulin resistance which is the underlying cause of type 2 diabetes. A lack of physical activity increases the loss of lean muscle tissue which in turn makes activities of dialing living such as dressing and bathing or even grocery shopping, much more difficult to perform. As we age out bones lose some strength and like muscles, require exercise to maintain their mineral content and strength. Being physically active also helps keep one’s immune system which helps ward off various illnesses and diseases (Rimmer, 2015).

Physical activity is especially important in regard to productive aging due to the health benefits associated with exercise and other forms of physical activity. It is important that physical activity be incorporated with a meaningful activity. For example, if a patient is not keen on exercise, it would be best to engage in an activity that the patient would enjoy. Assessing the patient 's needs and interests is the most efficient way to come up with an activity. Physical activities that are meaningful may involve gardening, meal preparation, shopping, walking, swimming, dancing, etc. Ultimately, physical activity lessens the risk of

The importance of exercise is impressed upon most people from a young age by everyone from parents, teachers and health professionals to the media. Regardless of this, obesity is on the rise in western countries, especially America, and children are becoming increasingly sedentary (Mitchell, Catenacci, Wyatt & Hill, 2011). Obesity is directly related to a plethora of diseases such as diabetes and coronary artery disease, the rates of which will continue to soar if nothing is done (Mitchell et al., 2011). Technological advancements are instrumental in this increase in sedentary behavior, from allowing easier and quicker transportation in automobiles to providing endless amounts of entertainment, removing the need to entertain oneself by getting active (Mitchell et al., 2011). One can derive just as much excitement and mental stimulation from television shows and video games as from playing sports. Also, the increased ability of humans to interact using social media also removes another incentive to exercise since one does not need to engage in physical activity, such as joining a sports team, to meet and connect with others (Mitchell et al., 2011). Many do not have a full understanding of the wide range of benefits that result from regular exercise in all aspects of our lives. Physical activity results in more than weight loss, and has both direct and indirect effects on preventing diseases of the body and the mind since it increases the probability of making

Physical Activity is undeniably good for everyone, not only does it keep you fit and healthy but when started at a young age, it can set up good habits for life. Sometimes however, people do not take care of their physical wellbeing, resulting in obesity and other eating disorders which can be detrimental to their health.