Living Strong and Healthy

Health and well being

Health is defined as the state of being free from illness or injury.it comes from the old English meaning wholeness; being whole, sound or well. hale comes from something divided.

Medilexicon’s medical dictionary defines health as “the state of the organism when it functions optimally without evidence of disease or abnormality.

WHAT IS A PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

Physical activity is any bodily activity that enhances or maintains physical fitness and overall health or wellness.

BENEFITS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES ON HEALTH

The benefits of physical activities cannot be overemphasised. The following are some of the benefits.

Control your weight

Physical activities can lead to weight control, you gain weight when the calories you burn including those burned during physical activities are less than the calories you take in (eat or drink). When it comes to weight control or management, people vary greatly in how much physical activity they need. You may need to be more active than others to achieve or maintain a healthy weight.

Ø To maintain your weight

Work your way up to 150 minutes of moderate to intensive aerobic exercise, or an equivalent mix of the two each week. Strong scientific evidence shows that physical activities can help you maintain your weight over time.

However, the exact amount of physical activity needed to do this is not clear since it varies greatly from person to person .it’s possible that you may need to do more than the equivalent of 150 minutes of moderately – intensity activity a week to maintain your weight.

Ø To Lose weight and keep it off

You need a high amount of physical activity and you also need to adjust your diet and reduce the number of calories you are taking in .getting to and staying at a healthy weight requires both regular physical activity and a healthy eating plan.

Healthy weight and caloric balance

When it comes to maintaining a healthy weight for a long time the bottom line is calorie management.It is about balancing the number of calories you consume with the number you burn off, mainly through physical activities.

When you eating roughly the same number of calories your  body needs, your weight remains the same.When you eat more calories than your body uses up, you will store these extra calories as fat and you will gain weight.

When you eat fewer calories than your body need, your body is pulling from its fat storage cells so your weight is decreasing.

Ø Reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease.

Heart disease and stroke are two of the leading causes of death the world over. But following the guidelines and getting at least 150 minutes weekly of moderately intensive aerobic activity can put you at a lower risk for these diseases. You can reduce even further with more physical activities .regular physical activity can also lower your blood pressure and improve your cholesterol levels.

Ø Reduce your risk of type 2 diabetic and metabolic syndrome

Regular physical activity can reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

Metabolic the syndrome is a condition in which you have some combination of too much fat around the waist, high blood pressure, low HDL cholesterol, high triglycerides , or high blood sugar. Research shows that lower rates of these conditions are seen with 120 to 150 minutes a week of at least moderate to intensive aerobic activity .and the more physical activity you do, the lower your risk will be.

Ø Reduce your risk of some cancers

Being physically active lowers risk for two types of cancer colon and breast.

Research shows that

1. Physically active people have a lower risk of colon cancer than do people who are not active.

2. Physically active women have a lower risk of breast cancer than do people who are not active. 

3. Reduce your risk of endometrial and lung cancer.

Although research is not yet final, some findings suggest that your risk of endometrial and lung cancer may be lowered if you get regular physical activity compared to people who are not active.

         * IMPROVE YOUR QUALITY OF LIFE

If you are a cancer survivor, research shows that getting regular physical activities not only helps give you a better quality of life. But also improves your physical fitness.

Ø STRENGTHEN YOUR BONES AND MUSCLES

As you age it’s important to protect your bones and muscles .not only do they support your body and help you move, but keeping bones, joints and muscles healthy can help ensure that you are able to do your daily activities and be physically active.

Research shows that doing aerobics exercises that speed up respiration and heartbeat rate such as running, jogging, cycling, and swimming strengthens muscles and bones. Physical activities of at least a moderate level can slow the loss of the bone density that comes with age.

Ø Helps arthritis

If you have arthritis and other conditions affecting the joints, engaging in moderate to intensive physical activity can not only improve your ability to manage pain and do everyday tasks, but it can also make your quality of life better.

Ø Build strong and healthy muscle

Muscle strengthening activities can help you increase or maintain your muscles mass and strength. Slowly increasing the number of weights and the number of repetitions you do will give you even more benefits, no matter your age.

Ø Improve your mental health and mood

Regular physical activity can help keep your thinking, learning and judgement skills sharp as you age.it can also reduce your risk of depression and may help you sleep better.

Research as shown that doing aerobics and muscle-strengthening activities 3 to 5 times a week for 30 to 60 minutes can give you these mental health benefits .even lower levels of physical activities can also be beneficial.

How much physical activity do you need?

Regular physical activity helps improve your overall health and fitness and reduces your risk for many chronic diseases.

Fitting regular exercises into your daily schedule may seem difficult first but people become more flexible as they make up their mind s to do something.it becomes easier when you make up your mind to start.

If you are healthy pregnant or postpartum woman, physical activity is good for your overall health.

ADDING PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES TO YOUR LIFE

There are lots of ways to add physical activities to your life if you are worried about that .to meet the guidelines for aerobic activity, basically anything counts, as long as it’s done moderately for at least 10 minutes at a time.

Stick with it. By sticking with physical activities you enjoy and that match your abilities, it will help ensure that you stick with them.

Exercise with friends and Love ones

The easiest way to enjoy your activity and to see it less of stress is to do it with your friends and loved ones. have a schedule you all can follow and be dedicated to the fun.

Living a healthy life is everyone's personal responsibility, after all, no one owns your body as much as you do, and no one can maintain it without your will

Try to give your body the best treatment it deserves and you will be happier for it.

Live well, live strong.

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