Fitness and Exercise
Prevent Disease
Fitness
and exercise prevent disease. That is a proven fact, and yet more
Americans than ever are suffering from obesity and type two diabetes are
considered an epidemic in the United States. If you are overweight, and
especially if you are obese, or if you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes, then
listen to your doctor and begin a regular fitness and exercise
program. You’ll be glad you did.
One of the benefits of
fitness and exercise, as any physician will tell you, it that
fitness and exercise help control blood sugar. A diabetic who takes
medication daily may find that less medication is needed with a regular
fitness and exercise program. Many diabetics who stay with fitness
and exercise programs find that they are able to quit the medication and
get their diabetes under control in a totally natural way.
Triglycerides are also too
high for most Americans. High triglycerides are linked to heart disease,
including heart attacks and strokes. A great natural way to reduce your level of
triglycerides is to simply begin and stick with a fitness and exercise
program, while eating a sensible diet. Triglycerides at too high a level are
also linked to high blood sugar, and it is common for diabetics to have high
triglyceride levels. Therefore, in this case fitness and exercise
can take care of two potential health risks at the same time.
Many people have marveled
at the way being over weight has become an American way of life, and wondered
what caused it. Many point to sedentary lifestyles, working in front of
computers, and watching too much television. In addition, many Americans eat
diets high in fat and carbohydrates. Whatever the root causes fitness and
exercise can be a major part of the cure for this problem. Engaging in
physical activity, increasing the heart rate, and just getting active can help a
person loose weight, control triglyceride levels and improve diabetes and should
not be ignored. Parents should restrict time spent by children with video games
or watching television and encourage them to engage in fitness and
exercise the way children in past generations have, playing games like
baseball, basketball and jump rope. Children who learn the benefits of
fitness and exercise at an early age will go into adults, who enjoy
fitness and exercise, lead healthier lifestyles and tend to live
longer, healthier and obviously happier lives.
Fitness and Exercise Gain
Popularity
Fitness
and exercise are gaining popularity in our culture for many reasons.
Reactions against the sedentary lifestyles Americans have lived for decades, a
rash of type two diabetes with people engaging in fitness and exercise
to improve their conditions, parents encouraging youngsters to get up and away
from the television and work out, and the baby boomers, pursuing fitness
and exercise as they age, to allow them to enjoy their advanced years.
Regardless of the reasons, many Americans take fitness and exercise
very seriously.
Ways, in which Americans
engage in fitness and exercise activities are varied and show the
diversity of both the population and their interests. Many people go to gyms or
athletic clubs. Others participate in sports events that they enjoy. Fitness
and exercise activities can include bowling, racquet sports like squash,
golf, summer softball leagues, horseshoes, hiking, horseback riding, and many
other fun things to do. Fitness and exercise activities in
American have many faces.
One of the most popular
fitness and exercise activities is simply walking. Many people of all
ages enjoy taking a brisk walk every day. This simple fitness and
exercise activity can be done by almost anyone. So many Americans are
walking these days that magazines are published devoted to the activity.
Generally Americans are not as organized as their European cousins when in comes
to walking. In Germany, one of the most popular weekend fitness and
exercise activities is the volksmarch, or people’s march. When a volksmarch
occurs, people of all ages gather together to take a day long, or half day long
walk through a town or a country location, stopping to share a meal along the
way. They combine fitness and exercise with social activity, and
everyone has a great time.
Americans may not be ready
for the volksmarch yet, but they find many other fitness and exercise
options to their liking. Golf is more popular now than any time in history.
Tennis is making a popularity comeback. Even martial arts are fitness and
exercise choices for many. For Americans the important thing about
fitness and exercise is to do something and make sure that the
something you do is something you enjoy. Fitness and exercise will
lead to a longer and healthier life, and give a great deal of fun to the
participants along the way.
Fitness
and Exercise-- Can Extend Life
Physical fitness and
exercise can extend life, and perhaps fitness that is even more
beneficial and exercise can ensure that a person’s years of life are more
productive, more pleasant, and more enjoyable, and who would not want their
years of life to be enjoyable? Fitness and exercise seem like a small
price to pay for such great rewards.
The first step in a
fitness and exercise program is in deciding what type of exercise you
enjoy. Fitness and exercise needs to become a lifestyle and that are more
likely to happen if you engage in activities you consider fun. Do you enjoy
swimming, hiking, walking, running, racquetball, tennis, golf, or any other
sports? Are you the type of person who enjoys lifting weights, or using the
Stairmaster machine at the local gym? Everyone has different tastes when it
comes to fitness and exercise. Deciding on the activity that is
right for you is the first step.
Next, make sure that you
don’t overdue it. Many people rush into a fitness and exercise program
and over due it the first day, leading to sore muscles and aching backs. When
that happens, they are much less likely to continue their fitness and
exercise program. Moderation is important in a fitness and exercise
program. Also, if you are extremely out of shape when you begin your activity,
you need to start out at a slower place than you would if you were moderately in
shape. If possible, get advice from your doctor or another healthcare
professional or physical fitness instructor before beginning your
fitness and exercise program, and find out what is right for you. For many
people ten minutes of brisk walking every other day is enough to get started.
This can gradually be advanced to fifteen minutes, and then twenty. The
important thing with fitness and exercise is to stay with it. The more
you do, over time, the more "in shape” you will become and the more you’ll be
able to do. Right now six months seems like a long time, but if you begin a
fitness and exercise program now, six months will come and go quickly and
you’ll see a noticeable difference in your fitness level, your stamina
and the way you feel.
Fitness
and Exercise and the Older Adult
Fitness
and exercise are not just for children and young people. Older adults can
reap mountains of benefits from becoming engaged in a regular program promoting
fitness and exercise, and many older adults are doing so. In fact
more older adults are taking fitness and exercise seriously now
than in recent decades.
Mall walking is a popular
fitness and exercise activity for older adults. Brisk walking is
one of the best forms of exercise people can do for themselves. Shopping
malls offer consistent temperature and protection from the elements. If it is
snowing or sleeting outside, you can still walk in the mall, getting all the
benefits of a fitness and exercise program without having to brave
inclement weather.
Swimming is another
popular fitness and exercise method many older adults enjoy.
Swimming exercises every muscle in the body, but is easy on the knees and
joints. While many older adults enjoy swimming laps, others have incorporated
water-based calisthenics into their fitness and exercise programs,
with great results.
The baby boom generation
of Americans is getting older, with many baby boomers now reaching retirement
age. This generation though is different from preceding generations. Baby
boomers tend to live longer, and are more concerned about health. More baby
boomers watch their diets, try to control their weight and make fitness
and exercise a regular part of their lives than older Americans have in
past generations. Add to that the advancements made in medical treatments and
these baby boomers can expect to live for many years to come. Fitness and
exercise will continue to play a major role in their lives.
Of course, fitness
and exercise are not the only factor to be concerned with. Diet also
plays a part. A high fiber diet, with most carbohydrates coming from whole
grains and protein coming from more lean portions of meat to limit fat also
contribute to health. When proper diet and fitness and exercise
are linked the result more often than not is a healthy person, no matter what
the age. Combining fitness and exercise with proper nutrition is a
win win situation for everyone involved.
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