Weight Debate

Regular physical activity is one of the most important things you can do to stay healthy!!

You don’t have to be an athlete to benefit from regular physical activity. Even modest amounts of physical activity can improve your health. Start with small, specific goals, such as walking 10 minutes a day, 3 days a week, and build up slowly from there.

What Does Regular Physical Activity Do???

• Increases your chances of living longer!!
• Helps you control your weight.
• Reduces your risks for cardiovascular disease.
• Reduces your risks for type 2 diabetes.
• Reduces your risks for metabolic syndrome – a group of risk factors linked to overweight and obesity.
• Reduces your risks for some cancers.
• Strengthens your bones and muscles.
• Improves your mental health and mood.
• Improves your ability to do daily activities.
• Prevent falls among older adults.

Try these activities to add more movement to your daily life:

• Take the stairs instead of taking the elevator. Make sure that the stairs are well lit.
• Get off the bus one stop early if you are in an area safe for walking.
• Park your car farther away from the entrances to stores, movie theaters, or your home.
• Take a short walk around the block with your family, friends, or coworkers.
• In bad weather, walk around in a mall.
• Rake the leaves or wash your car.
• Visit museums, the zoo, or an aquarium. You and your family can walk for hours and not realize it.
• Take a walk after dinner instead of watching TV.

As you become more fit, slowly increase your pace, the length of time you are active, and how often you are active.

Remember to:

Start slowly - Your body needs time to get used to your new activity.

Warm up - Warm-ups get your body ready for action.

• Shrug your shoulders,
• Tap your toes,
• Swing your arms,
  OR
• March in place

You should spend a few minutes warming up for any physical activity, even walking. Walk slowly for the first few minutes.

Cool down - Slow down little by little. If you have been walking fast, walk slowly or stretch for a few minutes to cool down. Cooling down may protect your heart, relax your muscles, and keep you from getting hurt.

Check with your doctor before starting a vigorous physical activity program if you are a man over the age of 40, a woman over the age of 50, or if you have any chronic health problems.

The more physical activity you do, the greater the health benefits and the better you’ll feel.

Physical activity is any form of exercise or movement of the body that uses energy, so some of your daily life activities, like doing active chores around the house, yard work, and walking the dog are great ways to get physical activity in your life.

To get health benefits from physical activity, you have to include activities that make you breathe harder and make your heart and blood vessels healthier. These aerobic activities include things like brisk walking, running, dancing, swimming, and playing basketball. Also include strengthening activities to make your muscles stronger, like push-ups and lifting weights.

If you haven’t been active in a while, start slowly and build up. Many people find walking helps them get started. Before you know it, you will be doing more every day.

People of all types, shapes, sizes, and abilities can benefit from being physically active. If you have a disability, talk with your doctor about the amount and types of activities that are right for your ability or condition.

Did you know… when you are not physically active, you are more likely to:

• Get heart disease
• Get type 2 diabetes
• Have high blood pressure
• Have high blood cholesterol
• Have a stroke

You don’t need to buy special clothes or belong to a gym to become more active. Physical activity can be and should be part of your everyday life. Try different kinds of activities that keep you moving. Look for new ways to build physical activity into your daily routine.

Almost anyone, at any age, can do some type of physical activity. You can still exercise even if you have a health condition like heart disease or diabetes. In fact, physical activity may help.

For most older adults, brisk walking, riding a bike, swimming, weight lifting, and gardening are safe, especially if you build up slowly.

Find things you like to do, such as:

• Go for brisk walks.
• Ride a bike.
• Dance.
• Work around the house.
• Garden.
• Climb stairs.
• Swim.
• Rake leaves.

Increase Your Chances of Living Longer
Science shows that physical activity can reduce your risk of dying early from the leading causes of death, like heart disease and some cancers. This is remarkable in two ways:

• 1. Only a few lifestyle choices have as large an impact on your health as physical activity. People who are physically active for about 7 hours a week have a 40 percent lower risk of dying early than those who are active for less than 30 minutes a week.
• 2. You don’t have to do high amounts of activity or vigorous intensity activity to reduce your risk of premature death. You can put yourself at lower risk of dying early by doing at least 150 minutes a week of moderate intensity aerobic activity.

Everyone can gain the health benefits of physical activity – age, ethnicity, shape or size does not matter!

Check With Your Doctor
Always check with your doctor if you aren’t used to being active or you have health problems. Doing activity that requires moderate effort is safe for most people, but if you have a chronic health condition such as heart disease, arthritis, diabetes, or other symptoms be sure to talk with your doctor about the types and amounts of physical activity that are right for you.

Studies clearly demonstrate that participating in regular physical activity provides many health benefits.

Many conditions affected by physical activity occur with increasing age, such as heart disease and cancer. Reducing risk of these conditions may require years of participation in regular physical activity, but… other benefits, such as increased muscular strength, increased cardiorespiratory fitness, and decreased depressive symptoms and blood pressure, require only a few weeks or months of participation in physical activity. Some health benefits associated with regular physical activity:

Children and Adolescents
Strong evidence -

• Improved cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness.
• Improved bone health.
• Improved cardiovascular and metabolic health biomarkers.
• Favorable body composition.

Moderate evidence -

• Reduced symptoms of depression.

Adults and Older Adults
Strong evidence -

• Lower risk of early death.
• Lower risk of high blood pressure.
• Lower risk of coronary heart disease.
• Lower risk of stroke.
• Lower risk of adverse blood lipid profile.
• Lower risk of colon cancer.
• Lower risk of type 2 diabetes.
• Lower risk of metabolic syndrome.
• Lower risk of breast cancer.
• Prevention of weight gain.
• Weight loss, particularly when combined with reduced calorie intake.
• Improved cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness.
• Prevention of falls.
• Reduced depression.
• Better cognitive function (for older adults).

Moderate to strong evidence -

• Better functional health (for older adults).
• Reduced abdominal obesity.

Moderate evidence -

• Lower risk of hip fracture.
• Lower risk of lung cancer.
• Lower risk of endometrial cancer.
• Weight maintenance after weight loss.
• Increased bone density.
• Improved sleep quality.