Physical Health

 

When most people think about health they conjure up

images that are related to physical health. Physical health is

anything that has to do with our bodies as a physical entity.

It has been the basis for active living campaigns and the

many eat right fads that have swept our country. With so

much information about physical health it is often difficult to

determine what is current and relevant.

Exercise

Exercise is an important aspect of maintaining our health.

Most people know the importance of exercise in building and

maintaining muscle tone, improving fitness, weight control,

etc.

Specific exercises are designed to improve strength, flexibility, balance, and aerobic capacity. But every exercise must be tailored to meet a person’s individual requirements, such as age. Where weight bearing is a problem, water exercises are helpful. Chair and desk exercises are useful for those who spend long hours in a sitting position. There are many exercises and activities like these that are inexpensive and can fit the budget of almost anyone.

The benefits of exercise extend far beyond weight

management. Research shows that regular physical activity

can help reduce your risk for several diseases and health

conditions and improve your overall quality of life.

No. 1: Exercise controls weight

Exercise can help prevent excess weight gain or help maintain weight loss. When you engage in physical activity, you burn calories. The more intense the activity, the more calories you burn. You don't need to set aside large chunks of time for exercise to reap weight-loss benefits. If you can't do an actual workout, get more active throughout the day in simple ways — by taking the stairs instead of the elevator or revving up your household chores.  

No. 2: Exercise combats health conditions and diseases

• Heart Disease and Stroke. Daily physical activity can

     help prevent heart disease and stroke by strengthening

     your heart muscle, lowering your blood pressure, raising

     your high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels and lowering

     low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels, improving blood

     flow, and increasing your heart's working capacity.

• High Blood Pressure. Regular physical activity can

     reduce blood pressure in those with high blood pressure

     levels. Physical activity reduces body fat, which is

     associated with high blood pressure.

• Noninsulin-Dependent Diabetes. By reducing body fat

     , physical activity can help to prevent and control this

     type of diabetes.

• Back Pain. By increasing muscle strength and

     endurance and improving flexibility and posture, regular

     exercise helps to prevent back pain.

• Osteoporosis. Regular weight-bearing exercise promotes

      bone formation and may prevent many forms of bone

      loss associated with aging.

No. 3: Exercise improves mood

A workout at the gym or a brisk 30-minute walk can help to improves mood. Physical activity stimulates various brain chemicals that may leave you feeling happier and more relaxed. You may also feel better about your appearance and yourself when you exercise regularly, which can boost your confidence and improve your self-esteem.

No. 4: Exercise boosts energy

Regular physical activity can improve your muscle strength and boost your endurance. Exercise and physical activity deliver oxygen and nutrients to your tissues and help your cardiovascular system work more efficiently.

No. 5: Exercise promotes better sleep

Regular physical activity can help you fall asleep faster and deepen your sleep. Just don't exercise too close to bedtime, or you may be too energized to fall asleep.

Most adults need at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity at least five days per week. Stretching and weight training can also strengthen your body and improve your fitness level.

The key is to find the right exercise for you.

Examples:

Running

Jogging burns more calories than walking as you consume more oxygen per mile you run than walking in addition to the impact factor. Circulation increases briefly as does the heart beat. Once you get seasoned enough, you begin to see benefits of jogging. You won’t find sudden thumping of your heart which gets increased and vital oxygen. Jogging tones muscles too. Perhaps it is the best exercise for overweight people. Because of the impact they can burn more calories from hips, thighs and abdominal area. Rotating the torso as you run gives a smoother stride in addition to strengthening waist muscle.

Swimming

Swimming is considered to be the best exercise a man can

do. It is one of those few exercises in which all of your body

parts are used. It's an effective exercise that will help you to

keep in good shape, loose weight and remain healthy.

Here are some benefits of swimming.

• Improving your capacity : swimming allows you to

     use your arms, legs and lungs all at the same time. This

     increases your acrobatic capacity as you are using all of

     your body parts at the same time.

• Strengthening your heart: swimming helps you to build

      your heart muscle which in return allows it to pump

      blood at a much faster rate. This increases your blood

      circulation which is good for a person's health.

• Strength against disease: Swimming helps in

      strengthening your body muscles and provides you with

      more endurance which helps you to fight against the  

      above diseases

• Building muscle: Water creates more resistance than air

     so you need to try much hard when it comes to

     swimming. You have to try 12 times harder when

     compared to working on land. This makes your major

     body parts like hips, shoulders, arms and back to exert

    12 times more power. As a result of this you develop 

     stronger muscles.

• Safe exercise: It is one of safest and cushioned form of

     physical exercise a person can find. If a person suffers

     from joint pains then swimming is a good form of

     exercises for him. He won't feel any pain while swimming

     as compared to working out on land. Professional

     athletes use water for rehabilitation purpose when they

     suffer injury.

• Workout time: If you are a beginner than you should hire

      a swimming coach or join a swimming club which offers

      training services. For beginners 10 to 15 minutes of 

      swimming is enough but if you are a pro than it depends

      on your capacity and stamina. 

Cycling

7 Health Benefits of Cycling

1. Cycling is good for your heart: Cycling is associated with improved cardiovascular fitness, as well as a decrease in the risk of coronary heart disease.

2. Cycling is good for your muscles: Riding a bike is great for toning and building your muscles, especially in the lower half of the body – your calves, your thighs, and your rear end. It’s also a great low-impact mode of exercise for those with joint conditions or injuries to the legs or hips, which might keep them from being active.

3. Cycling is good for your waistline: You can burn a lot of calories while biking, especially when you cycle faster than a leisurely pace, and cycling has been associated with helping to keep weight gain down. And cycling has the added benefit of ramping up your metabolism, even after the ride is over.

4. Cycling is good for your lifespan: Bicycling is a great way to increase your longevity, as cycling regularly has been associated with increased ‘life-years’, even when adjusted for risks of injury through cycling.

5. Cycling is good for your coordination: Moving both feet around in circles while steering with both your hands and your body’s own weight is good practice for your coordination skills.

6. Cycling is good for your mental health: Riding a bike has been linked to improved mental health.

7. Cycling is good for your immune system: Cycling can strengthen your immune system, and could protect against certain kinds of cancers.

Dancing

Dancing can be magical and transforming. It can breathe new life into a tired soul; make a spirit soar; unleash locked-away creativity; unite generations and cultures; inspire new romances or rekindle old ones; trigger long-forgotten memories; and turn sadness into joy, if only during the dance.

6 Benefits Of Dancing

• Forever young. Dancing is tremendously beneficial in keeping us young. It retards the aging process. It benefits our heart, cardiovascular system and increases our lung capacity.

• Strong bones, lubricated joints. Dance aids in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis, which is a major concern for women, especially during post-menopause because of the significant drop in estrogen that occurs at this stage. A decrease in our estrogen levels stops calcium from being absorbed into our bones. Dance also keeps joints lubricated, which helps prevent arthritis.

• Calorie blaster. Dance exercises our bodies to allow for increased circulation. It helps us burn calories while improving our stamina.

• Better blood. New research has discovered that it is necessary to measure both good and bad cholesterol levels when determining our health. Dancing aids in lipid control, which raises our HDL (good cholesterol), and lowers our LDL (bad cholesterol). Dancing is also great for diabetics because it aids in blood sugar control.

• Mental mastery. Dance improves our memory by making us recall steps, routines and dance patterns making it a great mental exercise for our brains. The big benefit is that increasing mental exercise keeps your mind young, quick, alert and open.

• A happy self.This is what allows us to heal stress and depression. It helps us establish our self-confidence and self-discipline. It improves the harmony between our mind and body, giving us a sense of well-being.