Fitness Benefits

Physical Fitness: Is a general state of health and well-being, and having the ability to perform a specific activity effectively with reasonable efficiency.

Everyone is aware that personal fitness and physical well-being are intimately linked to longevity and the quality of one's life. Your physical well-being is also linked to your work performance and the joy you find in your family life. Along with a healthy diet, a regular fitness program can be the answer to: How can I lose weight?, one of many fitness benefits of a active lifestyle.

There are many fitness benefits from regular exercise and activity. Physical Activity should be an important part of your day to day routine.

Physical Activity is for Everyone
Virtually everyone can get health benefits from activity. But every few years, surveys confirm the fact that most people are not getting enough physical activity. The American Heart Association attributes about 250,000 deaths a year in the US - about 12 percent of total deaths - to lack of regular physical activity.

Here are just a few fitness benefits, broken down into fitness catagories.

Benefits of Cardiovascular Fitness

-Reduction in blood pressure

-Decreased total cholesterol

-Increase in HDL cholesterol ( thats the good stuff )

-Decrease in body fat stores

-Increased heart function

-Decrease in type 2 Diabetes

-Decrease resting heart rate

Benefits of Strength Fitness

-Increased muscle fiber size

-Increase in bone strength

-Increased Physical Capacity

-Enhanced body composition ( the way we look )

-Reduction in the risk of skeletal injury

* Fact: UNLESS WE PERFORM REGULAR STRENGTH EXERCISE, WE LOSE MORE THAN ONE-HALF POUND OF MUSCLE EVERY YEAR OF LIFE AFTER THE AGE OF 25. An important fitness benefit of strength training is that it slows this process down.

Benefits of Flexibility

-Enhanced muscular relaxation

-Improved range of motion within joints

-Improved muscular balance

-Enhanced speed of movement

-Improved performance of certain sports related activities

-Decrease the chance of injury during activity

These are just a few of the many many benefits of fitness, all catagories contributing to a reduction in stress, the decreased risk of certain diseases and simply looking and feeling better.

Risk Factors of a Sedentary Lifestyle

* High Blood Pressure: Unhealthy eating habits with high fat content and an inactive lifestyle can lead to hardening of your blood vessels (arteriosclerosis). In turn, this can lead to multiple health implications, including but not limited to high blood pressure (hypertension), heart attack, and coronary diseases.

* Depression: Discontent with your body image fuelled by the constant fatigue from a sedentary lifestyle is a recipe for depression. This only acts as a further deterrent from taking that first step to healthy living and escaping that vicious cycle.

* Stroke, Heart Disease, Obesity: The statistics are out there, need I say more? It`s time to change and get fit.

* Premature Death: Startling news! According to a growing number research bodies, this will be the first generation where the life expectancy of children is projected to be less than that of their parents. The brunt of the fault lies in sedentary lifestyles and improper dieting and their adverse consequences on health.

* Osteoporosis: A disease that results in the reduction of bone mineral density that increases the risk of bone fracture. Osteoporosis is more likely with age and more probable to affect women after menopause. With the ability to affect the entire body, osteoporosis can be debilitating on your way of life. A diet rich in calcium and vitamin D, supplemented by regular exercise, has been shown to build bone density and limit the development of osteoporosis.

* Adult Onset Diabetes: Clinically recognized as Type II Diabetes, this is the most prevalent form of diabetes (about 90% of those diagnosed with diabetes) and typically affects people over 45. Individuals with Type II Diabetes have become unresponsive to the insulin produced their bodies. As a result, they are unable to regulate their blood glucose levels and must rely on regular insulin injections instead. A regular exercise plan and healthy eating can control the emergence of this type of diabetes.

*** If these reasons are not enough to scare you into a healthy lifestyle that includes regular exercise and fitness then do it for this one: Your family. Being able to be active and enjoy your family is worth some sweat and healthy eating. Its not a sacrifice, but a lifestyle...There are many fitness benefits, but a lack of an active lifestyle can lead to diseases that can be easily avoided.***

Not Convinced? read this:

Fitness benefits:ACE: Exercise May Keep Alzheimer's at Bay

Exercise not only helps keep you young, research shows that it may ward off one of the most dreaded diseases of the old - Alzheimer's. One fitness benefit that affects many lives.

The study compared the exercise habits of 126 elderly patients with Alzheimer's and 315 healthy older adults.

Researchers were particularly interested in the subjects' exercise habits between the ages of 20 and 59.

''The results suggest that lifelong regular exercise may be protective against the development of Alzheimer's disease.''

Running, swimming, tennis, weight training, biking and golf were among the activities favored by those who demonstrated a lower risk for developing Alzheimer's.

According to Smith and his associates, about four million Americans are believed to be affected by Alzheimer's disease, a number that will likely double by 2030.

In addition to exercise, previous studies suggest that individuals who possess intellectually demanding occupations and higher levels of education and social activity are at a reduced risk for developing Alzheimer's.

Source: American Academy of Neurology, 50th annual meeting, Minneapolis, Minn., April 28, 1998

Still think Fitness is not worth it? take a look at the video below.

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