KIM’S KORNER- Let’s Get Physical!

Over the next few weeks we are going to look at physical activity. The World Health Organization defines physical activity as “movement of the body produced by muscles that requires energy expenditure”. We tend to think of exercise when we hear the term physical activity, but in fact physical activity describes movement, whether at work, rest or play; even doing housework. So why the sudden interest in physical activity? Times are changing and it is now possible to shop, play and communicate from the comfort of our armchairs. With the advent of the Internet and advances in technology, it is easy to fall into a sedentary way of life, but this is not good for our health.

The World Health Organization claims that lack of physical activity is one of the leading risk factors for death worldwide and a major risk factor for health problems such as stroke, heart disease, cancer and diabetes. The change in lifestyle choices also affects young people, with more than 80% of adolescents leading more sedentary lifestyles. 

Being physically active has many benefits: it can not only lift your mood, but boost your energy levels and help you sleep better. It can improve coordination, balance, agility, speed and reaction times. Most importantly, it can lower the risk of developing life-threatening diseases and help to improve the management of long-term conditions. Some of the most common health related benefits:

• Improves blood glucose levels and reduces risk of diabetes

• Reduces blood pressure

• Balances internal body systems to changing needs

• Reduces the risk of blood clots

• Improves blood flow to and from the heart

• Helps to control and lower cholesterol

• Improves cardiac function

• Reduces internal inflammation

• Improves mood, with less symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress.

So, exactly how does physical activity help us to improve, prolong and extend the quality of our lives? For a long time it has been recognised that our body responds to activity and exercise but most times we just focus on the weight loss. There are many other benefits to being active that go way beyond just losing weight. 

Physical activity and cardio-respiratory endurance are often what we call fitness. It is our ability to run for the bus or manage to walk up more than two flights of stairs without getting breathless. The more efficient our heart and lungs at supplying muscles with oxygen, the easier we can cope with extra demands. 

A good way of measuring this is to determine your maximum heart rate (MHR) by subtracting your age from 220. To obtain the maximum benefit from activities, it is recommended that we work at 55-85% of our MHR for at least 20-30 minutes, 2-3 times a week. Initially it will not take long to reach this marker and our recovery may take some time but, as our system grows more efficient, this will be noticeably different. For people suffering from high blood pressure this can be seen in lower values at rest. It has also been shown to have a positive effect on our cholesterol levels.

Muscular strength is the ability of the muscles to exert force. Strong muscles can also help build strong bones. Every time we move, our muscles contract, but adding extra load can help build stronger muscles, and load does not necessarily mean heading to the gym. Doing push-ups and squats is a great way to use your body weight to improve muscle strength. 

Muscular Endurance is the ability of our muscles to work without tiring. Our muscles adapt to what we do, so sitting in front of the TV or at a desk all day does not help improve our muscle stamina. Muscle strength alone is not enough; we need to change our lifestyles to include activity that allows our muscles to work for long periods—just going for long walks is enough to change the structure, function and performance of our muscles.

Flexibility is also important to the health of our muscles and joints. Tight muscles mean less movement, and performing a simple task, like reaching up to the top shelf, puts us at risk of overstretching and injuring a muscle.  All of these positive benefits will help you live a longer and healthier life. So take steps today to get moving, whether it’s going for a nice walk or joining the gym. 

Next week we will consider other aspects of physical activity.