Health and Fitness

We all know that exercise is good for us and that things like smoking and eating a bad diet of bad for us! Let’s have a look at the specific ways in which exercise benefits us including the effect on stroke, heart failure, diabetes and our bones. One of the major benefits of exercise is improving the fitness of the heart, which is a muscle that can be exercised just like our other muscles. If we strengthen our heart muscles this will lead to more blood being pumped around our body, more easily and with less strain on the heart. Exercising regularly then can help to prevent heart disease and other heart problems.

Effect of Exercise on Strokes

At present it is still not certain how exercise can affect the likelihood of having a stroke. In general has been shown that some form of exercise lowers the risk of stroke or whether more vigorous or moderate exercise is more beneficial is still uncertain. One study did show that those people who walked briskly for an hour over about five days a week and a 50% less risk of getting a stroke.

Exercise for Those Who Have Had Heart Failure

In the past patients with heart failure have been told not to exercise this has been changed as it has been found that properly supervised exercises does not increase the risk of further heart attack. However if you have had heart failure you should be careful to only exercise under supervision of a medical practitioner. Some studies have shown that elderly patients could increase oxygen consumption by about 1/5 by taking part in stationary bike or treadmill exercise is over a period of six months

Effects of Exercise on Diabetes

The increasing incidence of type II diabetes is causing concern in many Western countries. Both types of diabetes (type I and two) benefit from aerobic exercise, including moderate exercise such as brisk walking or stationary biking. Exercise has been found to lower blood pressure, increased sensitivity to insulin and lower levels of LDL cholesterol. Of course anyone with diabetes should consult a medical practitioner before embarking on an exercise program.

Exercise Effects On the Bones

Exercise can help those who suffer from osteoarthritis and having to increase flexibility, decrease stiffness and pain and increase muscle strength. People with osteoarthritis should use strengthening exercises, such as resistance exercises, and moderate exercises such as swimming, walking or biking. They should not take part in high impact exercise such as tennis, jogging or the racquet sports. Moderate exercise would also helps helps flexibility of the joints and can build up muscles in the legs which can be a cause of osteoarthritis. Frequent, short exercises is much better than infrequent, vigorous long-lasting exercise.

Exercise is also important for those with osteoporosis especially weight bearing exercises which help the body to increase bone density. For younger people with osteoporosis high impact the size of such a step aerobics are good but they should not be used by elderly people as this can increase the risk of falling or causing fractures. As of the people should try low impact exercises such as yoga tai chi and gentle weight-bearing exercises using resistance exercise machines or other means.

In one long-term clinical study on the health of the people in the United States, the U.S. Public Health Service documented the probability of developing heart disease among various groups in the population. A long time before any symptoms appeared, epidemiological factors could pinpoint groups at high risk.

Some of the most significant risk factors are being over 35, cigarette smoking, high blood fat levels, and a family history of heart diseases.

Other researchers have added to this list another serious risk factor: Someone with a compulsive, highly nervous personality. The more significant the risk factor, the greater the individual’s long-term risk.

These threats to the heart can be divided into two main categories: those out of our control, such as heredity, age and sex, and those that are controllable and can be eliminated. Some of these are what cardiologists call “three strike  threat.” These are the smoking, high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels.

If you smoke a packet of cigarettes a day, your risk of having a heart attack is two times that of some who does not smoke. If you have high blood pressure, smoke and eat lots of fat without any exercise regularly, your risk is more than five times greater than the general population.

What should you do to promote a healthy heart?

Of course, giving up cigarettes and consuming a much lower fat diet will help enormously. The second thing you can do for your heart’s sake is to take regular exercise even if it is just beginning to walk instead of taking the car everywhere you go.

Since World War II many large-scale statistical studies have looked at the relationship between exercise and heart disease. One important survey compared 31,000 drivers and conductors of some bus companies. The much more inactive bus drivers had a significantly higher rate of heart disease than the conductors, were much more active.

Many studies have shown that moderate exercise two or three times every week is better in ensuring a healthy heart than very vigorous exercise done twice as often.

The general rule is that exercise can help decrease the risk of harm to the heart. Some studies have also attested the link between exercise and cardio vascular health. It has been shown that non exercisers had a 48% higher risk of having a heart attack than those who took regular exercise. Many studies have also attributed a third of that risk to an inactive lifestyle.

To conclude then we can state that frequent mild exercise taken two or three times a week will have a great benefit on your heart and help to ensure that you remain healthy and fit.