Why Exercise

Why 30 minutes of Moderate Physical Activity on 5 days a week?

These recommendations are generally accepted worldwide, based on evidence these recommendations remain appropriate for general health benefits across a wide range of diseases. (DoH, 2004).
This will also represent a significant increase in energy expenditure for most people and will contribute to their ongoing weight management.

Achieving these recommendations

The recommended levels of activity can be achieved either by doing all the dialy activity in one session, or through several shorter bouts of activity of 10 minutes or more. The activity can be lifestyle activity (housework, climbing stairs, brisk walking) or structured exercise or sport or a combination of these.

How do I know if I'm doing Moderate Intensity Physical Activity?

You will feel slightly warmer
Your heart will beat fatser than normal but not racing
You will breath deeper and more rapidly than usual, but will still be able to hold a conversation.

Benefits of Physical Activity

Reduce the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke
Lowers blood pressure
Reduce high cholesterol and improve blood lipid profile
Reduce body fat
Reduce the risk of cancer of the colon
Reduce he risk of non-insulin dependent diabetes
Enhance mental wellbeing
Increase bone density, hence helping to prevent osteoporosis
Help to control body weight
Help osteoarthritis
Help flexibility and co-ordination hence reducing the risk of falls
Promotes musculoskeletal health
Regular physical activity can have a beneficial effect on up to 20 chronic diseases or disorders.

(Sources: Davison & Grant 1993, US Dept of Health 1996, British Heart Foundation 2000).

Physical Activity makes you feel better

It improves self efficacy (Self Efficacy is the degree in which someone believes that they control what they do and what happens to them). Therefore the more we engage in exercise the better we feel about ourselves. Exercise releases ‘feel good’ endorphins responsible for positive moods, which in turn makes you feel better about yourself, reducing symptoms of depression. A way to lose your inhibition and have fun!

More info:
http://www.bodybuildingforyou.com/articles-submit/tanja-gardner/exercise-self-image.htm

Walkers Live Longer

Regular participation in physical activity (like walking) is associated with reduced mortality rates for both older and younger adults (US Dept of Health 1996). In other words, walkers live longer! Walking one mille (1.6km) can burn up at least 100Kcal (420KJ) of energy and walking two miles (3.2KM) a day, three times a week, can help reduce weight by one pound (0.5Kg) every three weeks. Walking also alters fat metabolism so that fat is burned up instead of sugars, helping to reduce weight.

Walk as much as possible – every little bit counts!

Cycling will help with weight management

Cycling can be part of a programme to lose weight because it burns the energy supplied by a chocolate bar or a couple of alcoholic drinks in an hour (about 300 calories). A 15 – minute bike ride to and from work five times a week burns off the equivalent of 11 pounds of fat in a year. That kind of cycling pattern also meets the government’s latest target on exercise; that we should take part in some mild to moderate physical activity that leaves us out of breath for at least 30 minutes 5 times a week. If you are worried about traffic fumes, there may be no need. Cyclists and pedestrians actually absorb lower levels of pollutants from traffic fumes than car drivers.

More info:
http://www.bupa.co.uk/health_information/html/healthy_living/lifestyle/exercise/cycling_health.html

Why the gym beats cancer: Vigorous exercise lowers death risk

People who exercise at high intensity are less likely to develop cancer and die, research out today suggests. Jogging, swimming, rowing and games like squash or football all lead to a lower risk of developing cancer and dying from it.

However, the study found people must exercise for at least 30 minutes a day. Experts followed 2,560 men from eastern Finland with no history of cancer and asked them how often they exercised.The men, aged between 42 and 61, filled in questionnaires and undertook physical tests to measure the intensity of their exercise.They were followed for an average of almost 17 years and were aged 53 on average at the start of the follow-up.The intensity of exercise was measured in metabolic units (MET or metabolic equivalents of oxygen consumption).Walking was measured as having an average intensity of 4.2 MET, jogging 10.1 MET, swimming 5.4 MET, gardening 4.3 MET and cycling to work 5.1 MET.Skiing was 9.6 MET, rowing 5.4 MET, ball games 6.7 MET and gymnastics, dancing or weight-lifting 5 MET.The study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, found that men who did an average of 5.2 MET activity for at least 30 minutes a day had around half the risk of cancer death of those who exercised less.This was also true after adjusting for factors likely to influence the results, including age, alcohol consumption, smoking, body mass index and calorie intake.The average duration of physical activity was 462 minutes per week, or almost eight hours.The authors, from Kuopio and Oulu universities in Finland, said high intensity exercise was best for lowering the risk of getting cancer and dying from it, particularly lung and gastrointestinal cancers.The study said: 'The intensity of leisure time physical activity had a strong and independent association with cancer mortality.'Men with a mean (average) intensity of leisure time physical activity of over 5.2 MET had a greatly reduced risk of cancer death.'It added: 'The intensity of physical activity should be at least moderate so that beneficial effect of physical activity for reducing overall cancer mortality can be achieved.

Article Published Daily Mail August 5th 2009