Introduction
Being physically fit means having the strength and endurance to carry-out every day activities without undue stress and still have enough energy to participate in leisure activities and be able to deal with an unexpected emergency. When you are physically fit, your heart, lungs, and muscles are strong and your body is firm and flexible. Your body weight and percent of body fat are also within a desirable range. People can improve their health and quality of life by including moderate amounts of physical activity in their daily lives.
Improved health is obtained through of at least 30 minutes of cumulative moderate physical activity every day. This level of activity can be reached through a broad range of appropriate and enjoyable physical activities and body movements in people's daily lives, such as walking to work, climbing stairs, gardening, dancing, as well as a variety of leisure and recreational sports
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The health benefits are endless and exercising has been proven to help relieve stress. |
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Set aside a certain time of the day 3 - 5 times a week to workout. |
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Warming up before exercising is very important in preventing injuries. Before running you should first begin by walking, then jogging slowly. Begin increasing the speed as you feel your body loosening up. |
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Don't start
out too quickly and you'll get better results and your body will repay you
with minimal injury downtime. |
Aerobic
exercise is the only form of exercising where you use two sources of energy,
Carbohydrates
(blood glucose) and fat.
The Surgeon General advises us that, to be healthy, we need to exercise at least
three to four times a week, in an aerobic zone, for 20-30 minutes. That is a
standard to keep your
heart healthy, not to lose body fat by burning
calories. For the first 20 minutes you
exercise in your aerobic zone, you are burning about 80% carbohydrates and 20%
fat.
A moderate amount of activity can be obtained in a 30- minute brisk walk, 30 minutes of lawn mowing or raking leaves, a 15-minute run, or 45 minutes of playing badminton.
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Appropriate regular physical activity is a major component in preventing the increase of chronic disease. |
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At least 60% of the global population fails to achieve the minimum recommendation of 30 minutes moderate physical activity daily. |
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The risk of getting a cardiovascular disease increases by 1.5 times in people who do not follow minimum physical activity recommendations. |
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Inactivity greatly contributes to medical costs - by an estimated $75 billion in the USA in 2000 alone. |
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Decreases the risk of depression. |
