“If being active was a pill, we would be rushing to prescribe it. Physical activity is essential for health, and reduces the risk of many preventable diseases and conditions, from cancer to depression” (Public Health, England)
More than likely, this is nothing ground-breaking for those reading. We know exercise is good for us mentally. We know exercise is good for us physically. Yet, most of us out there are failing to meet the recommended guidelines for 150 minutes of moderate exercise (working but can still talk) per week, or 75 minutes of vigorous (difficult to talk) exercise per week. As a health professional, this baffles me. Why is something that is so well researched to have overwhelming positive impacts on our overall health being overlooked by a vast percentage of the population?
Getting active obviously requires time and effort, things that some people just aren’t willing to invest. We get caught up in our busy schedules and our health can tend to fall by the wayside. Looking healthy and being healthy are two different things.
Exercise is at the cornerstone of our management for just about every ache or pain that walks through the door. Strengthening in its most simple form has been shown to have analgesic effects (pain reducing) whilst increasing tissue tolerance to prevent recurrence in the future! Outside of musculoskeletal disorders, the benefits of exercise are profound.
- Improved strength, cardiovascular fitness and balance and coordination
- Improved sleep quality
- Improved mental health including decreased stress and anxiety, quality of life and overall wellbeing
- Increased bone density
- Improved cognitive health
- Significant decrease in blood pressure after just a 30 minute walk
- Improved cardiac health (↑plasma volume, ↓ blood viscosity)
“The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but instead will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease” – Thomas Edison
Even Mr Edison (who died in 1931!), an inventor not involved in the health industry, could see the future of health management.
In a study into the effects of strength training on health:
“Inactive adults experience a 3% to 8% loss of muscle mass per decade, accompanied by resting metabolic rate reduction and fat accumulation. Ten weeks of resistance training may increase lean weight by 1.4 kg, increase resting metabolic rate by 7%, and reduce fat weight by 1.8 kg.”
So basically, in order to offset the health repercussions of inactivity year after year, resistance training is the remedy. 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week. A minimum of two strength based sessions per week. It’s very managable. And for something that will impact our lives more than we’ll ever know, it’s well worth it the time and effort.
Convinced yet? If my argument hasn’t been enough, this video is sure to do the trick.
If you lack motivation, are keen to know more or want some assistance in reaping all the beautiful benefits that exercise can provide, book online or call the clinic today!