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Regular exercise or physical activity improves the physical and mental fitness of the body, which leads to a reduced risk of developing diseases, such as:
- Cardiovascular disease
- Type II diabetes
- Certain cancers
- Injury from daily work and chores
- High blood pressure
- High blood cholesterol
The American Heart Association advises at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, which is 30 minutes a day for five days a week.
It is recommended to reduce the number of hours of prolonged sitting even where prolonged sitting is a must. Take short breaks from sitting by walking for a while.
What are the benefits of physical activity?
Irrespective of age, sex, or physical ability, regular physical activity shows immediate and long-term health benefits and improves the overall quality of the life.
Here are some of the advantages of regular physical exercise that illustrate the significance of physical fitness.
- Reduces the risk of diseases: Physical fitness improves the health of the body by decreasing the risk or severity of diseases, such as hypertension (high blood pressure), diabetes, high blood cholesterol levels, cardiovascular diseases, obesity, and cancer.
- Improves mental health: Regular exercise promotes good mental health by reducing depression, anxiety, and other mood changes. It improves concentration, thinking, decision-making and self-esteem. It also helps you get good sleep, which plays a major role in decreasing stress and improving your quality of life.
- Increases muscle and bone health: Regular exercise is essential for the development and maintenance of strong muscles and bones. People lose muscle mass and bone density and function as they age, which increases their risk of injury. Regular physical exercise promotes the ability of muscles to absorb essential nutrients for growth and prevents muscle loss while preserving strength as people age. It improves bone density that may help prevent osteoporosis and arthritis.
- Increases energy levels: Physical activity reduces the feeling of lethargy because it boosts energy levels and keeps people active. This increases social interaction, which makes people feel good about themselves and keeps them cheerful.
- Decreases body weight: Being overweight results in several problems, such as internal damage to the organs and joints, decreased enthusiasm in life, and difficulty performing regular activities. Being fit improves confidence and encourages people to have an active and fun life.
What are the risks associated with over-exercising?
Overtraining syndrome is often called burnout and can harm anybody who engages in high-volume training without appropriate rest, which is commonly seen among athletes and fitness enthusiasts, manifesting itself in a range of physical and psychological symptoms. Everyone can perform physical activity, so the definition of over-exercising differs from one individual to the other.
According to Rady Children’s Hospital, San Diego, the major symptom of this condition is diminishing physical performance in sports despite continued or increased training.
Overtraining or over-exercising may produce several negative effects on the body that include:
- Increased resting heart rate
- Unexplained weight loss
- Decreased appetite
- Fatigue
- Ongoing muscle and joint pain unrelated to a specific injury
- Increased risk of injury
- Difficulty sleeping
- Increased stress hormones
- Weakened immunity
- Constant feeling of being sick
- Mood swings
- Increased anger and irritability
- Impaired performance at regular work or studies
- Decreased enthusiasm for sports or exercises
To prevent overtraining, schedule sufficient rest days after long or strenuous workouts. Resting between workouts and decreasing the intensity and frequency of exercises reduce muscular tension and help you feel active while resting after a tough exercise. Simultaneously, do not let too much time pass between training sessions.
Consult your doctor if you have any injuries that worsened over time or did not heal, are experiencing muscular soreness that lasts more than 24 hours, or feeling joint and ligament discomfort regularly. Discuss any concerns with your doctor and coach to ensure appropriate treatment
