Staying Healthy Through Physical Conditioning

Our bodies are naturally designed for work. At one time our survival depended both on an ability to escape from danger and a capacity for hard work. Physical conditioning was the natural result of such a life. But modern conveniences have dramatically changed the way we use our bodies. Instead of working in the fields or chasing down dinner, many of us spend all day at a desk and our evenings in front of a television set.

Elevators and escalators have replaced staircases and vacuum cleaners have replaced rug beating. The automobile has become so much a part of our lives that in some areas anyone seen walking on the sidewalk is viewed with suspicion. So if our daily routine does not provide the necessary movement to keep us fit, we owe it to ourselves to find another alternative.

Using our bodies as they were meant to be used is an essential part of living a healthy and balanced life. Along with a proper diet, regular exercise helps prevent many diseases, lengthens life span, and improves the overall quality of life.

Our risk of developing one of the "illnesses of modern civilization" can be decreased by regular exercise. For some time now it has been known that exercising can reduce blood pressure, lower cholesterol levels, improve the ratio of lean muscle to fat, and strengthen and increase the heart's efficiency. All of these effects decrease the chance of death due to cardiovascular disease. More recently, scientists have noted a possible connection between certain types of cancer and inactivity. And finally, regular exercise combined with a sensible diet is still the most effective way in combating obesity.

Women benefit from regular exercise in another important way - exercise reduces the risk of osteoporosis by increasing bone formation and delaying bone loss. For women who already have the condition, exercise can help stop the progression of the disease. And because regular exercise reduces glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, it is helpful in controlling diabetes as well as in reducing the risk of adult-onset diabetes. Exercise also stimulates the secretion of other kinds of hormones that have been linked to decreases in clinical symptoms of anxiety and depression.

In addition, by improving circulation and nourishing tissues, exercise increases the range of movement of body joints, reduces the effects of stress and tension, and decreases or even cures insomnia. Of course there is some risk of injury with any kind of exercise. But the improved strength, balance, and coordination that comes from regular exercise greatly reduces the risk of all kinds of injuries.

Many activities can improve physical fitness, but some may be more suitable for you than others. A well-rounded fitness program should incorporate three basic components: cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, and flexibility. Following this guideline, any program you select should include exercises that increase heart and lung capacity, stretch tight muscle groups and strengthen weak ones.

Cardiorespiratory fitness refers to how well the lungs deliver oxygen to the blood and how well the heart and circulatory system send blood and its nutrients throughout the body.

Programs that develop heart and lung capacity are often referred to as being aerobic, and they accomplish their goal by elevating the heart rate for a sustained period.

Aerobic exercise typically serves as the foundation for any fitness program since a healthy heart and lungs are essential to the safe and skillful performance of almost all activities and sports.

Depending on your level of fitness and what you hope to achieve, most experts recommend a minimum of 20 minutes of aerobic exercise three to five days a week. You may choose any activity that uses large muscle groups that can be maintained continuously and that is cardiorespiratory in nature. Examples include brisk walking, swimming, sprinting, bicycling, cross-country skiing, skating, stair-climbing, hiking, dancing, basketball, and soccer.

Intensity, or the speed of the workout, is crucial and is measured by how fast the heart is made to beat. Usually the goal is to reach 65% to 90% of the exerciser's highest possible heart rate and sustain this rate for some length of time.

Muscular strength and endurance exercises use progressive resistance to increase the size and strength of muscle fibers, resulting in a greater physical ability to perform work. Free weights are typical examples of the types of resistance equipment used in building strength. Push-ups, chin-ups, and curls produce similar results, but require no special equipment since they utilize the body's own weight as the source of resistance.

Despite popular conceptions, strength and endurance training is not just for weight lifters, boxers, and body-builders, but is an effective way of improving general fitness, converting fat to muscle, and increasing metabolic rate.

Stretching is an aspect of fitness that is often neglected. Many people choose activities that focus on strength and cardiorespiratory fitness but little in support of flexibility. However, most physical fitness professionals consider it an important element in achieving top physical performance. Some people are naturally less limber than others; to avoid strain or injury, the safest flexibility exercise is a slow, sustained stretch.

Flexibility training is all about increasing the range of motion around a joint. Many things determine a joint's flexibility, including the structure of the joint and the resilience of the attached muscles and connective tissue. As muscles become stronger through exercise, they also become tighter. That is, unless flexibility training is done. On this basis, gentle stretching may reduce the tightening effect of strength training and other endurance activities, as well as reduce the risk of injury.