Exercise Health - Essay Example

John Welsh once said, “A man’s health can be judged by which he takes two at a time – pills or stairs”. World Health Organization defines health as the state of complete physical, mental an,d social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. The evidence in favor of exercise is many and is as old as the human race itself. The increasing toll of diseases associated with a sedentary lifestyle, like cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, and diabetes at an alarming rate draws one's attention to the need for immediate measures to counter the ill effects of the so-called modernized living.

Kumar et al in their book Pathologic Basis of Disease, refer to cardiovascular disease as the single greatest killer of humans in industrialized nations, accounting for more than 5 million deaths per year. Sedentary living and the associated cardiorespiratory diseases are regarded by Bouchard and Blair as the major factors responsible for premature deaths in this century. Hypertension and obesity are the initial manifestations of disease as the body starts accumulating fats due to the lack of physical activity. Soon the blood vessels become clogged due to the deposition of fibrous plaques, leading to increased blood pressure. Canlas describes hypertension as the silent killer because it causes extensive damage internally long before the external manifestations of the disease. It is therefore important to realize the importance of exercise and incorporate it into a daily routine to nip the problem in the bud.

Fletcher et al in their statement on exercise state the fundamental role of physical activity to counter cardiovascular accidents. According to them, exercise increases the functional capacity of the heart and reduces the myocardial oxygen demand. Exercise minimizes the chances of adverse cardiac events in the normal population and in the rehabilitation of patients who have survived a prior attack. Regular routine improves calcium deposition in bones, thereby increasing bone density and reducing the risk of bone break disease, and osteoporosis. Siscovick et al highlight the importance of adopting a regular exercise routine in order to maintain bone strength and flexibility, especially after menopause. The effects of exercise on the muscular system are evident as an improvement in endurance and power on account of resistance training. Bouchard et al propose a regular exercise routine because it ensures an adequate fat distribution over the body and the normal body mass index as well as counters the metabolic disturbances leading to the development of diabetes and abnormal lipid profiles. Chesley et al highlight the effects of exercise when accompanied by adequate protein intake, as it helps shed excess fat and shifts the muscle protein turnover towards the synthesis of new proteins resulting in increased lean muscle mass.

As evident, the benefits of exercise are numerous and the risks are minor or limited to some exceptional cases. Care should be taken when designing the exercise plan for hypertensive people or the survivors of congestive cardiac failure as they have a limited reserve of cardiac and respiratory functional capacity. Siscovick et al describe the benefits of starting from light aerobics and moving on to resistance training exercises as they prove beneficial in the long run, as manifested by an increase in strength and endurance, and a lower level of blood pressure. Bouchard et al also advocate this approach as a step to reduce the overall chances of recurrence of adverse cardiac events and support the fact that a carefully designed exercise regimen should dismiss the myth about exercise being dangerous for health.

When talking about the sedentary lifestyle in developed countries, the referred target population is the one with great jobs and the policymakers who employ masses for the tasks to be performed, while their own job is limited to sitting at the desk behind a screen to make and manage the policies and constitutions, for any institution or the country. This can be the department that manages the flow of funds to all other departments, the departments that seem to be important and ‘vital’ for the economy and running of institutions just as they themselves are. It is ironic how this is the department at greatest risk of consequences from the lack of exercise, despite being the department that holds the power to change its own fate. What they don’t realize is the need for change in the direction of the flow of thoughts as well as funds toward the healthier side. Fletcher et al refer to health insurance policies and implementing healthy habits and exercise routines in workplaces as well as schools, institutions, and community centers as the key to health and fitness. A study undertaken by Erisken et al to improve physical health at the workplace showed positive outcomes in terms of general health, physical activity as well as muscle pain. The American College of sports medicine and the Centers for disease control and Prevention recommend daily 30 minutes of physical workout for a normal adult to stay healthy.