The Benefits of Sports to Become Confident, Alert and Vibrant - Term Paper Example

Exercise is an acceptable method for improving and maintaining physical and emotional health Today, technology has made it easier for everyone to avoid doing things manually than before. People no longer work in farms or walk to work because there are tractors to do the job and vehicles to transport the goods. People can sit in their houses and, through internet, do the delivery and shopping anytime and everywhere. As a result, the 21st century person lacks physical exercise, which has come with a load of physical and mental health complications. This has led to the establishment of exercise centers like gymnasiums where people can go and do exercise. This artificial exercise has proved to be a therapy for complications, like obesity, diabetes among others. Experts and researchers have found out that exercise is essential in maintaining body fitness and is used even on medical grounds as a therapy. Exercise is also essential for enhancing emotional health especially the yoga moves which incorporates meditation. However, seeking exercise from gymnasiums has taken another twist where people are addicted to exercising, and they resort to using drugs such as hormone pills, protein powders and steroid, which are detrimental to their health. There are several other complications associated with extreme exercise especially when one takes a regimen that is not in line with his or her fitness. This paper develops the argument that exercise is an accepted method that is essential in improving and maintaining physical as well as emotional health, regardless of some few misgivings. Although no one can guarantee the length of our lives, everyone wishes to live a long and healthy life. Regardless of this guarantee, there are proved ways of increasing our chances of living longer. There are benefits of being physically, mentally, emotionally and psychologically healthy. If one is in poor health, it will be hard for one to participate in many activities with their friends, children and family. A healthy person tends to live longer, get fewer bugs and experience less aches and pains as they age and they recover faster from illnesses, then unhealthy person. Exercise has been accepted as a method for improving and maintaining emotional and physical health, and growing evidence supports a belief that yoga for instance has a lot of benefits to physical and mental health. Physical exercise has three categories depending on the resultant effects on the human body. The first category is the flexibility exercise, like stretching, which improves the range of muscle and joint motion. The second category is the aerobic exercises like cycling, walking, jogging, and swimming, which are focused on boosting cardiovascular endurance. The third category is the anaerobic exercises such as sprinting, weight training, and eccentric training, which increase short-term muscle strength. Generally, physical exercise is meant for improving physical skills, which fall into the categories of Cardiovascular, and respiratory endurance among others (Body Building Tips Guide.com 1). Exercise is effective in maintaining physical fitness and can contribute in maintaining a healthy weight, building and maintaining healthy bone density, muscle strength, improving physiological wellbeing among other benefits. Physical exercise reduces levels of cortisol, which is associated with both physical and mental health problems (Cohen & Gail 12). Frequent and regular aerobic exercise is known to be effective in treating and preventing life-threatening chronic conditions like high blood pressure, obesity, heart disease, insomnia, type 2 Diabetes, and depression, among others (Saylor 21). Borer et al. analyze that endurance exercise before meal lowers blood glucose as compared to the same exercise after meal (1609). The world health organization has reported that people who do not exercise are 17% likely to develop heart disease and diabetes, and 12 % are likely to develop breast and colon cancer (Silberner 1). Moreover, vigorous exercise (90–95% of VO2 Max) is better than moderate exercise (40 to 70% ofVO2 Max) because if vigorous exercise is executed by healthy individuals, it can increase Opioid peptides, testosterone and growth hormone in a way that is not achieved by moderate exercise (Borer et al. 1610). Both aerobic and anaerobic exercises increase mechanical efficiency of the heart because they increase cardiac volume or myocardial thickness, which is highly beneficial for healthy living. Lack of exercise makes people carry a lot of extra weight especially when they eat too much because their joints wear out sooner than those of a thin person. In addition, the hearts of overweight people are overworked than those of slimmer people and, therefore, overweight people die sooner. If a person does not exercise at all, he or she will be struggling most of the times to get through the day. Obesity is a condition that can be checked if people engage in sports and other physical activities because exercise reduces body weight and mass (Saylor 25). Exercise is not only helpful in helping one to burn calories, lose weight and strengthen muscle, but also helps in making us happy, intelligent and boots our hope and success. A person who exercises is confident, alert and vibrant (Wilmore & Knuttgen 45). In addition, regular weight bearing exercise has been associated with strengthening bone and preventing many forms of bone loss as a person advances to old age. In older adults, aerobic exercise can help in postponing the development of disability. This way, engaging in exercise helps people to fight stress, blue mood, depression, and psychological trauma (Yeager 1). A study carried by UCLA researchers studied 610 subjects with a history of chronic back pain. Their study followed the subjects for 11/2 years and the results favored exercise as an effective regimen in relieving back pain. The study concluded that, for subjects who exercised regularly, the chances of experiencing an increase in pain and disability was 31% compared to their counterparts who never exercised (Julie 44). This study is a proof that people are less likely to develop chronic back pains and other pains if they engage in regular exercise. Moreover, exercise is beneficial to the economy because it can save the government and other stakeholders’ healthcare cost because it reduces the prevalence of heart diseases, cancer, and diabetes. This is based on a study carried at the University of South Carolina that revealed that high levels of aerobic activity can help in preventing digestive system cancer in men (Body Building Tips Guide.com 1). Alongside preventing the occurrence of common cancers, exercise boosts the immune system and this carries all medical benefits that come with strong immune system. In this category, the California department of education has proved that children who are involved in exercise score the highest on fitness tests and aptitude examinations. There is massive documentation of benefits of exercise on the cardiovascular system. Cardiovascular mortality and physical inactivity pose substantial health risk of coronary artery disease that is closely embedded with physical inactivity (OConnor, Crowe & Spinks 53). In addition, research has proved that there is a close-response relation between exercises performed from approximately 700 to 2000 kcal energy expenditure every week (OConnor, Crowe & Spinks 53). Without exercise, this energy accumulates and can lead to cardiovascular disease in vulnerable populations (De Vos et al. 641). Sedentary persons, who become moderately active in exercising, have the greatest potential for reduced mortality, and sedentary persons, who do not exercise have the highest risk of suffering cardiovascular disease. There are hundreds of studies on the connection between exercise and the immune system although there is little evidence on its connection to illness. Epidemiological evidence has it that moderate exercise boosts immune system and decreases the incidence of upper respiratory tract infections. According to 2008 review of cognitive enrichment therapies, physical activity, especially aerobic exercise boosts the cognitive action of older adults (De Vos et al. 643). Exercise is also neuprotective in many neurodegenerative and neuromuscular diseases, and it reduces the chance of one developing dementia (Hertzog, Kramer, Wilson, & Lindenberger 21). There is also evidence that exercise will benefit people whose brains have been damaged by alcohol by reversing the alcohol induced damage (Saylor 25). Physical activity has also been associated with increased levels of nerve growth factors, which enable neural cells to grow (Hertzog, Kramer, Wilson, & Lindenberger 20). Therefore, there are several benefits that the brain can get from regular physical exercise, including increased blood and oxygen flow, increased growth factors that help in the creation of new cell growth and increase chemicals like dopamine, glutamate and serotonin in the brain that help cognition (35). Moreover, there are many factors that contribute to depression like overweight, low self esteem, and stress among others. Physical exercise enables the increase of endorphins that act as natural pain reliever and antidepressants in the body (Cohen & Gail 12). An encouraging report is that the levels of these endorphins are elevated and remain high several days after exercise thus improving mood, self esteem and weight management (Cohen & Gail 12). Research has also proved that exercise reduces insomnia and improves sleep. For this to be achieved, exercise should be taken 4 to 8 hours before bedtime. A 2005 study has it that exercise is better than sleep pills for resolving insomnia (Cohen & Gail 13). Although these reasons call for people to engage in exercise, there are various problems associated with exercise. These problems give most people reasons not to engage in exercise considering that; it has been regarded as harmful to health. A maxim that cannot be discounted is that too much of everything is poisonous. Exercise is addictive, and this can lead to compulsive disorder, which is destructive to the health of any individual (Body Building Tips Guide.com 1). People who are addicted to exercising turn to be masochistic and are always craving for exhaustion and pain of exercising. It has been proved that extreme exercise may lead to physical injury and negligence of responsibilities in family and at work. The belief that exercise leads to muscle expansion makes those who engage in sports to indulge in drugs like steroids to expand their muscles. People, who are always in gymnasiums, are associated with the use of steroids. Exercise can also be done inappropriately and can lead to injuries like bone and muscle breakages. Breakages are common when a person uses improper form of exercise during weight or cardio training and especially when one chooses an exercise that does not fit appropriately with his or her fitness level. Whenever ones muscle is used beyond their normal day to day capacity, they will become sore. In most cases, this sore is caused by microscopic tears and swelling that occurs in the muscle tissue. Although exercise is useful in increasing bone density, people with frail bones can experience bone damage under the smallest amount of stress especially when engaging in exercises that involve moderate to-high-impacts (De Vos et al. 642). Injuries can prevent one from exercising and engaging in daily chores. As discussed in the benefits of exercise, normal amount of exercise reduces general aches and pains that are common in people, but over exercising causes chronic pain. To avoid this, people should avoid daily routine in exercising or make sure that they warm up and cool down adequately to avoid undue strain. Therefore, one should be a ware of the kind of exercise he or she is doing to ensure that he or she does it in right postures. One reason as to why people start exercising is to lose weight, but exercising at high intensity level for a long time end up increasing their appetite to a degree that they overeat. This way, the calories they burn during exercise are less than the calories they take, and this makes them overweight (Wilmore & Knuttgen 45). Although this is not problematic, people who are aimed at losing weight are discouraged and frustrated if their goals are not achieved. Lack of proper training regimen may also lead to frustration and pain, due to plateau causes that may make one give up completely. Over training may also cause: lack of sleep, increased heart rate at rest, lack of energy, and compromised immune system. Moreover, exercise has catabolic effects on the body because calories are consumed for energy together with carbohydrates and fats. Over exercising also leads to lack of rest, which increases chances of stroke, or other circulation problems (Wilmore & Knuttgen 45). Athletes, who undergo training for multiple marathons; suffer scarring of the heart and heart rhythm abnormalities (Yeager 6). Stopping extreme exercise suddenly can also lead to extreme mood change, depression and agitation as a result of withdrawing endorphins produced by exercise. In addition, exercise has been associated wit amenorrhea in women where they miss their periods for some time (Yeager 6). Research has proved that moderate exercise decreases the incidence of upper respiratory tract infection by 29 %. It should also be noted that people have viewed the recommended time as a disadvantage because sometimes it is does not take a short time to get proper and expected results because physical exercise takes time and it forces one to allocate time from his or her schedule. In conclusion, exercise is a popular regimen in dealing with many lifestyle complications. This paper has collected enough evidence on the benefit of physical exercise on people’s health. There are different types of exercise regimens according to the goals of each activity. Although exercise is beneficial, one should select the kind of exercise with regard to his or her health fitness, age and goal. There are exercise regimens, which are fit for aged people and others for young people. People who exercise regularly are reported to have friendly mood; have few cases of depression and they have strong bones. Exercise is not only helpful in keeping people healthy and away from diseases, but also in maintaining proper posture. People, who are living with diabetes type 2 and obesity, are encouraged by doctors to include exercise in their treatment therapy. For obese people, they cut on weight and maintain decent shape, which enables them to reduce the depression caused by this condition. The benefits discussed, and the studies are enough proof that exercise is an acceptable method for improving and maintaining physical and emotional health. On the other side, excessive exercise has been associated with many complications ranging from bone breakages or injuries, indulgence in some harmful drugs, overeating, and stress among others. For people with frail bones, it may not be advisable to take exercises, which exerts too much pressure and stress on their bones. Although one may tend to overeat after exercise, hence gain weight rather than losing it, an overweight person who does exercise is well shaped and protected than one who does not take exercise. It is advisable for people who have set their goals to be informed of these detriments to avoid frustration in case their goals are not attained. Exercise is not an expensive undertaking, and there is always an option for any person from all walks of life. For one to reap the benefits of exercise, knowledge and information of one’s health is vital so as to know, which exercise regimen is acceptable and helpful for him or her. Furthermore, one has to treat exercise as part of a busy schedule in order to achieve the fullest results. When treated as a peripheral activity, people will tend to forget it and go for the scheduled activities and this way, they will lack the physical and emotional health benefits of exercise. Works Cited Body Building Tips Guide.com. 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OConnor, Donna; Crowe, Melissa & Spinks Warwick. “Effects of static stretching on leg capacity during cycling.” Turin 46.1 (2005): 52–56. Saylor, Carrie. Weight loss, exercise and health research. Commack, N.Y: Nova Science Publishers, 2006. Print. Silberner, Joanne. 100 Years Ago, Exercise Was Blended Into Daily Life. June 7, 2010. 15 April 2012. . Wilmore, Jack, Howard Knuttgen. “Aerobic Exercise and Endurance Improving Fitness for Health Benefits.” The Physician and Sportsmedicine 31.5 (2003): 45-50. Yeager, Selene. “Be Active, Be Happy.” Prevention 53.11 (2011): 6. Academic Search Premier. Web. 16 Apr. 2012. Read More