LIFESTYLE NEWS - When asked about the pros and cons of ageing, seniors usually say that what they enjoy most is seeing their children succeed in life and seeing their grandchildren grow up. What most complain about is an increase in aches and pains that become part of everyday life.
Well, exercise is one of the ways to improve your physical wellbeing and it aids in great measure to get rid of those ailments. Follow the exercise programme provided by the biokineticists at Anine van der Westhuizen Biokineticist in George and you will feel the difference! ZANÉ COETZEE talks about exercise and medicine.
Have you ever wondered why scientists have not developed a pill that simulates all the benefits you gain from an exercise session? It is because there is nothing in the pharmaceutical market that will ever replace the endorphins or the increased cardiovascular health, the rapid increase in metabolism or rise in energy throughout the day that humans derive from exercise.
A pill that would contain all of this will certainly be classified as a 'magic pill' and be the cure for a lot of diseases. It is no surprise that more and more people are developing chronic illness. Life is also much more fast-paced today, people struggle to make a living and stresses heap up daily. The way most people tend to relax after a long day at the office is on the couch in front of the television. Time for physical activity is limited, or is it really?
Exercise is Medicine (EIM) is a global health initiative managed by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). If one third of the world's population is classified as physically inactive, would it not make sense that physical inactivity is the leading cause of death worldwide?
According to statistics of the ACSM, five million deaths could be contributed to physical inactivity and worldwide it is estimated that physical inactivity causes:
- 6% of the global burden of disease from coronary heart disease
- 7% of type 2 diabetes
- 10% of breast and colon cancer cases
People who engage in regular physical activity reduce their risk of developing recurrent breast cancer by approximately 50%. Other benefits, according to the ACSM, include:
- Reduced risk of developing Alzheimer's disease
- Lower risk of all-cause, cardiovascular and cancer-specific specific mortality in adults with higher levels of muscle strength
- Higher academic performance in children and adults
- Physical activity is crucial for good health and cannot be stressed enough. People only start to realise this when they end up at the doctor, discovering they are suffering from type two diabetes. It is not only the job of healthcare providers to inform the public, it is the role of every single one of us. It requires a more comprehensive approach.
- Construct your own dose of good old fashioned daily exercise and minimise your risk of becoming a inactive statistic.
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