Why is physical activity so important? Believe me, lack of physical activity is responsible for about 40 non-infectious diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes.
The regular practice of exercises, combined with the reduction of sedentary lifestyle, guarantees physical and mental well-being during all phases of life, reduces visits to the doctor and also promotes the health of the community, the environment and the economy.
So what to expect? By exercising frequently, you consume more energy and all body systems work in harmony, ensuring overall well-being and quality of life.
Find out what’s going on in your body:
- Can control body weight
- It prevents the appearance of some types of tumors
- Sleep better and prevent insomnia
- Strengthen the heart
- Reduces anxiety and has fewer mood swings
- Improve your sex life
- Get stronger bones
The benefits are guaranteed, but vary from person to person, depending on factors such as physical fitness, age, population group and the intensity of physical activity. Below, you better understand why exercise brings these benefits.
Weight and blood sugar control
Physical activity accelerates the metabolic action and, combined with good nutrition, helps to lose weight and maintain the weight lost, given its ability to change body composition (increase muscle and reduce body fat).
The practice also fights diabetes and metabolic syndrome. At the basis of these pathologies is insulin resistance, which responds positively to exercise, by controlling glycemia (blood sugar level). There is still an improvement in cholesterol, triglycerides and blood pressure rates. These effects can already manifest themselves regardless of the use of medications and effective weight loss.
Prevention of various cancers
Regular exercise reduces the risk of cancer, especially of the endometrium, breast and bowel. The mechanism behind this is that they improve the body’s defenses, gastrointestinal activities, weight reduction, hormonal balance and also reduce stress.
Physical activity is also helpful in treating disease by reducing fatigue and controlling muscle wasting related to increased toxicity. In rehabilitation, physical activity is an ally of quality of life.
These practices must be suggested and authorized by the doctor to meet the needs of each person, who needs to be supervised by an exercise professional to avoid injuries, such as bone injuries, in cases with metastases.
Other cancers linked to lack of exercise are bladder, esophagus, kidney and lung.
nights sleep well
Lack of physical activity is associated with the risk of suffering from insomnia. Therefore, exercises not only prevent the problem but are part of the treatment to combat it. And that goes for all ages.
A greater expenditure of energy generates tiredness, favoring the onset of sleep, and the chemical reactions promoted by exercise also favor rest, especially when done outdoors, which activates the circadian rhythm.
healthy heart
Aerobic physical practices such as walking (light to moderate) and weight training strengthen this vital organ.
Including a moderate 30-minute walk 4 times a week in your routine helps you lose weight and also improves your metabolism in general: the main benefits are the prevention of heart attacks, strokes, hypertension and coronary heart disease.
All the mechanisms behind these benefits have yet to be revealed. Exercises are known to lead to fat burning, vessel dilation, reduction of inflammation, and even the release of myokines in skeletal muscle that enhance these effects, and not just in the heart, but in other organs as well.
updated mental health
Those who regularly practiced any type of exercise had fewer days of mood swings during the month than those who did not exercise during the same period.
The study, which looked at more than 1 million people in the United States, was published in the prestigious medical journal The Lancet.
Improved sex life
The exercises are worth a pill and give that strength to those who want to reduce the risk of failing at moment H.
For those who have already been diagnosed with erectile dysfunction, going to the gym can improve sexual function. Studies that have observed these effects suggest at least 160 minutes of exercise per week.
Among the main causes of the inability to obtain and maintain an erection are arterial dysfunction and cardiovascular disease. When heart health improves, so does your sex life.
stronger bones
Another metabolic benefit is bone health. Being active in childhood helps build bones in old age. the activity slows down the natural loss of density.
Healthy bones, joints and muscles are essential to avoid functional limitations as we age, including the prevention of falls. Being able to go to the market, climb the stairs, play with children or grandchildren are elements of their independence that are worth preserving.
Their missing numbers
Between 2020 and 2030, approximately 500 million people worldwide will suffer from heart disease, obesity, diabetes, among others. The cause? Physical inactivity. The data comes from the WHO.
More than 3 million deaths each year result from sedentary behaviors, such as sitting, lying down, or lying down (no sleep) using little energy. Hours in front of screens and time inside the car or bus are examples of this.
The more you do, the more you earn
The benefits of regular exercise are dose-dependent, i.e. exercises have a cumulative effect: the more you do, the more you get protection against breast and colon cancers, diabetes, stroke (Cerebral Vascular Accident) and other diseases cardiac.
- Increasing daily physical activity by 10 minutes, for example, reduces premature death from all diseases.
- The minimum recommended investment is 150 minutes per week of moderate activity – one in which you feel like you are exercising. The guide is from the Ministry of Health and WHO.
- If you want to try more strenuous activities, talk to a doctor first to prevent injuries and other unwanted side effects, especially if you have medical restrictions.
The best exercises
To get the most out of physical practices, it is important to combine aerobic exercises (walking, running, swimming, etc.), strength (bodybuilding), as well as balance and stretching.
Take advantage of initiatives that make public exercise equipment available, such as exercise machines located in parks and squares in your city or neighborhood, as well as bike paths.
The SUS offers the Academia da Saúde Program, within the UBS (Basic Health Units) with activities open to the population. Check if the service is available in your region.
Sources: Adriana Bellini Miolaspecialist cardiologist of the SBC (Brazilian Society of Cardiology), titled in ergometry and exercise cardiology by the SBC, head of the ergometry and ergospirometry sector at the IMC (Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases) of São José do Rio Preto (SP), has a degree postdoctoral in cardiology at Johns Hopkins Hospital Baltimore MD; Cristina Fonseca Rosasports graduate (USP) and PhD candidate at the Instituto Superior de Psicologia Aplicada (Lisbon); Gisele Richter Minhotopsychiatrist, sleep medicine specialist and lecturer at the PUC-PR School of Medicine; Ricardo Lopes Barrosogeneral practitioner and endocrinologist, director of SBEM-SP (Brazilian Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism – São Paulo); Savio Camagophysical education professional at MEJC-UFRN (Januário Cicco Maternity School at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte), connected to the Ebserh network (Brazilian Hospital Services Company); Virgil Souzaclinical oncologist at ACCamargo Cancer Center (SP). Technical review: Sávio Camargo.
References: Ministry of Health. Guide to physical activity for the Brazilian population. 2021; WHO (World Health Organization); Pinckard K, Baskin KK, Stanford KI. Effects of exercise to improve cardiovascular health. Anterior Cardiovasc Med. June 4, 2019; 6:69. doi: 10.3389/fcvm.2019.00069. PMID: 31214598; PMC ID: PMC6557987; Chekroud SR, Gueorguieva R, Zheutlin AB, Paulus M, Krumholz HM, Krystal JH, Chekroud AM. Association between exercise and mental health in 1.2 million individuals in the United States between 2011 and 2015: a cross-sectional study. Psychiatry lancet. 2018 Sep;5(9):739-746. doi: 10.1016/S2215-0366(18)30227-X. Epub 2018 Aug 8. PMID: 30099000. Gerbild H, Larsen CM, Graugaard C, Areskoug Josefsson K. Physical activity to improve erectile function: a systematic review of intervention studies. Gender Med. 2018 Jun;6(2):75-89. doi: 10.1016/j.esxm.2018.02.001. Epub 2018 April 13th. PMID: 29661646; PMC ID: PMC5960035.
#body #exercise
