Diana Portillo, For the Headlight Published 11:49 a.m. MT Feb. 27, 2020
Portillo(Photo: Courtesy photo)
Maintaining adequate physical activity can positively impact many different areas of our lives.Of course, we all know that exercise in conjunction with a healthy diet is critical to attaining and maintaining healthy weight, but there are many other benefits to exercising.
Exercise assists in the prevention and management of chronic health conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol). Bone health can also be improved by exercising and it is recommended for the treatment and prevention of osteoarthritis and osteoporosis.
Studies show that routinely engaging in exercise is beneficial to mental wellness and helps in coping with anxiety, depression, stress management, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Some of the daily benefits of implementing exercise may include increased energy levels, improved gastrointestinal mobility (decreased constipation), improvement in sleep, as well as improvement in cognition and mental alertness.
In addition to the benefits one gets from exercising, those who engage in group physical activity such as Zumba, dance fitness, CrossFit, or swim aerobic classes also have the opportunity to socialize with otherswhich, in itself, has many benefits for general well being.
Line dancing is a good way to build cardio-vascular health as a form of intermediate exercise activity.(Photo: Bill Armendariz - Headlight Photo,)
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has broken down the recommended amount of exercise that one should participate in into different age and condition categories. Children and adolescents need one hour or more of daily physical activity. For the recommended hour a day there should be a combination of aerobic, muscle strengthening, and bone-strengthening activities mixed throughout the week.
Healthy adults should be engaging in 150-300 minutes of moderate-intensity, or 75-150 minutes of vigorous-intensity, physical activity a week. Adults should engage in at least 2 or more days of muscle strengthening, focusing on the major muscle groups of the body.
Older adults, if able to, should engage in 150 minutes of physical activity a week. This should encompass balance-training, muscle strengthening, and aerobic activity. The elderly need to consider their current fitness ability and chronic conditions when choosing how much and what type of exercise to engage in.
Adults with chronic conditions should follow the recommendations for adults when able to. For the elderly and adults with chronic conditions which prevent them from engaging in exercise, efforts should be made to avoid inactivity and they should work with their healthcare provider to find activities they can safely engage in without putting them at risk of injury.
There are many different physical activities one can engage in for exercise. Consideration of current physical activity and personal preference can assist a person in deciding what activity would be better suited for them to engage in. Here are a few examples of exercise:
Walking
Chair exercise using items in the house (bottles of water, cans of food, books, towels, etc.) to add resistance or assist in movement training
Dancing at home
Yoga
Tai Chi
Group exercises like Zumba, Jazzercise, CrossFit, spinning, and dance fitness
Bike riding
Swimming
Running
Weight lifting
Kick boxing
It is essential to know your limitations when starting to exercise or increasing your current physical activity routine. Starting off with low intensity and slowly increasing physical activity as tolerated is important to avoiding injury and early burnout.
If you are not sure if you are physically capable of engaging in exercise, or would like further recommendations on where to start, schedule an appointment with your healthcare provider who can assist you and recommend activities that will fit your current physical ability.
Information contained in this article should not replace treatment and management of acute and chronic conditions by a licensed healthcare provider.
Gila Regional Medical Center (GRMC) is a 68-bed acute care facility located in Silver City, NM. GRMC has outpatient family medicine clinics and specialty care clinics throughout Luna and Grant County ready to meet the medical needs of the communities they serve.
Diana Portillo is aDNP (Doctorate of Nursing Practice) FNP-C, PMHNP-BC, Family and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner atGila Regional Family Medicine in Deming, NM.
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Health beat: Get moving! The benefits and recommendations for exercise - The Deming Headlight
