Importance Of Fitness
Overview
Lack of exercise is among the most significant contributors to heart disease, obesity and overall health
risk. The benefits of exercise for heart patients are well documented. They include reducing stress,
cholesterol levels, blood pressure and even reversing ateriosclerosis.
It is important to choose the right type of exercise that is fun and achievable. It is best to consult a
physician before starting a new fitness program. One should learn the correct method before
starting an unfamiliar activity.
Benefits of Exercise
When you exercise, you're helping build a strong body that will be able to move around and do all the
stuff you need it to do. Try to be active every day and your body will thank you later!
Exercise is Good for Heart
Heart is a muscle. It works hard continuously, pumping blood of your life. You can help this important
muscle get stronger by doing aerobic exercise.
Aerobic: means "with air," so aerobic exercise is a kind of activity that requires
oxygen. When you breathe, you take in oxygen, and, if you're doing aerobic exercise, you may notice
you're breathing faster than normal. Aerobic activity can get your heart pumping, make you sweaty, and
quicken your breathing.
When your give your heart this kind of workout on a regular basis, your heart will get even better at its
main job - delivering oxygen (in the form of oxygen-carrying blood cells) to all parts of your body.
So you want to do some aerobic exercise right now? Try swimming, basketball, ice or roller hockey,
jogging (or walking quickly), in-line skating, soccer, cross-country skiing, biking, or rowing. And don't
forget that skipping, jumping rope, and playing hopscotch are aerobic activities, too!
Exercise Strengthens Muscles:
Another kind of exercise can help make your muscles stronger. Did you ever do a push-up or swing across
the monkey bars at the playground? Those are exercises that can build strength. By using your muscles
to do powerful things, you can make them stronger. For older teens and adults, this kind of workout can
make muscles bigger, too.
Here are some exercises and activities to build strong muscles:
- PUSH-UPS
- PULL-UPS
- TUG-OF-WAR
- ROWING
- RUNNING
- IN-LINE SKATING
- BIKE RIDING
Exercise Makes You Flexible:
Can you touch your toes easily without yelling ouch? Most kids are pretty flexible, which means that they
can bend and stretch their bodies without much trouble. This kind of exercise often feels really good,
like when you take a big stretch in the morning after waking up. Being flexible is having "full range of
motion," which means you can move your arms and legs freely without feeling tightness or pain. It's easy
to find things to do for good flexibility:
- PUSH-UPS
- TUMBLING AND GYMNASTICS
- YOGA
- DANCING, ESPECIALLY BALLET
- MARTIAL ARTS
- SIMPLE STRETCHES,
Exercise Keeps the Balance:
Food gives your body fuel in the form of calories, which are a kind of energy. Your body needs a certain
amount of calories every day just to function, breathe, walk around, and do all the basic stuff. But if
you're active, your body needs an extra measure of calories or energy. If you're not very active, your
body won't need as many calories. Whatever your calorie need is, if you eat enough to meet that need, your
body weight will stay about the same. If you eat more calories than your body needs, it may be stored as
excess fat.
Exercise Makes You Feel Good:
It feels good to have a strong, flexible body that can do all the activities you enjoy - like running,
jumping, and playing with your friends. It's also fun to be good at something, like scoring a basket,
hitting a home run, or perfecting a dive. But you may not know that exercising can actually put you in a
better mood.
When you exercise, your brain releases a chemical called endorphins (say: en-dor-funz), which may
make you feel happier. It's just another reason why exercise is cool!
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