What
are exercise and physical activity?
Physical
activity is a general term used to describe movements of the skeleton and
skeletal muscles that expend energy. Physical activity can include:
- Traditional
exercise, such as walking, running, biking, and doing aerobics
- Participation
in team sports and activities, such as football, hockey, or soccer
- Other tasks
that keep your body moving and your heart rate up, such as climbing the
stairs, carrying groceries, and sweeping the floor
Exercise
is a term that describes activities that have or improve the following
features: aerobic capacity (your oxygen intake), muscle strength, endurance,
flexibility, and body composition (such as your body mass index).
What
is the importance of physical activity?
Getting
enough physical activity, especially when combined with eating a healthy diet, can help to reduce the risk of certain
diseases, such as heart disease, certain types of cancers, diabetes, and osteoporosis.
Daily
physical activity can also help to lower blood pressure and cholesterol and
helps to reduce obesity, symptoms of anxiety and depression,
and symptoms of arthritis.
How
does physical activity help maintain a healthy weight?
As
mentioned in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, an important
part of good nutrition is creating a balance between the food you eat (ENERGY
IN) and physical activity (ENERGY OUT).
- For ENERGY
IN, choose foods that will help you and your family maintain a healthy
weight and provide the nutrients they need while keeping their calories
under control.
- For ENERGY
OUT, adults 18 and older need 30 minutes of physical activity on five or
more days a week to be healthy; children and teens need 60 minutes of
activity a day for their health.
Combine
healthy eating with a balance between food and physical activity to improve
your overall health.
How
does physical activity help build healthy bones?
Physical
activity is also an important way to build strong bones that will stay healthy
for your entire life. Just like exercising your muscles can make them grow
bigger, exercising your bones makes them grow big and strong.
The
best type of physical activity for building strong bones is weight-bearing physical
activity. Weight-bearing activities are those that keep you active and on your
feet so that your legs carry your body weight.
Above information was taken from
web.
