If you ponder as to why staying healthy and regularly performing fitness is important for you, then read on . . .
The Grim Facts - Heart Disease Statistics
- Every 34 seconds a person in the United States dies from heart disease.
- More than 2,500 Americans die from heart disease each day.
- Every 20 seconds, a person in the United States has a heart attack.
- At least 250,000 people die of heart attacks each year before they reach a hospital.
- Since 1900, Cardio Vascular Disease has been the number 1 killer in the United States for every year but 1918.
- Men suffer heart attacks about 10 years earlier in life than women do.
It is estimated that close to 85% of our most dreaded diseases could be prevented with appropriate lifestyle changes, including a good diet and regular exercise. Healthy lifestyles behaviors and sensible exercise would not only prevent disease and untimely death but would improve the quality of one’s life! No one wants to just survive; everyone wants to live fully. Regular exercise will foster that goal!
People who are sedentary are almost twice as likely to suffer heart attacks as are people who exercise regularly.
Gaining weight is a gamble and the odds get worse as one grows.
Would you bet on a three-legged horse or sit down to a poker table with only four cards in your hand? Then, Why face your forties, fifties and sixties with a higher risk of disability and early death?
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Adverse effects associated with Physcial Inactivity/ Sedentary Lifestyles
- Inactivity and poor diet cause at least 300,000 deaths in the United States.
- Adults who are less active are at greater risk of dying of heart disease and developing diabetes, colon cancer and high blood pressure.
- More than 60% of U.S. adults do not engage in the recommended amount of physical activity.
- Approximately 40% of U.S. adults are not active at all.
- Physical inactivity is more common among women than men, African American and Hispanic adults than whites, older than younger adults, and the less affluent than more affluent individuals.
- Social support from family and friends is consistently and positively related to regular physical activity.
- Inactivity increases with age. By age 75, about one in three men and one in two women engage in no physical activity.
- People with disabilities are less likely to engage in regular moderate physical activity than people with no physical disabilities, yet they have similar needs to promote health and prevent lifestyle-related diseases.
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The Good News
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Weight loss will unequivocally have favorable health effects.
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Nearly all the dangers of being overweight can be reversed with modest weight loss that is kept off.
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Scientists suggest that for every one hour of exercise performed, a person will increase his/her life span by one hour.
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EXERCISE = LIVING LONGER!
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Benefits of Exercise
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Reduces blood pressure significantly.
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Boosts the healing process.
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Makes your lungs more efficient organs.
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Positively affects all of your body systems.
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Increases energy.
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Less susceptible to fatigue.
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Increases muscle strength.
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Increases flexibility. Promotes physical, mental and psychological well-being.
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Less likely to commit errors; mental or physical performance, whatever your job, can be sustained longer without the necessity for frequent breaks.
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Creates a better outlook on life.
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More self-confidence.
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Promotes mental alertness and emotional stability.
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Decreased depression risk.
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Reduces peak levels of hyperacidity and its discomforts such as ulcers.
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Exercise is a preventive medicine!
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The Physiological Benefits
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Increases blood volume (the heart is the most important muscle).
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Enlarges blood vessels.
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Increases the number of blood vessels.
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Lowers resting heart rate.
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Improves minute volume (releasing of CO2).
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Helps keep blood linings clear of corrosive materials.
Picture this! Each cell is like a small factory. Each has its own receiving and shipping facilities, storeroom, and power plant for creating energy, heat and new protoplasm–the stuff of which all cells and all living things are made. As complicated as the body is, it’s as simple as that. All the food you eat and all the oxygen you breathe is meant to serve this one tiny little factory. Whether you service it well or service it poorly depends to a large extent on whether you send it the proper proportions of food and oxygen on the assembly line. Unhappily, the ratio is usually too much food and not enough oxygen, so the food just stacks up in the storeroom and lies there useless because there is no requirement to burn it. Even if there was, it could not be burned in the power plant without oxygen.
So, when you’re thinking of exercise, think that you’re trying to pump enough oxygen around your body to fuel all those tiny little power plants and to burn all that stored food to keep all those factories in business. This is probably the main reason why conditioned people fatigue less easily, even at a desk job. Their assembly lines are in excellent condition, servicing more "factories" and fueling more "power plants."
Are you now convinced as to why you should be fit and healthy? In which case we invite you to join FitNis and allow us to guide you with a tailored Personal Training program.
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Personal Training - What is it?
A personal trainer is a health and fitness professional who is hired for private instruction. Generally thought to be a commodity afforded only to the rich and famous, personal trainers are now available for a variety of people with a variety of goals (and with a variety of budgets). A personal trainer will help his or her client develop and maintain a level of physical condition by designing a specialized exercise regimen for said client. The scope of practice for personal trainers is to enhance the components of fitness for the general, healthy population. The basic components of fitness include muscular strength, muscular endurance, cardiovascular endurance, flexibility, and body composition. Other components such as speed, power, balance, etc may also be addressed. The general population are those people from 18–45 years old for men, and 18–55 years old for women. The definition of health in this sense is an absence of disease. If someone is outside the scope of practice (younger, older, has a disease) they should be referred to a doctor before they work with a trainer.
The emphasis on personal training should come from the personal trainer's understanding of what works best for their client and an understanding of human movement. It is not just about pushing someone hard, but more about working out at an effective level to achieve their goals. A few people need only a few sessions to get them on the right track, ensure their program is balanced, and answer their questions. Others prefer to work with a trainer for several months to get in the habit of exercise and to see actual results. And still others who can afford the price prefer to work with a trainer indefinitely because they feel that they will get better results and have more fun working with a trainer than working alone.
Personal training is fast moving away from the image of having a personal trainer stand next to the athlete shouting at him/her to work faster/harder, without consideration of the wealth of variables that can be tweaked to ensure quick results. There are many personal trainers who offer their clients a range of services from exercise testing to postural exercises to helping with habitual behavior change.
The average personal trainer should only work with so called "healthy populations". Some higher-level certifications, such as ACSM Health and Fitness Instructor, are able to deal with certain diseases, but it is always best to consult your doctor. Exercise Physiologists are legitimately able to deal with individuals with chronic and complex diseases.
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