May is Fitness Awareness Month

Transcription

1 May 2011 Health & Wellness Information May is Fitness Awareness Month What is Fitness? Most individuals would probably agree with famous writer Ralph Waldo Emerson who said, The first wealth is health. There is a strong correlation between health and fitness. Health includes social, mental, and physical well being. Fitness can be defined as the measure of an individual s ability to perform day to day tasks efficiently and effectively without the risk of self-injury, including the capacity to carry out recreational activities and the physical capabilities to respond to emergency situations. Did you know? Physical activity can be divided up throughout your day. The cumulative effects are just as beneficial as doing all your exercise in one session. ( ndex.html) Tips for achieving increased Fitness When most people think about physical activity they associate this exercise with pain and lack of time or motivation. This doesn t have to be the case for you! With summer weather approaching there are many FUN family activities to engage in that burn calories and increase your level of fitness. Rating your Perceived Exertion Here are some examples: Taking a walk or stroll through the park Swimming: great for a full body low impact exercise Cycling Canoeing and Kayaking Skating Games on the Beach Team Sports such as kickball and basketball Park obstacle courses and Frisbee golf Hiking Improvised home Lawn games. 1 Source:

2 How much physical activity should I be getting? Current recommendations for adults are 30 minutes of activity five or more days of the week, and 60 minutes a day for children. Activities should increase your heart rate to build cardiovascular endurance. Two days per week should focus on exercises that tone or build muscle. Safety Items to Consider: Helmet Sunscreen Bug Spray Knee Pads Fluorescent Clothing Water for Hydration First Aid Kit Stretching Buddy System Personal Fitness Facts Engaging in healthier lifestyle habits that include proper nutrition, and incorporating physical fitness into our lives combats many disease states, including type two diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. Fitness is comprised of: strength, speed, stamina, and flexibility, all of which are important not only to keeping healthy but enhancing quality of life over time and for performing activities of daily living. This newsletter is a monthly publication of Healthstat, Inc., for its clients and their employees. It is for informational purposes only, and is not intended to replace medical advice Charlotte Park Drive Suite 390 Charlotte, NC (704) Prepared & Reviewed by: Jesse Martin, Wellness Coordinator & Doug Knoop, MD Executive Medical Director Comments/Questions send to: Jesse.martin@healthstatinc.com Additional Information about Physical Fitness, visit these informative websites: Centers for Disease Control (CDC): President s Challenge: President s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports: Source:

3 May 2011 May is Fitness Awareness Month Health & Wellness Information Physical activity can be divided up throughout your day. The cumulative effects are just as beneficial as doing all your exercise in one session. (

4 What is Fitness? Most individuals would probably agree with famous writer Ralph Waldo Emerson who said, The first wealth is health. There is a strong correlation between health and fitness. Health includes social, mental, and physical well being. Fitness can be defined as the measure of an individual s ability to perform day to day tasks efficiently and effectively without the risk of self-injury, including the capacity to carry out recreational activities and the physical capabilities to respond to emergency situations.

5 Tips for achieving increased Fitness When most people think about physical activity they associate this exercise with pain and lack of time or motivation. This doesn t have to be the case for you! With summer weather approaching there are many FUN family activities to engage in that burn calories and increase your level of fitness. Here are some examples: Taking a walk or stroll through the park Swimming: great for a full body low impact exercise Cycling Canoeing and Kayaking Skating Games on the Beach Team Sports such as kickball and basketball Park obstacle courses and Frisbee golf Hiking Improvised home Lawn games.

6 How much physical activity should I be getting? Current recommendations for adults are 30 minutes of activity five or more days of the week, and 60 minutes a day for children. Activities should increase your heart rate to build cardiovascular endurance. Two days per week should focus on exercises that tone or build muscle.

7 Personal Fitness Facts Engaging in healthier lifestyle habits that include proper nutrition, and incorporating physical fitness into our lives combats many disease states, including type two diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. Fitness is comprised of: strength, speed, stamina, and flexibility, all of which are important not only to keeping healthy but enhancing quality of life over time and for performing activities of daily living.

8 Safety Items to Consider: Helmet Sunscreen Bug Spray Knee Pads Fluorescent Clothing Water for Hydration First Aid Kit Stretching Buddy System RPE: Rate of Perceived Exertion This chart is helpful in determining how intense your physical activity levels are. Since individuals on Beta Blocker medication will have lower heart rates, this chart is preferred in gauging exertion over beats per minute.

9 U.S. Statistics Physically inactive individuals are twice as likely to develop coronary heart disease in comparison to regularly active individuals. Three in 10 adults get the recommended amount of prescribed physical activity. Thirty- Seven percent of adults report they are not physically active. Sedentary lifestyles coupled with poor nutrition can lead to individuals becoming overweight and obese. This increases the risk for hypertension (high blood pressure), type 2 diabetes, stroke, coronary artery disease, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, respiratory complications and even certain types of cancer. An estimated 41 million Americans are pre-diabetic and develop type 2 diabetes within ten years. Typically a five to seven percent reduction in weight is needed to combat or delay the onset of this disease. Three in five American carry an excess amount of fat. Almost 60 million American are obese and more than 108 million Americans are either obese or overweight. These figures continue to rise and are now being seen in children. The number of over weight teens has tripled in proportion from 1980 to percent of U.S. children spend 4 hours or more watching television. Disease such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes (formerly called adult onset diabetes), cardio-respiratory complications, and now psychological and emotional disorders are on the rise as the result of poor nutrition and inactivity. Source:

10 Additional Information about Physical Fitness, visit these informative websites: Centers for Disease Control (CDC): President s s Challenge: The President s s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports: Remember: Exercise should focus on health and the benefits of physical activity, not weight.

11 Fitness Awareness Month What is Fitness? May 2011 Most individuals would probably agree with famous writer Ralph Waldo Emerson who said, The first wealth is health. There is a strong correlation between health and fitness. Health includes social, mental, and physical well being. Fitness can be defined as the measure of an individual s ability to perform day to day tasks efficiently and effectively without the risk of self-injury, including the capacity to carry out recreational activities and the physical capabilities to respond to emergency situations. Tips for achieving increased Fitness When most people think about physical activity they associate this exercise with pain and lack of time or motivation. This doesn t have to be the case for you! With summer weather approaching there are many FUN family activities to engage in that burn calories and increase your level of fitness. Here are some examples: Taking a walk or stroll through the park Swimming: great for a full body low impact exercise Cycling Canoeing and Kayaking Skating Games on the Beach Team Sports such as kickball and basketball Park obstacle courses and Frisbee golf Hiking Improvised home Lawn games. How much physical activity should I be getting? Current recommendations for adults are 30 minutes of activity five or more days of the week, and 60 minutes a day for children. Activities should increase your heart rate to build cardiovascular endurance. Two days per week should focus on exercises that tone or build muscle. Personal Fitness Facts Engaging in healthier lifestyle habits that include proper nutrition, and incorporating physical fitness into our lives combats many disease states, including type two diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. Fitness is comprised of: strength, speed, stamina, and flexibility, all of which are important not only to keeping healthy but enhancing quality of life over time and for performing activities of daily living. Source: