Physical activity is an aspect of great importance for our body, so much that together with good nutrition they become the best positive factors for our health since there is a direct relationship between the level of physical activity and life expectancy.
Physical activity and nutrition work together to improve health and thus the quality of life. It is usually of great importance to maintain the good combination of these two elements because as we age, the metabolism slows down, so to maintain an energy balance we need to move more and feed intelligently.
The results of many studies highlight that physical activity strengthens our level of self-esteem, the feeling of a good mood is present, it raises the level of optimism and self-confidence, encourages effort and dedication to achieve the goals that we have set out and allows freeing ourselves from worries.
It is important and must be an obligation for us to incorporate at least one physical activity, even if it is a simple one, such as: walking, climbing stairs instead of using the elevator, riding a bike, dancing, this will make us feel good and improve in a way remarkable our health.
The activities that bring us the most benefits are aerobic exercises that require us to breathe more and make our heartbeats stronger. The activities that require muscular work such as push-ups and weightlifting make us stronger. It is essential to work all parts of the body such as legs, hips, back, chest, stomach, shoulders, and arms, to get a better result. It is also important to perform exercises that strengthen the bones and promote growth, especially in children and adolescents. Finally, stretching activities improve physical stability and flexibility, which reduces the risk of injury. These can be dance, yoga, martial arts, and tai chi.
Physical activity contributes to improving various aspects related to general fitness, such as cardiorespiratory resistance, strength, and flexibility among others, which improves the ability to carry out daily tasks without fatigue, leaving enough energy to enjoy the activities of leisure and to meet unforeseen needs.
Regular physical exercise is not only beneficial in preventing overweight and obesity, but also increases bone density, by enhancing bone formation through calcium deposition, reducing body fat and increasing muscles, and reduces risk factors for chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and some types of cancer, as it improves glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity, normalizes cholesterol levels and lowers blood pressure, as well as helping to relieve stress levels.
Performing physical activity is beneficial for people of all ages, during childhood and youth, games are ideal because they involve the use of different muscle groups, in addition to promoting social relationships. However, there are other types of activities, such as playing sports, running, swimming, dancing, that are actions that help us gain good health.
In the case of the elderly, it is important to tone and strengthen the muscles and maintain joint mobility to facilitate daily tasks and reduce the risk of fractures. There may be barriers that hinder the realization of physical activity in older adults, but with the help of professionals, you can find suitable exercises for each particular case.
Staying constant in physical activities allows us to maintain good physical, psychological and social conditions. It’s not about being a super athlete, but rather having the right conditions for daily activities. Good strength, flexibility, high levels of strength, speed, muscular endurance, body composition in acceptable ranges are the necessary components to measure whether we have optimum physical conditions.
So remember, physical activity leads us to have good health, allows us to improve our quality of life, to perform better in our environments, stay away from diseases, live for more years and enjoy a more pleasant life. There should be no excuses of age or lack of time or cost, just 30 minutes a day of any moderate exercise is a good start, without the need for special equipment or sports facilities, just awareness and willingness, and recognizing that physical activity is a necessity that gives us infinite advantages to our life.
You can also use fitness tools of Garmin like Garmin connect while doing exercise. It can track your every physical activity and statistics recorded during each activity let you analyze your performance and with the help of stats, you can improve your performance.