Why Physical Activity Is Important and How to Get Started
Our bodies are designed to move, and regular activity is essential for keeping our bodies healthy. Adults should aim to be active for at least 150 minutes a week at a moderate intensity or 75 minutes at a high intensity. However, in today’s world, it’s easy to fall into a sedentary lifestyle, spending too much time sitting. Sitting for long periods without moving has negative effects on our health, but there’s always something you can do about it. For example, set a reminder to stand up and move for a minute every half hour. This simple habit can help counteract the harmful effects of too much sitting.
But beyond staying active throughout the day, it’s important to exercise. Exercise involves more intense movements that challenge your body to maintain or improve your fitness. The intensity of your exercise should be tailored to your own level, but to see improvements, it’s important to push yourself.
To boost your cardiovascular fitness, engage in activities that elevate your heart rate and quicken your breathing while still allowing you to hold a conversation—these are considered moderate intensity exercises. Examples include brisk walking, cycling on flat terrain, or hiking. Alternatively, you can opt for high-intensity activities that substantially increase your heart rate and make you breathe so heavily that you can only speak a few words at a time. These include running or jogging, swimming laps, cycling at a fast pace or uphill, high-intensity interval training (HIIT), or jumping rope.
To build strength, focus on exercises you can perform with good form for about 5-15 repetitions. If you can do more, it’s time to make the exercise harder, using resistance bands or weights, especially if your goal is to increase strength as well as improve overall health.
Why Should You Strength Train?
If you’ve been considering starting strength training, it’s crucial to know that it offers substantial benefits regardless of your age or fitness level. For those under 50 and new to strength training, you can expect to see significant improvements in strength within just three months. For older individuals, strength training enhances balance and stability, helps you move more confidently, and provides additional benefits for your quality of life.
Does Exercise Prevent Disease?
In short—yes! Exercise does help prevent disease. Regular physical activity is linked to a reduced risk of developing many of the major chronic diseases. Studies on cardio exercise have shown that staying active lowers your risk of cardiovascular diseases like high blood pressure, angina, heart attack, and stroke. It also reduces the risk of metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, and metabolic syndrome, as well as certain cancers like colon and breast cancer. Regular exercise can also help prevent falls and fractures, including hip fractures, and reduce the risk of mental health issues like dementia and depression.
Strength training, in particular, has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and age-related decline in function. Research has also demonstrated that strength training increases muscle mass, boosts strength, improves insulin sensitivity, optimizes blood pressure, cholesterol levels, body composition, resting metabolism, and bone density.
Am I Exercising Enough?
How can you ensure you’re getting enough exercise? It’s not about focusing on individual workouts but rather maintaining consistency over time. Some days you might exercise more, and other days less, and that’s perfectly fine as long as you listen to your body and adjust as needed. Vitala’s workouts can easily fit into your daily routine, as each session is tailored to your current health, energy levels, and goals, with the option to choose the duration of each exercise session.
Vitala is designed to make exercising easier and more effective for boosting health and managing various conditions. The app is user-friendly and available on both the App Store and Google Play. It offers personalized exercise plans that include walking, biking, running, and strength training, all aimed at improving your physical performance and overall health. There are also specific programs for managing chronic diseases, disabilities, and chronic pain.
Ask your healthcare provider about Vitala and start your journey towards a happier, healthier you!
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