Your Health and Physical Fitnesskey to avoiding home health care!Your health and physical fitness used to be based on a long, drawn out cardio program, stretching and strength training. Good news, times have changed, theories have changed and science backs it up! Gone are the days when you have to spend 45 grueling "cardio" minutes on that treadmill to get into the fat burning zone. We used to believe that health and physical fitness was based on rapid walking 30 minutes for several times a week. It was seen that this could increase life span by even 10 years... just walking! Walking is still the best exercise but we are doing it less and less. Studies have shown that men and women who are 60 and 70 can become as fit and energetic as 20 and 30 years AND that those who were the most unfit showed the greatest results!
Exercise Can Do All That For Me?!You have likely read or heard about the wonderful benefits of exercise but how does this actually work? How does the physiological process happen in the body? Let's find out by listing the life giving benefits to your health through physical fitness:Improves Muscle and Blood Vessel ToneThe blood vessels are lined with smooth muscles. Muscles are strengthened by contracting and relaxing. This happens as the oxygen rich blood is pumped on through them. The blood vessels will get weak if they are not exercised. This can contribute to blood pressure problems. Physical demands on most any muscle, voluntary (like arm and legs muscles) or involuntary (like stomach and heart muscle) will build its strength calorie burning ability. Makes the heart stronger and more efficientIf the heart is weak, it will squeeze a little bit of blood through your veins with each beat. As it gets stronger, it pumps more blood per beat through your vessels. So, now your strong heart has to beat less at rest to circulate blood and will also beat more (but still less than it used to) during physical exercise. Better digestionExercise improves this process and helps to get the blood back up to the heart (against gravity). Since nothing is sluggish, your bowels won't be either! If you are trying to normalize your bowel action, physical fitness in the form of exercise will benefit your health in helping you keep your colon clean. Remember to wait at least an hour or so before moderate exercise if you have just eaten. A brisk walk is great and actually improves your digestion but vigorous exercise will pull vital blood away from the digestive organs and towards the other muscles performing the vigorous exercise. This tends to promote an environment of fermentation as your last meal sits and waits for the needed circulation to digest it properly. This can cause upset stomach and gas.
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