Gene Tunney once said, “Exercise should be regarded as tribute to the heart.” Although nearly everyone agrees that exercise is vital to health, deciding how much exercise is needed has proven to be a daunting task. In the documentary The Truth about Exercise, this very problem has been addressed in order to make it clearer as to the amount of exercise that is necessary for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. This documentary has lead me to analyze my own views on exercise, including my prior assumptions on it, whether or not it is readily available to me, and how I incorporate exercise into my life (or fail to do so.) Viewing this film will without a doubt change my understanding of exercise and will cause me to make lifestyle changes …show more content…
Prior to this class, my assumptions about exercise generally followed the governmental recommendations that have been created. The government recommends 150 minutes of moderate activity each week, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity over this same time span. I therefore assumed that, on average, it was best to exercise for 30 minutes at a time, 5 times a week. After viewing this documentary, I now realize that my previous assumptions were incredibly inaccurate. The Truth about Exercise revealed to me that exercise, much like diets and medications, should be tailored to each individual. Everyone responds to exercise in different ways, so the exercise regime that works for one person may not produce any results in others. This is based on many factors, including genetics. I also learned that short bursts of intense physical activity may be just as effective as longer, less intense workouts. High intensity interval …show more content…
All students have access to the Ryder Center as a part of their tuition, therefore students have access to a variety of exercise equipment, from treadmills to the track. Additionally, students have the ability to purchase fitness passes for the semester which allow them to attend fitness classes such as Zumba, yoga, Pilates, and much more. These resources can facilitate the ability of students to perform high intensity interval training (HIIT), because this is one of the fitness classes offered through the university. As long as the student is monetarily able to purchase a fitness pass and can fit this class into their schedules, they are able to perform this exercise. I personally have never attended one of the HIIT classes in the past, instead preferring to use my fitness pass for Zumba. However, knowing the benefits of HIIT, I may try one of these classes to see if I could benefit from incorporating it into my daily exercise regime. In addition to the fitness programs available at the Ryder Center, there are also many other gyms in the area which are close enough to campus for students such as myself to access. These gyms offer a variety of exercise equipment and fitness classes, giving me even more of an ability to exercise
The film starts with what the government and many food companies say: that people become obese because do not exercise as much as they eat, and that obesity is caused by lack of effort. As the film suggest, exercise can moderate
Pate et al. (1995) stated that physical activity is needed for health promotion and disease prevention. They also stated that every adult should do at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise everyday if possible. Moderate intensity exercising includes activities such as brisk walking and cycling as stated by the Department of Health (2011). They also state that regular physical activity will improve a person’s mental health as it will increase self esteem and reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety. Physical wellbeing is also enhanced by an increase in physical activity. The World Health Organisation (WHO) (2002) found that in developed countries 20% of heart disease and 10% of strokes are due to physical inactivity. Furthermore a lack of physical activity is found to cause 3% of all diseases.
Exercise is an easy and attainable way to lose weight. A study in Durham, North Carolina showed this. Overweight men and women aging from 40-65 were split into three groups. Group 1 had to do the equivalent of 20 miles of jogging per week at 65%-80% peak oxygen consumption. Group 2 had to do the equivalent of 12 miles of jogging per week at 65%-80% peak oxygen consumption. Group 3 had to do the equivalent of 12 miles of jogging per week at 40%-55% peak oxygen consumption. Of 302 subjects screened, 182 met criteria and were randomized and 120 completed the study. There was a significant (P<.05) dose-response relationship between amount of exercise and amount of weight loss and fat mass loss. The high-amount/vigorous-intensity group lost significantly more body mass (in mean [SD] kilograms) and fat mass (in mean [SD] kilograms) (-2.9 [2.8] and -4.8 [3.0], respectively) than the low-amount/moderate-intensity group (-0.9 [1.8] and -2.0 [2.6], respectively), the low-amount/vigorous-intensity group (-0.6 [2.0] and -2.5 [3.4], respectively), and the controls (+1.0 [2.1] and +0.4 [3.0], respectively). Both low-amount groups had significantly greater improvements than controls but were not different from each other. Compared with controls, all exercise groups significantly decreased abdominal, minimal waist, and hip circumference measurements (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14718319).
There are many reasons why the American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week (3). Exercise has many proven benefits for the human body including physiological, mental and preventative aspects. Usually, one of the main ideas behind exercise is weight loss or healthy weight maintenance and this is crucial in preventing or regressing many diseases. Obesity is quickly becoming a global epidemic, and in the United States alone over the last two decades there have be...
Mrs. Obama uses research to prove her point about youth exercising saying, “Experts recommend at 60 minutes of exercise a day of activity.” (426) Mrs. Obama says that this is the bare minimum amount of exercise needed each day to prevent someone from becoming obese. Exercising does not have be sports related, but can be anything from walking to the store or school. The third point of “Let’s Move” is to encourage the youth to exercise for at least 60 minutes a day. However exercising may seem boring to some, but Mrs. Obama says school recess and physical education classes will count towards the 60 minutes per day, “And we’re working to get more kids participating in daily physical education classes and to get more schools offering recess fir their students.” (426) The current generation tends to spend most of their time on the couch, thus why under the “Let’s Move” program Mrs. Obama sets a goal, “We’ve set a goal…by 50 percent in the next five years.” (426) Mrs. Obama wants half the kids that go to school to not ride transportation and become active by just going to school. Children who ride their bike to school or walk have a higher chance of escaping
Although most studies have shown that physical activity prevent morbidity and mortality independent of weight, the range of benefits vary for among various groups stratified according to age, sex, race and BMI. Also, different dose of physical ...
According to the CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, adults should do at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity exercise, or 75 minutes week of intense aerobic activity. Everyone should try to do at least the recommended amount of weekly exercise. Not exercising can be detrimental to one’s health. Exercising moderately for at least 150 minutes a week or working out intensely for 75 minutes can add, on average, 3.4 years to one’s lifespan, while people who do not exercise have the highest premature death rate. Being active has both mental and physical benefits, adding exercise to your routine can create a happier, healthier lifestyle. Exercise, no matter how strenuous or simple, is an important activity for all people.
Exercise is often thought of in a positive light. It is common belief in today’s society that a healthy diet and a regular exercise routine will lead to a long, healthy life. And in the simplest sense of the word, it will.
With more and more people aiming to lose weight, the fitness industry has been pressured to accommodate the high demands for efficient and entertaining workouts. This greater variety of workouts hitting the market is a result of the diverse types of people who are trying to get in shape. Health clubs are no longer only for those 20-30 year olds who are in competitive training or those who need to be fit as a job requirement. Instead, these facilities are now packed with people of all ages, and various skill and fitness levels.... ... middle of paper ...
Staying healthy does not only mean to eat a healthy diet, but also to be active and to provide our body with stamina so it can fight various diseases. According to Myers (2003) around a quarter of a million deaths in the United States are caused by insufficient physical activity. The US Public Health Service (1996) has provided enough evidence towards the effect of physical exercise on cardiovascular (e.g. coronary heart disease) and non-cardiovascular health (hypertension, osteoporosis, colon cancer etc.). They followed a group of people for several years and found a positive correlation between the amount of participants’ physical activity and their health problems. So how much exercise is just enou...
Physical activity embodies an immensely vital health behavior for people of all ages and backgrounds. Physical activity occurs when body movement is produced by the contraction of skeletal muscles requiring energy to be expended in order for the movement to be sustained. Physical activities are commonly characterized according to type (e.g., aerobic, anaerobic, resistance), intensity (e.g., sedentary, light, moderate, vigorous), and volume (e.g., sets, repetitions). Participation in moderate to vigorous physical activity builds a strong foundation that provides numerous health benefits and is associated with healthy weight along with reduced risk for chronic health conditions. Unfortunately, a major decline has been noted in the past decade
The purpose of going to the gym is universal for everyone: attain positive results. The lack of options at the gym can be a factor which discourages consumers from attending regularly. Now, there are hundreds of different ways to work out. Scientists have researched the possibilities, and have realized group fitness is a very effective form of exercise. The idea that exercising in a group creates life changing results has provided the foundation for many major fitness companies: Les Mills™, Zumba®, and POUND® to name a few.
“The main concept is that exercise (a term we will use generically to cover both exercise training and physical activity) does more than change traditional ‘risk factors’ (blood lipids, hypertension, diabetes, etc.; Mora et al. 2007; Green et al. 2008). In this context, there is a ‘risk factor gap’, and exercise appears to be far more productive than it should be based on changes in traditional risk factors alone.”
Many people believe that the only way they can get a good workout is by going to the gym, but that is incorrect. Many people can exercise right in their homes, or even at their local park. Many parks offer tracks where people can run, walk, or even ride their bikes. It’s a great way to enjoy the outside, and get some fresh air. There are a variety of free exercise videos online that people can do in the comforts of their home. Anybody can fit exercising into their daily schedule, because you can literally do it
Adding exercises into one’s daily routines can change their whole lifestyle. Many people look at exercise as being something just for people who want to lose weight or to become muscle bound, but there are a great deal of benefits that can be received from exercising regularly. Of course gaining muscle and losing fat are the two most popular reasons that usually attract people to the gym, but they make up a small part of the potential benefits that can be achieved with exercise. There are several ways in which I have benefited in my life from exercising regularly, besides just making me bigger and stronger. It has made me become more organized, helped me make better decisions, and motivated me to take on new challenges in life.