The level of the population’s level of physical activity is becoming a major public health concern in the United States (Wahlgren, 2011). As a result of urban sprawl, Americans rely heavily on personal vehicles to travel to work or other destinations. This is leading to a sedentary life style for the public as they take to their cars to travel to their destination. The public’s perception of the environments in which they live in are likely influencing their behaviors resulting in their dependance on personal vehicles. (Wahlgren, 2011). The physical environment and peoples’ levels of physical activity are directly connected. Low density zoning and auto-dependent development is resulting in the promotion of sedentary life styles. Most activities, like commuting to work or shopping, requires the use of a personal vehicle because of the area’s isolation in residential zones and commercial zones (Ewing, 2010). Alternative modes like walking or bicycling are rather impractical, as the areas often have little to no sidewalks or other pedestrian friendly amenities (Marshall, 2009). The Low density design is developed because residential homes have fewer units per acre and commercial buildings tend to only be a couple of stories and spaced further apart. The sizes of lots tend to be bigger to accommodate large parking lots that are often oversized and unsafe for pedestrians.
A recent study shows that on average boys do 29 minutes of physical activity a day; while girls only do 18 minutes of physical activity a day (Henshaw 2). This falls extremely short of the recommended 60 minutes by health officials. At the point when kids and youths take part in any event 60 minutes of physical action consistently, various wellbeing benefits occur (Henshaw 4). Some of these being that it enhances respect toward oneself, and diminishes stress and anxiety. Beyond these known wellbeing impacts, physical action additionally has beneficial influences on scholastic execution. “Among elementary school students, 40 minutes of daily exercise increased IQ by an av...
Modern children's obesity is increasing all over the world, bringing potential problems for them when they become adults (Benefits par 1). Recent reports project that by 2030, half of all adults (115 million adults) in the United States will be obese (President’s par 3). Physical activity is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. To get started and stay active, make physical activity part of your daily routine, keep track of your progress, be active and safe, and talk. Physical activity benefits all parts of your body. Even little amounts of activity are good for your health. The more active you are, the more you will benefit. Physical activity will benefit you in anything you do in your life. Regular physical activity can help keep people’s thinking, learning, and judgment skills sharp as you age. It is something that everyone in the world needs to do more of to be the best that they can be. Without physical activity, we wouldn't feel or look very good at all. Physical activity is important because it increases communication skills, inspires kids to be different and move out of their comfort zone, and it creates a positive effect on organized sports and on today's health in society.
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
Being physically active is one of the most important steps that people of all ages can take to improve their health. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommend that ‘Every adult should accumulate at least 30 minutes or more of moderate intensity exercise on most, preferably all days of the week.’
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.
One study reported that most college students between the ages of eighteen and thirty-four do not reach the recommended standards for physical activity, and in that same study 22% of the students reported that they took part in no physical activity at all throughout the examination period (Huang, 2003). Physical activity is a vital part of every human’s life. It greatly prevents dangerous diseases such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers. It is also a key factor in strengthening one’s bones and muscles, and on top of all of that it can help extend your life. There is no real excuse to not going out and exercising, and your body benefits from it greatly (Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and
In general, physical activity is known to reduce the risk of many diseases and help lengthen your life. Just 2 hours and 30 minutes of physical activity a week can help to lower your chances of developing deadly diseases and chronic illnesses such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, and type 2 diabetes. Being active can also help to lower blood pressure and improve cholesterol levels. Studies show that people who are active for seven or more hours a week have a 40 percent lesser chance of dying early than someone who is active for only 30 minutes a week or less (The Benefits).
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...
There exists various lifestyles and behaviours, ranging from amount of nutrition intake, mental well-being, to the amount of physical activity engaged individually. Weighing the abundance of factors, this essay primarily aims to focus on the aspect of physical activity in relevance to how it possibly affects one's lifestyle. By cross-referencing to other lifestyles and behaviours, this essay will also demonstrate the importance of physical activity in possibly alleviating the issues raised pertaining to other lifestyles as well. Throughout this essay, there will be frequent references to the socio-ecological framework in examining the aforementioned factors.
“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.”
Over the past decades our culture has changes dramatically. To which our nation was once a physically active nation. Yet now it seems that society discourages physical activity. The human race has been dependent on automobiles, discouraging people to walk or bike, increasing the chance of a poor life-style. Yet there are many factors that affect the achievement and maintenance of a healthy life. Young people are growing into a diverse society, which is characterized by rapid change, inactive work and leisure practices that influence unhealthy behaviors. By incorporating physical activity into peoples daily routine will increase their chances of being healthier, reducing certain diseases and learning how to avoid injuries. Physical education helps students improve their knowledge about health issues and practices that will lead to a more enjoyable life. Students playing and working in a team together develop social skills, teamwork, achieving goals, and development of self-esteem. Overall physical education provides the potential for a better life style.
A Surgeon General's report (Anonymous,1996) addresses the finding that continuous and consistent physical activity is proven to enhance longevity and the quality of life for people of all ages. Furthermore, the report notes that although it has been recognized for years that regular physical activity can lead to substantial health benefits, 60% of American adults are not regularly active, and 25% of the adult population are not active at all. Paffenbarger (1996) states that physical fitness and exercise can reduce the risk of diseases such as heart disease, non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, some cancers, osteoarthritis and osteoporosis, and obesity. Studies also show that exercise can promote psychological well-being and reduce feelings of anxiety and depression (http://www.medgraph.com/aboutexercise.html).
Sedentary lifestyles have greatly contributed to obesity, and to the diseases affecting to the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. It has been shown that physical inactivity reduces our strength, results in low energy levels, and causes obesity. It is therefore very essential to ensure we that lead a physically active life. Exercising regularly is the key to a healthy life. However, this is hampered by factors like lack of motivation, time and money.
"Physical Activity and Public Health." Scholar Commons of South Carolina. American Heart Association, 2007. Web. 03 Apr. 2014.