Few months ago, while having a nice time with a long time friend, he told me something I found very profound because of its clarity: “Abdullahi, by the time you are 50, the health problem that will kill you will be before you. How long you live thereafter will largely depend on how you manage it.” Honestly, my friend is very correct! His grandfather was diabetic but died at the age of 96. His 94-year old mother is asthmatic, but still strong. Exercise plays an important role as one of the most efficient preventive medicine in promoting health of an individual. In fact, researchers recently suggested that exercise is the best preventive therapy for many common ailments, from psychiatric disorders to heart disease, diabetes and cancer. The fortunate fact about health is that it could be maintain free in form of “exercise “without the use of drugs people seeks.
Currently, over weightiness and obesity are one of the biggest health problem faced in the twenty-first century. The major cause of the problem is lack of physical activities, excessive consumption of processed food and lifestyle. Individuals who are overweight typically show abnormal cardiovascular function, and obesity is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease such as hypertension and type 2diabetes. Physical activity promotes optimal health, is integral in the prevention and treatment of many medical conditions, and should be regularly assessed and included as part of health care. Exercise is the most potent medicine known to mankind. Cardiovascular exercise and strength training can help to prevent and treat almost every chronic disease that afflicts us. Movement can help to improve the function of your heart and lungs, stimulate the creation of new red blood cells that carry oxygen throughout our body, Promote growth of new muscle tissues and make your bones stronger and also helps to prevent infections by enhancing your immune system.
BENEFIT IN EXERCISING.
However, exercise benefits the body in boosting some of the organs which includes;
Muscles: it uses glucose and ATP for contraction and movement, they tear our muscles, make them grow bigger and stronger as they heal. Gaining more muscles through resistance exercise has many benefits from losing excess fats to maintain healthy bone mass and preventing age related muscle loss.
Lungs: as your muscles call for more oxygen your breathing rate increases also, the higher your VO2max i.e. VO₂ max is the maximum rate of oxygen consumption measured during incremental exercise; that is, exercise of increasing intensity. The name is derived from three abbreviations: “V” for volume, “O₂” for oxygen, and “max” for maximum. That is why the maximum capacity of oxygen used – the fitter you are.
Heart: your heart rate increases with physical activity to supply more oxygenated blood to your muscle, the fitter you are the more efficiently your heart can do this, it also allows you to work out longer and harder, your blood pressure will also decrease as a result of new blood vessels forming.
Brain: increase blood flow also benefits your brain by allowing it to almost immediately function better, exercise regularly also promote the growth of new brain cells boosting your capacity for memory and learning.
Joint and bones: exercise can place as much as five or six times more than your body weighs in them. Weight bearing exercises is one of the most effective remedies against osteoporosis. Your bones are very porous and soft as you get older, your bones can easily become less dense and hence more brittle especially if you are inactive.
Exercise as regards the above helps to normalize your glucose, insulin and leptin receptor sensitivity. It lowers body fats, improves your muscle tones, boosts your energy and libidos, Improves speed and performances and naturally increases the production of human growth hormone (HGH). How does exercise create all these powerful benefit? It is very complicated, but a few molecules can provide clues. Those molecules are called mTOR, PGC-1 and BDNF.MTOR- is activated inside your muscles when you exercise, it stimulates the growth of new muscle tissues.PGC-1– is activated inside your muscle then work to assemble protein to make new mitochondria. That is why aerobic activities help to boost your endurance. The final molecule is brain derived neuro-peptide factor (BDNF) when we exercise, there are powerful positive benefits for most organs especially the brain. Endurance exercise and strong training not only build up your body but your brain as well.
How will I exercise regularly to keep fit? This is a very smart question of course; you can by following the tips below.
- Pick an activity (or range of activities) that appeal to you. Also choose activities that you are confident you can manage physically, and that suit your lifestyle and your income. Choose an activity that is close to home or work.
- Set realistic goals. For example, rather than aiming for a set amount of weight loss, aim for four activity sessions per week.
- We all have different motivations to exercise. Think about how you feel when you’re exercising and how you feel after you’ve exercised. Keep in mind your personal fitness goals to help you on those days when you don’t feel like lacing up your sneakers.
- Remember also that research indicates you don’t need to lose weight to gain significant health benefits.
- Start small. Aim to just include more general activity into your day, working toward a continuous bout of exercise for about 10 minutes per day at first, and gradually work your way up to 30 minutes or more.
- Find a friend or family member to be active with. Motivate and reward each other and enjoy the process together.
How Schools Play a Unique Role in Physical Activity Opportunities
At rosebud schools, for our students to be physically aware certain measures have been put into place. The systemic and practical being conducted on the students during sporting hours on Wednesday and the enabling structures and equipment to train and exercise remains our selling point of sporting awareness. Schools represent an advantageous opportunity to promote physical activity in children. Literally, they have a “captured audience.” The ability to carve out time for physical activity whether it recesses, physical education or sports is unique to schools alone. Since nearly 50 million students attend school is there a better place to begin to engage children in daily physical activity? “Effective efforts made now will help children avoid a lifetime of chronic disease and disability.”Play, physical activity, physical education, and sports are cherished parts of childhood. We know that exercise helps with executive functions like sequencing, memory, and prioritizing which contribute to necessary skills for success in school and life. Put simply, physical activity in school primes the brain for learning, and is a remedy for that too. Physical activity produces endorphins (chemicals in the brain) that regulate mood, pleasure, and pain. An elevated mood can contribute to an “I can do it” attitude which goes a long way as students approach new tasks as challenges, not obstacles. Students who were more fit performed better academically. In accordance to that, Rosebud school is giving all necessary needs for physical exercise to be adhered to the students with different recreational activities and sports. At rosebud schools academic and sporting events are keys to our student’s sustainability.
Ways Exercise Can Help Your Child Do Better in School
Combination of Motor Skills and Aerobic Fitness Improves Academics, Exercise Creates More Efficient White Matter and Brain Connectivity, Exercise before School Improves Focus and Reduces ADHD Symptoms, Physical Activity Should Remain Playful For Best Result, Boys Can Especially Benefit from Regular Physical Activity, Taking “Brain Breaks” During Class Improves Classroom Performance, After-School Exercise Groups Can Improve Cognitive Function, Resistance Training and Lifting Weights Can Improve Memory.
Exercising is not necessary to be only outside on the field, it could be done even in the class rooms. Here are easy ways to get active in the classroom.
Take a Stand – For just five minutes a day, encourage students to stand up and stretch their limbs. Not only will this improve flexibility, but it will also refresh and refocus the mind.
Get Dramatic – Turn a language lesson into a game of charades by having students act out different words or scenarios. It’s a great way to get them on their feet, while sparking their imaginations.
Fitness Dice – Eager to break up the monotony? Keep students on their toes with a roll of the dice. This plush duo features various exercises with corresponding reps that students can perform.
Go Digital –There is digital content specifically designed to promote physical activity in classrooms. They feature interactive lessons that teach movement, mindfulness and healthy nutrition.
Written by Mr. Abdullahi Z. A (P H E teacher)