Do you know the benefits of physical fitness? May is National Physical Fitness and Sports month. Regular physical activity is good for everyone’s health, and people of all ages and body types can be physically active. Regular physical activity increases your chances of living a longer, healthier life. It also reduces your risk for high blood pressure, heart disease and certain types of cancer. Here are just a few benefits of regular physical fitness and some tips for good health, weight loss and detoxing your system!

 

Physical Activity Guidelines

Many people know that exercise is important. However, did you know that there are actual guidelines recommended for each age group? The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend that adults:

1. Aim for at least 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week. This includes things like walking fast, dancing, swimming, or even raking leaves. Broken down, that amount of exercise equals about 30 minutes of physical activity, 5 days a week.
2. If you go above moderate exercise, then aim for at least 75 minutes of vigorous exercise each week, making sure to exercise safely.
3. Do muscle-strengthening activities – like lifting weights or using exercise bands – at least 2 days a week.
4. Get up and move often throughout the day! Being sedentary raises your risk of developing chronic conditions. Try to get up and take 100-200 steps every hour you’re awake during the day to keep your metabolism moving.
5. Sugar contributes to weight gain and the development of countless chronic conditions. The American Heart Association recommends that every person limit their sugar consumption. Men should have no more than 9 teaspoons (36 grams/150 calories) of sugar every day. Women should limit themselves to 6 teaspoons (25 grams/100 calories). Children should have less than 6 teaspoons a day and infant should have none.

 

These are just a few guidelines recommended by various health organizations. But, why the recommendations?

 

Facts You Should Know

• 39% of adults worldwide are overweight. 13% of people are in the “obese” range of their body mass index and are at a very high risk of early death, strokes, heart attacks and chronic health problems.
• In the United States, 39.8% of Americans are obese, which is more than the worldwide percentage.
• Millions set exercise, nutrition and weight loss goals at the start of the year. However, 80% quit on their health goals by mid-February largely due to time restraints or difficulty with physical fitness/diet.
• Added sugars is not a natural nutrient the body needs to thrive, yet it is consumed more than any other substance for most Americans. Cutting out added sugars can help the body run better and live longer.
• Poor nutrition leads to daily health problems such as migraines, headaches, aches and pains, chronic fatigue, dizziness, brain fog, irritability, depression, digestive issues, leaky gut syndrome, irritable bowel, inflammation, weight gain and more.

 

Benefits of Physical Activity

According to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, here are just a few benefits of physical activity:

1. Children and adolescents improve muscular fitness, bone health, and heart health when they get more physical activity.
2. Adults lower the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancers.
3. Older adults lower the risk of falls and improve cognitive functioning (like learning and judgment skills).

Despite benefits such as these, it was reported that more than 20 percent of the population in Colorado. reported doing no physical activity or exercise other than their regular jobs/tasks in the past 30 days.

 

That’s unfortunate considering these other benefits that can come from simply keeping up with the moderate physical activity guidelines:

• Getting 150 minutes or more of exercise each week has been proven to lengthen a person’s lifespan.
• You have a reduced risk for developing heart disease, obesity, stroke, high cholesterol, diabetes, depression, injuries and more.
• Exercise increases circulation all over the body, which helps send nutrients in your blood to all your organs, tissues, bones and cells. If you’re recovering from an injury, this increase in circulation and nutrient disbursement will help you heal faster.

 

How We Can Help

Many people don’t take charge of their nutrition and physical fitness because they don’t know how to or previous methods have failed. Professional assessments into health history, bloodwork analysis, current health conditions and more are key to staying in shape and living life without chronic conditions.

 

Our Comprehensive Weight Loss Program in partnership with First Line Therapy (FLT) includes one 90-minute initial visit with the Nutritionist to assess for imbalances, initial blood work to rule out underlying disease, and 6 follow up visits. These visits will help with understanding your body composition, meal planning guide, recipe book, meal replacement shakes, and the knowledge to propel you toward a healthier you.

 

Providers believe that 90% of disease and weight management can come from lifestyle and dietary changes. We have extensive services to help you with dietary issues and chronic conditions that aren’t always diagnosed properly. Our areas of focus include:

• Weight management
• General health and nutrition screenings
• Gluten sensitivities and celiac disease
• Food intolerances and food allergies
• Gastrointestinal conditions including ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease/GERD
• Irritable bowel syndrome/IBS
• SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth)
• Gas, bloating, and leaky gut symptoms
• Autoimmune diseases

 

Focusing on these areas, we can create the right diet, physical fitness and lifestyle changes you need to see benefits in how you look and how you feel.

 

Better Health and Physical Fitness Today

A major part of being healthy is getting the right nutrition for your body and having plenty of healthy exercise. Physical activity is good for everyone’s health. No matter what shape you are in, you can find activities that work for you. Together, we can rise to the challenge and get more active during the month of May! To get started on a plan for weight loss, customized nutrition plans and better overall health, call Balanced Well-Being Healthcare today at (970) 631-8286!