PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND SELECTED MEDICAL CONDITIONS.
You have been advised by your physician to exercise simply because you were diagnosed of a given medical condition. We rarely follow the advice and end up back at the physician with another huge prescription pills to take home with. It’s evident that exercise is the best medicine both for prevention and treatment. However it needs commitment and self-respect to adhere to the program. Let’s focus on a few of the medical conditions that can benefit from regular physical activity.
Type 2 diabetes: Physical activity is a major component in prevention of type 2 diabetes in individuals with risk factor such as overweight or obesity.
Alongside dietary and pharmacological interventions, exercise has been used successful in management of type 2 diabetes. Exercise improves insulin sensitivity which leads to metabolic control.
The next time you plan do exercise, ensure you check in with your physician first.
Cardiovascular diseases: there are significant steps made in prevention of cardiovascular diseases (ischemic heart disease, heart failure, hypertension, stroke among others), however much need to be done from a personal level. Exercise aids in the following;
- Increased myocardial oxygen supply
- Lowering blood pressure
- Improving quality of life
- Weight management
- Increased blood supply among others.
Mental Health: it’s no doubt that mental health conditions are on the rise from depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia and in elderly individuals, dementia. Exercise alongside therapy has been shown to improve quality of life in this conditions.
Exercise can help avoid relapse, and at the same time make one feel;
- Relaxed
- Satisfied
- Clear minded
- Being positive
- Healthy and alive
- It also helps perform daily activities with ease.
- Exercise can reduce cognitive decline.
Pregnancy: Historically, pregnancy was regarded as a state of confinement. More recently however research as demonstrated many potential health benefit of both aerobic, strength and stretching exercises in pregnancy and the postpartum period. It’s now considered safe, and advisable, for otherwise healthy pregnant women to initiate or continue an active lifestyle during pregnancy.
Benefits include:
For the woman reduced…
- tiredness, varicose veins, ankle swelling and breathlessness, risk of developing gestational diabetes, excessive maternal weight gain, risk of pre-eclampsia, rate of pelvic and low back pain reduced labor time, stress, anxiety and depression
For the baby…
- Potentially reduced chance of foetal distress during delivery and may help to enhance brain development during infancy
Other conditions that can be improved by exercise include: some cancers, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, arthritis, and low back pain among others.
This is the end of physical activity and health.
Thanks for following.
