Lifetime Fitness
Lifetime fitness is a commitment. It is the
belief that keeping our minds and bodies healthy is more than just
a noble idea; it requires definite actions that need to be taken
on a regular basis. It is making conscious decisions that must be
executed to ensure our lifetime goal.
Lifetime health and fitness is a commitment to a lifestyle
change to live a happier and healthier life.
Since the turn of the century, the average life span in the United
States has increased markedly from 47 years old in 1900 to 77.3
years old at the turn of the century. While the rapid developments
in new medical technology and medicine can be credited with most
of the increases, a lack of commitment to lifetime fitness means
that a majority of these people did not enjoy happy, healthy lifestyles.
Sadly, 33 percent of high school students across the country do
not participate in the recommended amount of lifetime health and
fitness activities as outlined by the Surgeon General and the President’s
Council on Physical Fitness. This lack of activity in fitness
programs often carries into adulthood, where the number of people
without lifetime exercise and fitness program increases.
According to a lifetime fitness report by the National Institute
on Aging, only 58 percent of the American population engages in
a lifetime fitness program that involves leisure time vigorous activity
and of those people, only 26 percent do so three or more times a
week as part of their lifetime fitness program.
So how does a lifetime exercise and fitness program improve your
quality of life?
The Center for Disease Control lists the following top five annual
causes of death in the United States.
- Heart disease: 696,947 deaths
- Cancer: 557,271 deaths
- Stroke: 162,672 deaths
- Chronic lower respiratory diseases: 124,816 deaths
- Accidents (unintentional injuries): 106,742 deaths
With the exception of accidental deaths, all other leading forms
of death could have been avoided or delayed with a lifetime health
and fitness program that included exercise, a healthy diet, and
non-smoking.
When a lifetime health and fitness program includes a diet that
low in cholesterol, a
significant reduction in the build up of fatty deposits called plaque
is noticeable in the arteries. If too much plaque forms in
the arteries, they become clogged, reducing the amount of blood
and oxygen that circulate to the coronary
arteries, and can ultimately lead to a heart
attack or stroke.
A healthy lifetime fitness program should never include cigarette
smoking. Smoking has been linked to cancer, chronic respiratory
problems, and cancer.
Izumi of Japan died at the age of 120 years, 237 days. What
kind of commitment lifetime
fitness do you think Izumi had?
These are things that you can do to avoid the risk of developing
heart disease and begin living a healthy lifestyle.
- Losing weight and keeping the weight off through any type of
diet
program that fits your personality. and start
losing weight the healthy way.
- Exercising
doing cardiovascular
exercises and resistance
exercises. Don't wait for a heart attack to occur before deciding
to exercise. If You need advice on how to start you can ask the
advice of online personal trainers, they can instruct you on what activities
are considered to be a proper aerobic exercise for heart health.
- Reducing stress through various relaxation techniques
- Controlling your blood
pressure, through diets exercises, relaxation, vitamins and
medications if the need arises
- Reducing your cholesterol levels through exercise, vitamins,
natural cures, and statins if prescribed to do so by your doctor.
Whatever steps you take to improve your health you will never regret!
Why wait till its too late, begin living a heart
healthy lifestyle now. and start doing aerobic exercises for
heart health.
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