Physical activity is an essential aspect of a healthy lifestyle. A sedentary lifestyle leads to obesity, heart disease, and premature deaths. Exercise remains one of the significant ways to avoid these health issues.
According to research, exercising regularly can help avoid premature death due to chronic diseases. Let’s delve deeper into exercise and premature death prevention.
Why Exercise is Essential?
Physical activity is essential for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Exercise helps in maintaining a healthy weight, reducing blood pressure, and preventing heart diseases. Additionally, it also improves endurance, flexibility, and muscle strength.
Regular exercise is essential for maintaining healthy body functions and avoiding chronic diseases.
Benefits of Exercise in Preventing Chronic Diseases
- Cardiovascular Diseases: Regular exercise lowers the risk of heart diseases. It helps in maintaining a healthy heart and reduces the formation of blood clots that can lead to heart attacks. Exercising regularly increases HDL or good cholesterol levels, reduces triglycerides, and lowers LDL or bad cholesterol levels.
- Type 2 Diabetes: Regular exercise can prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes. Exercise helps in controlling blood glucose levels, and this is crucial for people with type 2 diabetes. Exercising regularly also enhances insulin sensitivity, helping the body to use insulin effectively.
- Obesity: Exercise is crucial in controlling weight. Regular physical activity helps burn calories and maintain a healthy weight. Obesity is a significant risk factor for chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.
- Cancer: Exercise helps in reducing the risk of certain cancers, such as breast, colon, prostate, and lung cancer.
The Role of Exercise in Preventing Premature Death
Premature death refers to death that occurs earlier than expected. Chronic diseases are the leading cause of premature deaths worldwide, but regular exercise can help prevent such conditions.
Exercising regularly reduces the risk of chronic diseases, and this helps in avoiding premature deaths caused by these conditions. According to research, regular exercise can reduce the risk of premature death by 20-30 percent.
Effective Exercise Plans for Preventing Chronic Diseases and Premature Death
For effective prevention of premature deaths caused by chronic diseases, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week.
This can be achieved through 30 minutes of exercise per day, five days a week.
Additionally, strength training exercises should be included in the exercise plan, focusing on all major muscle groups. Doing strength training exercises twice a week helps in maintaining muscle mass and bone density.
These exercises can include weight lifting, push-ups, and sit-ups.
Conclusion
Exercise is essential for maintaining a healthy lifestyle and preventing chronic diseases. Regular physical activity helps in controlling weight, reducing blood pressure, and avoiding heart diseases.
Additionally, exercise helps in avoiding premature deaths caused by chronic diseases. For effective prevention of chronic diseases and premature death, the WHO recommends 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week and strength training exercises twice a week.