A doctor's answer to the prevention of any chronic disease includes exercise. It has a crucial role to play in the human body of all ages. It helps with the growth in children, has a role in the development of muscles in adolescents, assists in maintaining weight in young adults, and also aids in the prevention of aging in the elderly. The overall physical, mental, and emotional well-being is enhanced. In general, physical activity is a must in one's life. It includes any movement in the body resulting in energy expenditure. A subcategory of physical activity is exercise. Exercise is more organized, structured, and repetitive in a person's daily life. There are different types of exercise, and each type has a unique effect on the body.
1) AEROBIC EXERCISE
Aerobic exercises often referred to as endurance activities, help keep our heart, lungs, and muscles healthy by delivering more oxygen to them. During aerobic activity, large muscles in arms, legs, and hips are repeatedly moved. Such activities increase heart rate and breathing rate, improve fitness, and help with smooth performance in everyday activities. The blood vessels are widened to help carry more oxygen to the circulatory system and at the same time, more waste products are carried towards the excretory system. Blood lipid levels and blood pressure are under control. Natural painkillers like endorphins are increased which promotes an overall sense of wellbeing.
What forms of exercise come under aerobic? Includes physical exercises like cycling, dancing, hiking, jogging, running, swimming, walking, climbing stairs, playing tennis or basketball, etc.
How frequently do we exercise aerobically? It is advised to do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week. A detailed description is given in the image below.
2) STRENGTH TRAINING
It is also called resistance training. Muscle is lost when exercised. To build back the lost muscle, strength training comes to the rescue. It includes moving against gravity or some kind of resistance. It primarily involves anaerobic exercise with little contribution from aerobic. Anaerobic is high intensity and doesn't require the presence of oxygen. It burns calories even when the body is at rest. Strong muscles are developed with improved muscular strength. The benefits of strength training are listed out in the image below.
What forms of exercise come under strength training? Lifting weights, squats, push-ups, weight lifting machines, dumbbells, resistance bands. Doing them under the supervision and having a trainer is advised for these exercises because injuries are common.
How frequently do we strength-train our muscles? Recommended doing 2-5 times a week based on the person's previous experience with strength training. Each activity must be repeated 10-12 times until the muscle feels fatigued. Make sure the same muscle isn't exercised 2 days in a row because it requires time to recover.
3) BALANCE EXERCISE
Balance exercises are particularly important in older adults. They help prevent falls, maintain body posture, and improve orientation/proprioception. They also benefit people who have lost or gained a lot of weight and pregnant women because of the center of gravity changes in these individuals. Balance exercises after injuries help in retraining the muscles to contract together hence stabilizing the joints preventing reinjury.
What are the examples under balance exercises? These include using a stability ball/ a balance board, standing on one foot and maintaining a particular posture, walking heel to toe with eyes open or closed, shifting weight side to side, etc. Tai-chi - a form of 'moving meditation' that involves switching the body from one pose to the other steadily, slowly, and gently, and some poses in yoga also help with balance. The main risk to these exercises is that there is a chance to fall and injure oneself, hence have support nearby, use stability boards, and avoid slippery surfaces.
How frequently do we do balance exercises? There is no limit to balance exercises. One can do them every day if comfortable.
4) STRETCH EXERCISE
Stretching brings flexibility to the body. Also called flexibility exercises, these exercises stretch the muscles and improve the range of motion at the joints making the body more flexible. Lactic acid production is reduced in the muscles during intense workouts when combined with flexibility exercises.
What are the examples under stretching? Static and dynamic are two types of stretch exercises. Static involves stretching a muscle to a position and holding it for 30-60 seconds. For example, sitting and leaning forward to touch the toes for 30 seconds stretches the hamstring muscles. A static stretch is mainly isometric where the muscle tension is built without any muscle contraction. The muscle is stretched and not moved here. In contrast, dynamic involves muscle stretch in combination with repeated movements. For example, arm swings or arm circles where arms are repeatedly moved from rest to a certain position. Dynamic stretching should be done as part of a warm-up before any workout to increase blood circulation and improve the range of motion whereas static stretches are to be done right after a workout to help relieve stress and improve recovery.
Yoga and Pilates also help in improving the flexibility in our bodies.
How frequently do we do stretch exercises? It is advised to stretch the muscles 2-3 times a week. Breathing should be normal. A muscle has to be stretched and pulled until a mild tension is felt. If there is a sensation of pain, it means the muscle is being overstretched.
Including all 4 types of exercises in one's daily routine has more advantages compared to concentrating on only one type. The physical activity pyramid below gives a very good visual representation of the activities to be done in a week to stay physically fit.
Exercise is essential. Almost everybody knows this but only a few include it in their routines. People start following a healthy diet and an exercise regime once they are diagnosed with hypertension, diabetes, or another chronic disease. Why wait until the disease is developed? It's always better to put in the effort in the present than regret later in the future. The health benefits of everyday physical activity are countless and should never be ignored. Sleep is improved, mental health is balanced, weight is controlled to name a few. Everybody benefits from exercise regardless of age and sex. Start slow with the tip of the pyramid, once/twice a week, and gradually increase the intensity and duration of the activities and exercises until they become habitual!
REFERENCES-
1) https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/four-types-exercise-can-improve-your-health-and-physical-ability#flexibility
2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exercise,https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerobic_exercise
3) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1424733/
4) https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/aerobic-exercise/art-20045541
5) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5329739/
6) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1250267/
7) https://www.health.harvard.edu/exercise-and-fitness/the-4-most-important-types-of-exercise
8) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4419050/
9) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3448908/
10) Images- Google images, https://www.frontiersin.org/files/Articles/441213/fphys-10-00645-HTML/image_m/fphys-10-00645-g002.jpg
11) https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/real-life-benefits-exercise-and-physical-activity
12) https://www.researchgate.net/publication/272032952_The_Physical_Activity_Pyramid