Active lifestyle, fitness, health and longevity

Tlle concept that physical activity and physical fitness promote health and longevity is not new. Records from ancient China as far back as 2500 BC show that physicians advocated organized exercise for health promotion. The famous Greek physician Hippocrates, who lived around 400 BC, also believed In lhe health enhancing value of physical activity. Today, lhe llealth benefits of physical activity and physical fitness are clearly established. ll is therefore unfortunate that there are far too many sedentary people in lhe world today, especially in developed countries. True, physical activity requires effort on our pari; we have to plan in arder to include physical activity in our daily routine. However, I believe lhe benefits of physical activity far outweigh its inconveniences. In this lecture, I will highlight what, in my opinion, lhe top five benefits of physlcal activity are: Physical activity improves lhe quality of life. We will address two specific issues, discussing how physical activity can improve sleep complaints, and improve physical function and strength in lhe elderly. Physical activity decreases lhe risk of developing colon cancer. Men and women who are physically aclive experience a 30-40% lower risk of this cancer, compared to those who are sedentary Physical activity decreases lhe risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Men and women who are physically aclive also experience a magnitude of decreased risk comparable to that seen for colon cancer. Physical activity decreases lhe risk of developing heart disease. Aclive men and women enjoy about half lhe risk of heart disease, compared with their sedentary counterparts. Physical activity adds years to life, in addition to improving lhe quality of life. A study of middle-aged men has estimaled lhal aboul 2 additional years of life can be gained by being physically aclive. Having outlined lhese benefits, how can we gel individuais, who currently are sedenlary, to start being physically aclive? In this lecture, we also will discuss some principies for how to start becoming physically aclive, and how much physical activity to aim for.

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