As every year, FESNAD (Spanish Federation of Nutrition, Food and Dietetics) proposes at this time the National Nutrition Day, which this year takes place on May 28 with the slogan "Put exercise on your plate."
Yes, we all know that is very important. There's nothing like opening a newspaper or magazine to find advertisements and posters in any Primary Care Center, etc.
Although in this case there is an entry "practical short term," I think it is worth commenting on the benefits of sport now, when the World Health Organization has stated that estimated in 2025 (not missing much) more 2000 billion adults will be overweight. And being overweight is not a cosmetic issue, it is a health problem in Spain and has for years overtones of pandemic (elsewhere already is).
Not so much about dieting feeding little light to yours (sometimes not doing a favor) or not educating them nutritionally, but know how to combine diet and exercise.
Physiological benefits:
- Increased cardiorespiratory fitness, that optimizes the general functioning of the organism and its performance against specific demands.
- Reduced risk of heart disease and preventing second episodes of heart attacks in people who have suffered heart attacks.
- Decreased blood pressure and prevention of essential hypertension.
- Prevention and reduction of respiratory disorders.
- Prevent impaired bone mineralization.
- Prevent atrophy in muscle tissue, shortening and joint stiffness.
- More flexibility at any age.
- Prevent and control muscle pain (myalgia and myositis).
- Reduce weight and maintain weight loss: increased muscle mass or lean body mass and decreased fat mass.
- Improve overall physical appearance.
- It also helps to be aware of the strengths and limitations of the individual physical, facilitating proprioception and giving a sense of one's body.
About the heart:
- Decreases resting heart rate.
- During exercise increases the amount of blood ejected from the heart with each beat, and cardiac efficiency is higher "spending" less energy.
- Stimulates coronary circulation within the heart muscle favoring the "power" of the heart.
On the circulatory system:
- It contributes to the reduction of blood pressure.
- Promotes and increases circulation throughout the body.
- Reduces the formation of clots in blood vessels, preventing the onset of heart attacks, thrombosis and embolism.
- Acts on the vascular endothelium, improving activity and keeping it more elastic.
- Improved venous return by preventing, among other conditions, the appearance of varicose veins.
On the locomotive:
- It helps strengthen joint structures (bones, cartilage, ligaments, tendons) and improves the function of the musculoskeletal system contributing to the quality of life and level of independence especially among the elderly.
- Increases muscle and joint elasticity.
- Increases strength and muscle endurance.
- Helps prevent osteoporosis.
- Prevents muscle deterioration caused by years.
- Facilitates the movement and development of the activities of daily living.
On metabolism:
- Increase the capacity utilization of oxygen that reaches the body by the circulation.
- Increased muscle enzyme activity, allowing better muscle metabolism with less need for cardiac work requirement.
- Improves the immune response to infections or attacks of various kinds.
- Increases the secretion of various hormones work and contributing to the improvement of body functions.
- Increase fat consumption during the activity thus contributing to weight loss.
- Assists in the reduction of total cholesterol and LDL ("bad") cholesterol with increased HDL ("good").
- Improved glucose tolerance favoring the treatment of diabetes.
- Helps digestion, promotes intestinal transit regulating bowel habits and preventing constipation, reducing the risk of colon cancer.
On the psychological aspects:
- Increased feeling of wellbeing and reduces mental stress (endorphin release occurs favoring the "feel good" after exercise).
- Increasing and strengthening self-confidence and self-esteem.
- Improved self image helping to establish a positive relationship with one's body.
- Decreases the degree of aggressiveness, anger, anxiety, distress and depression.
- Decreases the feeling of fatigue, giving more power and work capacity.
- Improving the quality of sleep and reduces insomnia
On psychosocial aspects:
- Relieves adverse moods and other manifestations of psychological stress.
- Provides entertainment, distraction from everyday problems
- Prevents and reduces symptoms of pathological anxiety (generalized anxiety disorder, phobic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder) and depression.
- Helps prevent and anomalous behaviors in as antisocial behavior
- Involved in the prevention, control and abandon unhealthy behaviors such as alcoholism, smoking and drug addiction.
- Help to develop a lifestyle based on commitment and perseverance, optimism, cooperation ...
- Set values and positive role models.
- Development and strengthening of social relations.
- Learning and development of sports skills.
- Coping and challenges achieving
Are you convinced?
You know what benefits can be found among you the practice of sports?
