We’d like to thank Dr. Gary Welch from Spectrum Physical Therapy for contributing information that we’re sure our readers will want to know. As we get older, or due to injuries, physical therapy is often the way back to our normal lives.
I
think that we’ve all been there before; the
decision on whether to exercise or not to
exercise. The excuses that I’ve made or have
heard in the past range from “I don’t have
time in my day to do this” - “My Schedule is
too busy” - “I’m tired” - “I’m overweight”
or I’m out of shape and I won’t ‘fit in’ at
the gym.” Now we have to decide whether we
want to go out with the potential for Covid,
or stay in our homes with little to no
activity.
An inactive lifestyle
leads to a gradual decline in many important
markers for cardiovascular health, such as
heart disease, hypertension, increased
cholesterol, lower HDLs, and decreased
efficiency of the muscles absorbing oxygen.
These alone should motivate most people to
get up off of their chairs, or COUCHES, and
get out and be more active!!
It’s a
personal choice on whether you’re going to
do something about it or not. Let me share
some more of the negative consequences of
inactivity.
• Increased weight, or
obesity. Increased compression on vertebral
joints, hips, knees and ankle joints. “Less
Muscle and more fat.”
• Decreased
metabolism.
• Increased Stress.
•
Feelings of depression and anxiety.
•
Type II diabetes, which can be reversed with
a good diet and exercise.
• Increased
risk of cancers, such as breast and colon
cancer. Maintaining a healthy weight has
been shown to reduce your risk of breast,
prostate, lung, colon, and kidney cancer.
• Frequently tired and run down.
•
Physically weaker.
• Pain throughout the
body with simple activities – weak muscles
strain more easily.
• Activities of
daily living and work activities become
harder to accomplish.
• Bone weakening:
Osteopenia, which leads to osteoporosis.
• Vasoconstriction of blood vessels and
capillaries.
It’s not age as much as
it’s inactivity that makes you feel old,
tired, stiff, and achy. The less active you
are, the tighter everything becomes. For
instance, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and
joint capsules all adaptively shorten over
periods of inactivity. You become stiffer,
less flexible and movement becomes
difficult.
Regular exercise will
decrease age related changes in your body.
Many of the detrimental effects of physical
inactivity can be reversed and, in most
cases, improved with moderate exercise. In
fact, research has shown that the people who
exhibited the greatest decline in physical
status during inactivity benefited the most
from exercise training.
The benefits
of exercise and staying active: You feel
better, have more energy, have less stress,
have an increased metabolism, potentially
reverse type II diabetes, improve
cholesterol levels, reduce chances of heart
disease, reduce blood pressure, reduce the
risk of cancer, have stronger muscles and
bones. The activities of daily living become
easier for you, and you have improved blood
flow. Also, exercise releases endorphins,
which when released act as analgesics that
interact with receptors in your brain that
diminish the perception of pain. Endorphins
also trigger a positive feeling in the body
similar to morphine. This endorphin release
will reduce pain, give you a sense of well
being, have positive effects with depression
and improved self esteem.
It's good
to know what the negative effects of
inactivity are, but it’s also good to know
the positive effects of activity. We can
always find a safe way to exercise and build
from there to give you a higher quality of
life.
*If you have any medical
issues that require independent guidance, be
sure to consult your physician before
starting an exercise program.
Dr. Welch and his team at Spectrum Physical Therapy are ready to answer all of your exercise and physical therapy questions. Click here for more information about Spectrum Physical Therapy.