Physicians assess patient levels of exercise at least once a year with the adult well examination. All too often, the response “Doc, I’m always on my feet!” is echoed by many. The misconception that regular, daily activity is exercise, will in the long-term prove to be hazardous to health. Exercise is defined as “planned, structured, and repetitive movement to improve or maintain one or more components of physical fitness.” It has benefits in several diseases including osteoarthritis, diabetes mellitus, obesity, osteoporosis, and cognitive impairment.
THERE ARE 3 MAIN CATEGORIES OF EXERCISE INTENSITY:
• Light intensity: e.g., casual walking, light housework, stretching.
• Moderate intensity: e.g., brisk walking, water aerobics, ballroom dancing, gardening. In this case, the individual will breathe harder with a faster heart beat and should be able to talk but not sing.
• Vigorous intensity: e.g. jogging or running, aerobic dancing, heavy gardening.
BELOW ARE THREE TYPES OF EXERCISE THAT SHOULD BE A PART OF YOUR WEEKLY ROUTINE:
1. AEROBIC AND RESISTANCE EXERCISE: Aerobic exercises have numerous cardiovascular and musculoskeletal benefits. Resistance training is the only therapy known to consistently improve muscle mass, strength, power, and quality.
a. You will need:
150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or
75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity, and
Two or more nonconsecutive days of moderate-intensity strengthening activities
2. FLEXIBILITY OR STRETCHING EXERCISES: Aging results in reduced joint flexibility, which causes difficulty when performing daily activities such as dressing and reaching objects on a shelf. Flexibility or stretching exercises improve joint range of motion after three to four weeks of regular stretching at two to three times per week.
3. BALANCE TRAINING: Balance training involves practicing to control movements of the body’s position while standing, but with reducing base of support (e.g., standing on one foot). Balance training should be practiced at least two hours per week.
HELPFUL HINT
Patients with recent joint injuries or surgery should consult with their physicians before performing exercises to avoid worsening injuries or impairing the healing of surgical wounds.
This column is sponsored by Heart of Florida Regional Medical Center.
BIO: Dr. Trishanna Sookdeo is a board-certified physician who has a Master’s in Public Health. She cares for the whole family, ages three days and up at Heart of Florida Physician Group. Should you have any questions or wish to schedule an appointment, call 863-419-2420, ext. 2, and ask for Dr. Sookdeo.
by DR. TRISHANNA SOOKDEO
