- Exercise is any physical activity that improves and ensures physical fitness as well as overall health and well-being. This could include exercising to improve fitness, lose weight or gain muscle.
- Health is a state of physical, mental and social health where there is no disease involved but could also lead to death. Health can vary due to income, education, social and physical environments.
- An individual’s or group of people’s lifestyle is the living conditions, behaviours, and habits and that are typical of them.
Physical Activity:
Recommendations- According to the NHS, any individual between the ages of 19 and 64 must perform some kind of physical activity every day to keep healthy. This includes doing muscle strengthening which is also important for the skeletal system as it increases its strength. However it mainly works on all the major muscles, this includes:
- Shoulders
- Chest
- Arms
- Back
- Abdomen
- Hips
- Legs
In addition, the NHS recommends to complete moderate intensive activities for around 2 and a half hours, or instead do 75 minutes of vigorous intensive activity per week. The difference is that moderate intensive activity is an activity that needs a modest amount of effort and considerably increases the heart rate. Activities may include:
- Normal walking
- Domestic Chores
- Gardening
Vigorous intensive activity is an activity that requires a great deal of effort and causes rapid breathing and a significant increase in heart rate. Activities may include:
- Running
- Cycling
- Competitive Swimming
There are many benefits which comes with physical activity, for example, it reduces the chance of certain types of cancer, such as colon cancer and breast cancer by as much as 50%. It has also been proven that physical activity will improve self-esteem, morale, quality of sleep and health, and also depression. This all together will lead to a better quality of life.
Alcohol :
The suggested maximum of having alcohol is 14 units per week, drinking more than 14 units of alcohol a week on a regular basis risks harming the individuals health. 14 units is equivalent to 10 small glasses of wine. Even though its suggested to have 14 units of alcohol a week, it is also recommended to not have it all in one go and to instead spread it evenly throughout the week. There are many risks associated with high levels of alcohol consumption which include:
- Mouth, throat and breast cancer
- Heart and Liver disease
- Stroke
- Damage to the brain and nervous system
Not only that, there is evidence that taking high levels of alcohol over a period of time will lead to mental health problems, this includes suicide and self harm. The lower the consumption an individual has the better quality of life they will have. Alcohol also has an affect with every day things such as sleep and behavior. While it can help individuals fall asleep quickly, it can disturb their sleep pattern and avoid comfortable sleeping. Meaning that with no alcohol an individual will wake up with more energy and feeling more refreshed. In addition, Drinking can influence an individuals moral judgement and their behavior patterns. When an individual is drunk they may be behaving immorally and aggressively. This may lead to actions happening that will be regretful and harmful towards you or others around you.
Smoking:
Smoking has been one of the UK’s most severe causes of death and sickness, this ranges from many types of cancer and diseases. About 78,000 people in the UK alone die each year due to smoking, with the number being higher when it comes to living with chronic smoking-related diseases. Not only that, people surrounded by smokers will also have a high chance of suffering with illnesses or even diseases, even if they do not smoke themselves. The most common cancer associated with smoking is lung cancer, with a 70% chance, however it causes cancer in many different parts of the body such as:
- Mouth
- Throat
- Kidney
- Liver
- Stomach
- Bladder
In addition, smoking is the leading cause of coronary heart disease, this is when blood supply to our heart is blocked due to the accumulation of fatty substances in the coronary arteries. Unfortunately, there is no cures for coronary heart disease , but there are ways to treat it, this includes:
- Regular exercises
- Quit smoking
- Certain medicine
Stress:
Stress is the response of the body to feeling threatened, or under pressure. Which would lead on to many health problems. For example, risk of heart attack. A higher heart rate and high blood pressure weakens the arteries over a period of time, which could cause a heart attack. However, before this stress will cause the heart to pound much faster than usual, this is due to stress releasing stress hormones forcing the heart to pump faster, making it able for the blood to move quickly around the body. In addition it long term stress weakens the immune systems defenses, leaving it more vulnerable to infections. To reduce stress, it is highly recommended to speak with trusted friends or close family members.
Diet:
Diet is the amount of food and drink that an individual ingests in a day and is made up of a combination of healthy and unhealthy food sources. Which means eating the right proportions and range of foods whilst also drinking the right amount of water to then be able to maintain a healthy body weight for the long term. The Eatwell guide (a government initiative that shows the proportions of foods individuals should consume in a day) shows individuals should try to get a good, balanced diet by:
- Having their 5 a day
- Drink at least 6-8 glasses of water
- Have base meals on higher fibre starchy foods like potatoes, bread, rice or pasta
- Choose unsaturated oils and spreads, and eat them in small amounts
There are many benefits such as:
- Greater and improved digestion
- A high and noticeable energy increase
- Better quality of sleep
Diogo's Exercise, Health and Lifestyle Blog 