Gain Health And Slow Down Aging With Physical Activity

Physical activity is undoubtedly an excellent habit for keeping fit at all ages. The movement is also a valuable ally in the “fight” against premature aging! Various scientific types of research demonstrate that constant motor activity, from moderate physical activity to sport, helps to gain health and live better. More information on physical activity is available in the manual “Workout starts at the table.” Practicing regular physical activity allows us to:

1. Maintain and strengthen muscle mass, have greater strength, and feel less tired.
2. Keep your metabolism active.
3. Use more fat deposits for energy purposes.
4. Reduce problems in large joints and skeleton and prevent osteoporosis.
5. Improve cardiovascular, respiratory, and metabolic functions to stop developing essential diseases.
6. Regulate the sense of hunger and satiety.
7. Decrease the urge to smoke.
8. Increase mood.
9. Physical activity is divided into two broad categories: aerobic and anaerobic. Both can be practiced at all ages with the following general warnings.

Young people: vigorous activity. Older people: moderate exercise. Older adults: activities with precautions

Aerobic Activity

When we talk about aerobic activity, we mean competitive sports and physical activity. Practicing constantly leads to a gradual slowing down of the heart rate and an increase in respiratory capacity (greater oxygenation in the tissues); this also means more excellent resistance and less fatigue. The most practiced aerobic activities and sports are, for example:

1. Walking
2. Running or jogging
3. Cycling and low-intensity swimming
4. Cross-country skiing
5. The exercise bike
6. The treadmill

These activities can be carried out at any age, with very few limits. For sports, on the other hand, it is advisable to undergo a medical examination that will be able to direct the person to train suitable for his physical condition.

Aerobics And Weight Loss

To lose weight well, you need to burn fat (from food) stored in your body as an energy “reserve.” However, when we lose weight, we lose fat and protein, which muscles, for example, are made of. In losing weight, however, it is essential to maintain muscle mass and burn as much fat as possible. Low-intensity, long-lasting aerobic activity promotes fat burning, and it is helpful for people who want to lose weight. 

The low intensity, which you can easily calculate with the Talk-Test during your workout, allows you to consume stored fat and not just blood sugar and proteins. Burning fat also means lowering cholesterol and triglyceride values, preventing certain diseases, and improving the health of people with diabetes. Walking or cycling is easy and costs nothing; it requires a little goodwill.

A Nice Walk

Walking at a speed of 4 or 5 kilometers per hour (km/h) is helpful for those who need to lose weight and those who want to stay in shape. For most people, this pace is considered moderate. Long-term walking means walking consecutively for more than 30 minutes, better if 40 or an hour. The above benefits are obtained if training is uninterrupted; for example, walking 40 minutes 4 times a day ten is different! Frequency is also important.

 Walking for at least 40 minutes 3 times a week or more is recommended because the benefits extend beyond the training period. For example, suppose you walk 2 hours continuously only on Sundays. In that case, you will have fewer benefits and a lot of effort because your body, after a 6-day break, does not benefit from the previous training.

If you start from a sedentary lifestyle, it is good to start with 15-20 minutes, according to the individual state, and increase the duration progressively, a few minutes each time. It is advisable to learn to manage the intensity of the workout. If you are out of breath while walking on the plane, your heart is pounding, and your breathing increases excessively; you are going too fast.

Slow down if you encounter a slope, and do not rush headlong down a hill: your skeletal system will suffer. Conversely, if while walking you can easily converse with a friend without any effort, you are going too slowly! The walking speed should be around 4 km/h. Remember that you must constantly train to improve your tolerance to effort (cardiovascular fitness) and your psychophysical well-being.

A Nice Ride

The principles of cycling training are identical to those of walking. By bicycle, you will go faster and have to do longer continuous rides of about 60 minutes or more. The intensity must be moderate: on the plains, a good average speed is around 15 km/h, go slower uphill and if you feel out of breath, get off the bike and face the climb on foot. Don’t jump headlong downhill because it’s dangerous and consumes much less energy. Use the bicycle at least three times a week; don’t limit yourself to racing with friends on Sunday.

Constance

The American College of Sports Medicine suggests practicing physical activity for no less than 150 minutes a week, with four workouts of 40 or 3 of 50. You will quickly feel the benefits of physical activity, and if you have the perseverance to train for three consecutive months, you will feel your body different, and you will feel so good that you will never give up on your training.

Anaerobic Activity

By anaerobic activity, on the other hand, we mean a power activity in which the so-called “explosive force” is often used. In a short interval, you undergo an intense effort, technically called “maximum,” which is characteristic of being unable to be prolonged over time due to the appearance of an unwelcome guest, which is lactic acid. Sports with anaerobic activity are, for example:

1. Weight lifting, 100m sprints, heavy athletics, all sports that require top performance quickly.

Anaerobic activity can also be done using machines in the gym. Still, in this case, it is good to train following a program made by a fitness trainer or a physical activity doctor. This activity can also be helpful for those who practice aerobic exercises to shape the body and tone the muscles, but you must always be careful and not overexert yourself.

Free Radicals And Sports

Sport and intense motor activity require greater energy consumption. Therefore they help to increase the production of free radicals. The trained athlete should know how to eat and thus be able to deal with the presence of free radicals more effectively than the sedentary or those who practice moderate physical activity. Undoubtedly, taking antioxidants and protective nutrients improves health and slows aging.

 If you play sports, the intake of foods containing them must increase to decrease the risk of premature aging. If from the “Test Anti-Age” you have reached a score between 21 and 30 and you are already at an excellent level as regards the physical activity you practice. Still, if you have obtained from 0 to 10 and play sports, you must considerably increase the introduction of antioxidants and protective nutrients.

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