By Muscle Media

Being physically active can literally save your life!   Being fit can affect every aspect of your life, not just your physical health.  Your emotional and mental well-being are affected, too.  Only 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity for 5 days a week can help you become physically fit.  Fitness relates to physical activity.  It is not just a trim or muscular body.  Fitness is the key to optimal health and overall well-being.

Physical Fitness

Fitness professionals are often frustrated with clients who want to be fit, but don’t take the necessary actions.  Many people think that by taking a pill or ordering an infomercial gadget will do the trick to make them fit.  How many of us have exercise equipment hiding in closet or under the bed and use our treadmill as a clothes hanger?   Having the equipment alone won’t help you become physically fit.  Therefore, you have to use it.  Physical fitness doesn’t happen overnight.  It’s not a quick fix. Looking like the models on TV selling exercise equipment is not practical for most people. Getting fit is not that easy.  But then, it’s not that hard.  Understanding the benefits, feeling the benefits, and seeing the benefits of being fit help keep us motivated and consistent.

Health Benefits

Here are some of the health benefits that can save your life.  Physical activity has a direct effect on the heart.  Therefore, it increases oxygen supply to the heart, decreases oxygen demands and improves the strength of the heart muscle contractions.  Exercise lowers blood pressure.  Exercise significantly improves blood sugar levels; certainly, this is important if you have, or if you have a family history of type 2 diabetes.

Research

Well-respected research has shown that compared with active people, sedentary people have almost double the risk of developing or dying from coronary heart disease.  This is critically important, as heart disease remains the leading cause of death in both men and women in the United States.  The New England Medical Journal states in a study of over 84,000 middle-aged women, who exercised moderately or vigorously for 30 minutes a day slashed their risk of heart disease by 80% (these women did not smoke cigarettes, were not overweight, and maintained a healthful diet).  Here are some tips to help you start:

-Get a physical exam before you begin any exercise program.
-Find activities you enjoy doing each day.
-Start slowly.
-Don’t expect fitness results to happen overnight.
-Follow a progressive program of exercise.
-Hire a personal trainer to help you with motivation, coaching, or to learn how to exercise properly.
-Invite a friend, spouse or family member to join you.
-Set realistic goals and measure your results in 3-month intervals.
-Don’t stop if you aren’t getting the results you except.
-If you stop, you will never get the results.
-Results aren’t just how you look; it’s how you feel and your level of health.
-Think of exercise as adding quality months and years onto your life.