As we open the new year, let us honor the role of physical fitness (January is National Healthy Weight Awareness and Family Fit Lifestyle month), in our lives. It is so important for us all to know that dedicated time for physical, along with mental and spiritual, health is essential for a future of balance and harmony in life.
Hippocrates, the “father of medicine”-circa 5th century BCE, had cleverly said, among other famous quotes: “If we could give every individual the right amount of nourishment and exercise, not too little and not too much, we would have found the safest way to health” and “walking is man’s best medicine.” Historical writings indicate that Hippocrates had rendered sensible care directives to assist those preparing for the ancient Olympics by promoting physical fitness that included gymnastics, running, jumping, and dancing, a balanced diet, and the use of a lot of garlic and olive oil! His care for patients, in general, included these concepts along with mental counsel, herbal and art therapy.
So, what is exercise, and is it synonymous with physical fitness?
Due to our language specifics, there is a distinction, and it is truly not an issue if we interchange these terms! Broadly defined, exercise is a subset of physical activity -any bodily movement resulting in energy expenditure that is planned, structured, and repetitive. The objective of exercise is the improvement of physical fitness and overall health. Physical fitness is the overall state of your body’s capability of performing physical activities. Essentially, exercise leads to physical fitness, and the lack of exercise leads to unfitness.
When we exercise, the body is actively engaging in movement that can include walking, jogging, jumping, dancing, swimming, cycling, skiing, acrobatics, yoga, martial arts, tai chi, playing a sport like soccer, basketball, or tennis for a period of several minutes to hours. Every muscle is engaged, and the heart and lungs are moving much more than they would at rest. Moreover, there is a release of hormones like endocannabinoids, dopamine and oxytocin, all of which contribute to improved mental health. It can be a full spiritual experience if you let it happen. Like an orchestra, the musicians (your organs, glands, muscles, nerves, connective tissues, blood vessels, bones/joints) are playing accordingly to have the musical creation sound its finest –so it is with the body.
To start working on becoming physically fit, one should be thinking of all these wonderful goals that include improved heart and lung function, better coordination, flexibility and balance, strengthening and maintenance of muscles, better mood and lessening or elimination of depression, better sleep, and sex too! It is also very important for you to enjoy what you will do for fitness and not see it as a chore or hard work that you disdain. The work going into exercise pays off in added vitality and even years to your life as long as you continue and stay on course.
Take 30 minutes each day — it can be split into 10- or 15-minute intervals work on moving with a moderately paced walk, jog or walk-jog pattern, or other moving activity, preferably outdoors, but indoors is fine too. Start your movements with some dynamic warm-up stretching like squats, lunges, high knees, or skips, and then go right into your trekking or other activity. If you have a walker, ensure you are on a smooth path to avoid snags, cracks or uneven ground. Walking backward, for those who are confident, strong and steady, and not unsteady on the feet, has its benefits in that it increases brain neuron activity to help with cognition and brain power! If you are in a wheelchair and can use your arms and/or legs, work with a cycling apparatus to move those extremities that can be propelled. Three or four times a week for 20-30 minutes each time can be also dedicated to adding resistance with weights or other equipment to keep muscle mass from weakening rapidly that can happen when there is no exercise done. Muscle mass/bulk will lessen as we age so it is up to you to slow down that process.
Studies have validated the absolute value of exercise, and one need not do vigorous work outs to get great benefits. Moderate, albeit regular daily working out cannot be overdone and it has been shown to be just what we all need to do. Whether solo, with a partner, group or team, the motion is what is needed to enhance and invigorate for time to come.
It is now 2025 and commonsense movements are waiting to happen.
Let’s get going… 😉
- Exercise for Complete Health Every Day: A Commonsense Move - January 24, 2025
- Battle of the Bulge: Let’s Do It Safely and Naturally - November 15, 2024
- Musings on Body Divine - October 21, 2024
