Health Promotion: This is movement for health month

04 Sep, 2016 - 00:09 0 Views
Health Promotion: This is movement for health month

The Sunday News

health-month-otsikko

Lee-Anne
In September all Physiotherapists all over the world have a campaign to promote MOVEMENT;

-Of your body for good musculoskeletal health
-Against osteoporosis (loss of bone density)
-To improve Cardiovascular health
-To learn new movement patterns in Neurological conditions
-At your workplace (Ergonomics)
-In the water
-Of your joints to mobilise stiffness
-To relieve pain
-For youngsters to develop their brains and bodies
-For senior citizens to maintain brain and body health

It goes without mentioning that in modern civilisation most people don’t move enough unless they purposely resolve to do so.

Most people don’t sleep enough or spend enough time outdoors regulating their heart rhythms and soaking up some sunshine.

Less exercise or movement can unfortunately lead to less movement. Take for instance arthritis; we always advise people to exercise or move as much as they can to prevent or avoid the progression of the disease and unfortunately people end up with limited movement in their joints. Our bodies are built for movement, and movement helps joints stay healthy.

-Ensure ease of physical movement — To a large degree, the movement of each specific aspect of the body is based on the philosophy of “use-it; or lose-it”. Any joint or muscle that is not used on a frequent basis will lose part of its function. If there is a lack of movement a person will typically experience movement that becomes more deliberate, difficult, stiffer, heavier, weaker or movement that is accompanied by pain and discomfort. Bottom-line, you need to continually move so that you maintain the ability to move.

-Assist with internal movement — The degree and type of external movement directly impacts cardiovascular function, muscle development, hormones and every other system of the body. Movement is required to pump lymph throughout the body and to aid in the return of blood from the extremities. The movement of blood, nutrients, oxygen and cellular energy is dependent on external movement.

-Strength — A person’s strength is based on the load that a muscle can hold or endure. Strength is developed and maintained by engaging muscles in activities that work the muscles and that train them to hold, carry or lift increasing amounts of weight.

-“Get up and Go” — The “get up and go” or “energy” that a person experiences on a daily basis is linked to their activity level.

An active lifestyle or daily movement may be the tools needed to combat fatigue and restore energy levels. Sedentary individuals, who begin to engage in regular movement, have reported an increase in energy levels and a decrease in feelings of fatigue.

-Sleep — Movement promotes improved sleep quality by allowing for smoother and more regular transitions between the cycles and phases of sleep. Individuals who are active have fewer episodes of sleeplessness and fall asleep easier and sleep more soundly compared to sedentary individuals. Aerobic movement three times a week has been shown to increase the amount of time spent sleeping and decrease pre-sleep in individuals who suffer from sleeping difficulties.

Also, the change in body temperature promoted by exercise triggers areas in the brain that help to initiate sleep. Yoga has also been shown to decrease anxiety thus promoting restful sleep if anxieties and a racing mind are associated with lack of sleep or poor sleep quality.

-Maintaining body weight — Generally speaking, body weight is a balance between calories consumed versus calories burned, or expended. Movement and exercise increases caloric expenditure to balance the calories.

-Mood and stress reduction — All types of activity, aerobic or anaerobic contribute to improved mood and stress reduction.

Endorphins, the body’s feel good neurotransmitters, are released during activity creating a natural feeling of well-being, decreasing feelings of stress. Movement is also a form of meditation in motion. When one engages in movement the mind is focused on the body leaving little time for thoughts of life’s stressful events. Movement has also been proven to decrease levels of depression , anxiety and improve self-esteem .

-Prevention of disease — Internal and external movement in the body is essential to keep the body working optimally and prevent disease. Any disease, in any system can be decreased or prevented with regular movement.

-Cardiovascular health — The heart is responsible for pumping blood and oxygen to every organ and cell of the body.

Engaging in activities or exercise that increases heart rate strengthens the heart and makes it more efficient.

-Bone density — Resistance training and weight bearing movement, such as jogging or walking stimulate bone formation and decrease the risk of osteoporosis . Osteoblasts, the bone building cells, are stimulated when we engage in exercises and activities that put stress on our bones. This beneficial stress causes the bones to adapt and thus maintain or increase bone density. In order to prevent the age related changes in bone density, it is imperative to engage in regular movement that puts a beneficial stress on the bones. Vibration training has also been shown to be very effective in preventing and treating osteoporosis.

-Digestion — Although digestion is improved by regular movement, also while at rest, the body is in a parasympathetic state which allows the body to “rest and digest”. When beginning to move or exercise the body shifts to a sympathetic state allowing one to “fight or flight”. When the body shifts from a parasympathetic state to a sympathetic state blood flow is shunted away from the digestive organs to the exercising muscles.

This shift in blood flow causes food in the digestive tract to move quicker and thus has a quicker transit time through the intestines. Less water is absorbed and food moves faster improving sluggish digestion in individuals who suffer from constipation. Daily movement is a key component to digestive health.

-Immune function — Movement can have a beneficial effect on immune function.

Please join in the campaign by spreading the word. Feel free to contact me if you would like to be acquintated to a Physiotherapist in your Area.

Remember to take care of your busy body.

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