In today’s word, it is rare to meet someone who doesn’t have a health problem. Some people may have health problems now and then, others struggle constantly. The question is, how are they addressing their health problems?

Fitness is becoming a family affair as men, women, teens, and even younger children, embrace the importance of regular exercise in order to lead longer, healthier lives, and to avoid developing health problems in the first place.
As a result, YMCA—the organization that has long been at the center of community health—must now create fitness centers that satisfy the needs of a diverse population.

The mission is to serve everyone from serious performance athletes to the expanding silver sneaker crowd to the physically impaired.
Everyone wants to know how to live a better life, but many have no idea of where to start. Here’s some helpful information if that sounds like you.

The researchers at Duke University Medical Center found that moderate to intense physical exercise and conditioning, such as 12 miles of brisk walking each week, can provide significant improvements in fitness levels, while reducing the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Dr. Plantinga and his colleagues studied 400 middle-aged patients with normal blood pressure and varying degrees of hypertension and relatively low levels of physical exercise.

Physical exercise is related to a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease with normal blood pressure or mild hypertension. Physical exercise is important for cardiovascular health because it helps make the respiratory and circulatory systems more efficient. As you use aerobic exercise to improve your health, you will make it possible for your lungs to use more air, and your heart will have to beat fewer times to circulate the blood appropriately. That means you will be putting less strain on your heart, and the rest of your system.

The data from this study confirmed that hypertensive patients had stiffer arteries than those with normal blood pressure, and also found that of the patients with normal or mild hypertension, subjects with a low level of physical activity had stiffer arteries than those with higher levels of physical exercise. For patients with moderated to severe untreated hypertension, however, a correlation between physical exercise and arterial stiffness was not observed.

Even for patients with moderate to severe hypertension, in the absence of pharmacological treatment, who got plenty of physical exercise, their arterial stiffness was no better than those with low levels of exercise,” said Dr. Plantinga. “Our findings suggest that untreated hypertension seems to level out the beneficial impact of physical activity on cardiovascular risk.”

Exercise gets the colon muscles moving, reports the Mayo Clinic. The intestines use muscle contractions to push bodily wastes through the system. Physical movement gets the heart and lungs into high drive and increases muscle movement.

Exercise Benefits:

1. Increased energy: The right combination of exercise and nutrition creates a hormonal environment conducive to fat loss, increased muscle strength, and increased energy. When your body is working at peak efficiency, your energy levels soar!

2. Increased Self-Esteem: Gaining control of your body size and weight through fitness is an amazing way to increase self-esteem. You look better and are more confident, which empowers you in everything you do. You will find that the self-discipline required and learned through regular exercise spills over into other areas of your life, and you will be better able to make other necessary and desirable changes.

3. Better health: Because of bodily activity, everything in the body is stimulated – blood flow, transport of waste products out of the body, production of hormones, digestion, etc. Exercise is an essential part of staying healthy and living longer.

4. Exercise does not need to be performed for long. Just a few minutes with a good program will do the job of building strength, health, and a better figure.

Exercise frequently and vigorously can improve our overall health. It may help people to lead a healthier life and improve the future health of the population.

See more benefits on video:

See the 7-Minute Health Program Page for more info on short effective training…..

How Do You Start an Exercise Program?

Unfortunately, few Americans get regular exercise, and usually the reason is because they aren’t choosing activities that they enjoy. Studies show that you are more likely to adopt a regular exercise program if you are doing something you like! Makes sense, right?

So here are some tips for those of you who want to get started on an exercise program, and stick with it:

• Before you start exercising, always check with your doctor first to see if there are any restrictions on the activities you may perform.
• When you have a doctor’s clearance to begin, start by setting aside time each day for a brief period of activity. Put it on your calendar and make a commitment so it happens.
• Not sure how to begin? Hire someone like Paula Jarvis. She is a Personal Trainer, certi?ed by the American Council on Exercise. She works with clients of all ages and ?tness levels to help them identify and meet their individual ?tness goals. So find a Paula in your area.
• Choose something you enjoy – walking, riding a bike, or swimming – and engage in it at a level that makes you breathe hard and break a sweat.
• Start with just a short workout — fifteen minutes is a good starting place – or choose a short distance for a walk or bike ride.
• When you have become accustomed to this, you can increase your routine gradually.
• Make a list of physical activities that you enjoy. Try to include cardiovascular or aerobic exercise. Include a variety of activities to avoid boredom and use different muscle groups.
• Besides your daily aerobic activity, add some stretches and a couple of strengthening workouts each week. Variety helps to keep you looking forward to exercise. Plus, you will be on the road to better health.
• If you are over 65, you need to focus on balance and strength exercises first. Then, you may perform “aerobic” exercises regularly, such as walking, biking or swimming.

See more info video:

The cost of an exercise program is almost nothing (maybe a new pair of shoes), and the side effects are all positive. Soon, you’ll be feeling great!