How sport affects daily life

How sport affects daily life

There are numerous medical-scientific researches that have ascertained the multiple benefits of regular sporting activity, both in terms of the physical and psychological aspects. In fact, dedicating time to exercise or fitness produces undoubted positive effects, such as greater longevity, protection against heart disease and good mood. But what makes physical activity so beneficial for the human body?

First of all, it should be noted that fitness, wellness, running and sport are not completely effective if they are not associated with a healthy lifestyle. Indeed, it would be useless to practice physical exercise on a regular basis, if sporting activity is not accompanied by a healthy and balanced diet and if bad habits such as smoking are not abandoned. Furthermore, in order to make most of the benefits of sport on the body, one should sleep at least 7/8 hours a day, avoiding, if possible, wearing out the psyche and body by exposing them to constant stressful situations. Those who lead a healthy lifestyle combined with the practice of a sport will benefit from particular positive effects. 2/3 weekly running sessions will be sufficient, while on the days when you don’t run, you can try your hand at pleasant fitness sessions,

With regard to results, already after the first few months you will notice that your skeletal structure will become more robust, your muscles will become more toned and you will be able to withstand greater levels of fatigue during the day. In the long run, you will also strengthen your immune system, and as a result you will encounter flu and colds less frequently. The mood will also be improved, especially for those who dedicate themselves to long running sessions: when engaged in particularly strenuous performances, our body tends to produce endorphins, a hormone that generates a pleasant relaxation effect once the session is over. sporty. The sensation is similar to that experienced by those who take opiates, with the difference that it is a natural, spontaneous and absolutely beneficial process.

Regular physical activity also benefits those with LDL cholesterol values (the “bad” one) and triglycerides higher than normal. In fact, 30 minutes of daily exercise is enough to limit the level of risk caused by excessive levels of these substances, which if not carefully monitored can increase the risk of incurring heart disease. Special medical studies have also shown how sport, if practiced consistently, reduces the risk of getting cancer and reduces signs of aging, as the skin remains younger and the bones are more resistant.

Last but not least is the motivational aspect. Sportsmen, runners, those dedicated to fitness and those who lead a balanced life without excesses at the same time tend to face existence with a wiser and more reasonable approach, with greater optimism and with great confidence about their abilities. This is especially valid for those who have started a journey of physical activity and have obtained unexpected results with effort, discipline and the strength of motivation, such as achieving a healthy weight, ambitious lap times or previously unimaginable physical performance. For those who practice it with genuine passion, sport is not an area in which you need to excel over others, but it is a way to stay fit, get in harmony with your body and live healthier.

15 Consequences of lack of exercise

1. back pain
   Back pain is today the first widespread disease And the trend is on the rise. The reason: When working in a sitting position, you stay in an unnatural position for a longer period of time. Backrests and armrests make us sit in an inclined position. The muscles loosen and are no longer able to optimally support the spine. The consequences are an incorrect posture – the so-called hunchback – and an incorrect permanent load on the spine and intervertebral discs. This incorrect strain over an extended period of time can lead to chronic back pain and even disc slip.

The solution is, of course, regular exercise! This trains and strengthens the muscles – the best prevention against back pain.

2. headache
   The reasons for headaches are very diverse and can also have other causes, such as lack of fluids. However, it is a fact that the permanent lack of exercise and the resulting muscle tension (see point 3) have an impact on the head area. Another cause: Sitting stiffly for a long time impairs the oxygen supply to the brain. Regular movement improves breathing and thus the oxygen supply to the muscles and brain. This prevents headaches.

Tip: In addition to exercise, regularly circulate fresh air in the office and ventilate!

3. muscle tension
   Muscle tension in the neck and shoulder area and in the arms is a painful consequence of lack of movement. The muscles are permanently tense, have less blood supply and harden after a short time. If you already suffer from tension, you can relieve pain with 3 targeted methods.

• Heat: the heat targeted on the skin improves blood circulation and releases tension.
• Exercise. At least 30 minutes of occasional exercise a day, such as a walk, stimulates blood circulation and loosens up muscles.
• Avoid easing posture: Maintain a natural posture despite the pain.

3. fatigue
   Little movement means little oxygen supply. A slouching posture when sitting also means that you cannot breathe as deeply. This means that the brain is less supplied with oxygen. The result: tiredness and fatigue. This is how, for example, the well-known afternoon slump develops.

5. poor concentration
   A reduced ability to concentrate is also a result of lack of exercise. The brain can only perform at its best if it is properly supplied with oxygen and nutrients. In addition to a healthy diet, exercise is essential to keep you mentally fit throughout the day and to help you focus on work. It is known, “a rolling stone does not gather moss”. This also applies to the mind.
6. high blood pressure
   High blood pressure is a common condition caused by lack of physical activity. In addition to lack of exercise, high-salt diets, high alcohol consumption and stress can also lead to high blood pressure. High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart attack or stroke. Regular exercise, even at low intensity, significantly lowers blood pressure.
7. overweight
   The cause of being overweight is always a positive energy balance. This means that more energy is taken in than the body expends. If we don’t move enough, the body goes into “rest mode” and energy consumption decreases. The lack of physical exercise, combined with an often incorrect diet, triggers a boomerang effect. You get fat and move even less…

8. type 2 diabetes
   Type 2 diabetes, also known as adult-onset diabetes, doesn’t just affect the elderly! Especially in the modern world, type 2 diabetes is increasingly common among young people. The reason is most often the combination of an unhealthy diet (too many carbohydrates, too much sugar and fat) and a clear lack of exercise. As a result, the blood sugar level rises and the hormone insulin produced by the pancreas is no longer sufficient to properly break down the sugar. The result: diabetes, you become diabetic.

Without treatment, type 2 diabetes can lead to long-term health problems. A modified, healthy lifestyle and drug treatment can prevent this problem.

9. cardiovascular disease
   The heart is also a muscle. And muscles need to be moved. Consequently, the lack of physical exercise leads to the heart not being stressed enough and therefore to a loss of efficiency. If physical exertion then occurs, the heart is overloaded with even a minor effort, such as climbing stairs. The result is, among other things, shortness of breath and dizziness, because the transport of nutrients and oxygen through the cardiovascular system deteriorates.
10. digestive problems
    In fact, lack of exercise is one of the major risk factors for digestive problems. The reason is simple: the movement creates traction and pressure, which the organs need to be optimally supplied with blood and to be able to work. In addition, the stomach and intestines are compressed unnaturally when sitting and can therefore not develop freely in the abdominal cavity.
11. osteoarthritis
    Osteoarthritis is damage to the articular cartilage. It is especially common in the shoulders, knees and hips. But the hands can also be affected. Wear and tear on the joints occurs when there is a lack of physical exercise, because the cartilage of the joints is not sufficiently supplied with liquids and, in addition, the metabolic products are not adequately eliminated from the joint. Those affected often suffer from severe pain in the joints.

12 Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is the technical term for the loss of bone mass. This disease involves a decrease in bone density and the breakdown of bone substance. The skeleton becomes more fragile. Osteoporosis primarily affects older people, but has been on the rise among young people in recent years. Exercise is the best way to counteract bone loss. Because? Physical activity stresses the bone and therefore forms its substance. The best prevention of osteoporosis is exercise outdoors (for example, a short walk in the sun) in combination with a calcium-rich diet.

13. poor immune system
    The immune system is also significantly weakened when exercise is permanently low. Physical activity stimulates the production of defense cells. If physical inactivity is frequent, the immune system also shuts down and we are more susceptible to pathogens and disease.

14 Increased risk of stress
Everyone knows about stress! But maybe you’ve noticed how good you feel after an hour of exercise and how sick you feel when you’ve “seated” in an office chair for 8 hours or more. Because? It’s simple: stress is a natural reaction to tension. The hormones released during the process put the body on alert. However, deadline pressure, constant availability, social media activity, online meetings, etc. in our digitized world they put us under constant pressure. You are under stress!

Exercise is the most important outlet. Physical effort, such as sports, releases the hormone serotonin and thus reduces stress hormones.

15 Burn out and depression
In the worst case, a permanent lack of physical activity not only leads to stress, but also has serious psychological consequences, such as depression or burnout. Some studies have shown that people with a sedentary lifestyle are more prone to depression. Increased work in a home office and resulting lack of social interaction, combined with little exercise, also increases your risk of depression. The reason is that, just like the body, the mind was not designed to be permanently inactive. This means that the brain needs stimulation and new stimuli to stay active and healthy.

Which workout to do at home: equipment or free body?

Both solutions are possible. The use of equipment makes the workload more measurable and more precisely determinable, but it is necessary to know which are the most useful for optimizing training, and above all for training the body as a whole, stimulating all muscle groups, for a full physical exercise.

In this case, rather than buying many different and specific tools, it is better to learn how to use a few tools very well, so that the workout is complete: barbell, dumbbells, for example.

Bodyweight training can also be an excellent choice, but it must be necessary to know how to generate the right workload that can effectively and concretely tire the muscle (strengthening it, increasing its resistance, obtaining results).

Do you train the cardio part or the muscles?
Both, if we want a full workout. The cardio part stimulates the heart (even climbing the stairs of the apartment building 20 times is a cardio workout!). If, on the other hand, our idea is to develop muscles, it is necessary to create a specific load on that muscle district. For example, to train the shoulders (but also the back and back muscles) it is preferable to use dumbbells and machines and do specific exercises.

Do you train independently or with the help of a trainer?
Being followed and supported by a professional (many personal trainers work at home with clients) is the ideal solution, at least for the first few sessions, to understand how to structure training and optimize time, work efficiently and effectively, with the correct exercises (without doing random things). In fact, a right guide will help us to be aware of our body and will recommend the best type of training for you. This does not exclude that you can independently inform yourself and search the web for video lessons and video courses to follow with regularity and motivation. Sometimes what you learn is more than enough to train safely and it’s much cheaper than being followed personally.

Exercises for muscle mass
When we train bodyweight to build muscle mass, how do we understand if the training is working? From fatigue. The purpose of the free body, functional to the increase in muscle mass, is to use the body weight to generate an adequate load.

Conversely, the risk is not to solicit the muscle in a significant way: as we have mentioned, training must tire us for it to be truly effective. Some well-known bodyweight exercises that provide benefits are:

Push-ups or push-ups.
Abs (or crunches) in different variations.
Squats (there are many types, and you can perform them possibly using dumbbells).
Pull ups
Training with weights and equipment is certainly easier on a technical level. Furthermore, increasing the loads is much easier.