![]() | Feature: Healthy Living Move for Health | No.49 January 2007 |
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Abstract
The most important parameter involved in healthy living
is a physically active life. Unfortunately, over the years, technological
advancements have made our lives increasingly sedentary. As such, the
benefits accrued to physical activity and fitness are being denied.
Being interwoven and interrelated with other dimensions of health, it
indicates that the inability to be physically active in the real sense,
can lead to physical health problems. Besides this, missing the opportunities
which expose a person to being active can produce such problems as social,
emotional, psychological, intellectual, spiritual or environmental problems.
A person’s inability to be occupationally active (in school or
working life) can produce physical illness, and hence, other illnesses.
Healthy living includes being physically active and alert to protect
ourselves from environmental hazards and the ability to minimize the
negative impact of our behaviour on the environment. This paper tackles
the barriers to physical activity. Suggestions are made on how to overcome
the obstacles to a physically active lifestyle.
Introduction
The term wellness connotes the attainment of healthy living. In the
broad sense, healthy living encompasses the ability to carry out assessment
of personal health, the provision of information, behaviour change and
individual or group counseling that ultimately leads to the adoption
of a healthy lifestyle. As a continuum, a healthy lifestyle is characterised
by low-risk, healthy behaviours, which over time, culminate to a sense
of well-being. Thus, healthy living suggests a person’s ability
to adopt a healthy lifestyle, which unlocks his or her full potential
to interact well within a variety of life arenas. The fact remains that
many wellness activities are engaged in risk reduction that results
in health promotion; health maintenance; and prevention of illness/diseases
(Oja & Borms, 2004).
Wellness professionals believe that the key to unlocking
the full potential of health, and experiencing healthy living, lies in
health promotion. This is focused primarily on risk reduction, through
quality health education, but not in treating chronic illnesses/diseases
(Edwards & Bouchier, 1991; Egwu, 1996; Hardman & Stensel, 2003;
Oja & Borms, 2004).
Healthy living embraces wellness in all dimensions
of health. According to the Geneva based World Health Organization (WHO),
‘health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being
and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity’ (WHO in Egwu,
1996). Health, being multifaceted, extends beyond these three dimensions.
It encompasses the physical, mental, social, intellectual, spiritual and
environmental dimensions. These sum up to bring a total person. Thus,
being healthy involves physical health, emotional health, social health,
intellectual health, spiritual health, occupational health and environmental
health. These dimensions of health are interwoven, where one aspect of
wellness amounts to wellness of the other six dimensions.
Based on these multi-dimensions and interrelationships,
healthy living can better be described as the ability to utilise well
the intrinsic and extrinsic resources within each dimension of life to
participate fully in life activities which contribute to growth and development
in each stage of the lifestyle of a person; from birth, infancy, to aging. Staying Physically Fit
Physical fitness gives the ability to carry out our daily tasks with
vigour and alertness, without undue fatigue and with ample energy to
enjoy leisure time pursuits and to meet unforeseen circumstances. You
need not become a full-time athlete to enjoy the health benefits of
fitness. Incorporating regular, moderate physical activity into your
lifestyle can benefit your health and your overall quality of life in
other dimensions. The Benefits of Physical Activity on Health
The greater the demand made on the body, the more fit it becomes. Over
time, immediate, short-term adjustments translate into long-term changes
and improvements. The rationale behind this is that when breathing and
heart rate increase during exercise, the heart gradually develops the
ability to pump more blood with each beat. Then, during the next bout
of physical activity, it does not have to beat as fast to meet the body’s
demand for oxygen. This oxygen is needed for normal functioning of body
cells. Immediate Effects of exercise
Long-term Effects of exercise
Lifestyle Physical Activity for Healthy Living.
To develop fitness, a person must perform efficient amounts of physical
activity to stress the body. Over time, this produces long-term physiological
changes. A moderate amount of physical activity on most, preferably
all, days of the week rules out a sedentary lifestyle. A goal focused
on expending 150 calories per day or about 1,000 calories per week in
physical activity is okay, because energy expenditure is a function
of both intensity and duration of physical activity. The same amount
of energy expended in shorter sessions of strenuous activity can be
obtained in longer sessions of moderate intensity physical activity
(Insel & Roth, 2002). Thus, 15 minutes of running is equivalent
to 30 minutes of brisk walking, ie. both activities use about 150 calories
of energy.
Other moderate activities include playing ball for
45 minutes, gardening for 30-45 minutes, wheeling one self in a wheel
chair for 30-45 minutes, bicycling 5 miles in 30 mins, jumping rope for
15 minutes and stair walking for 15 minutes. In addition to moderate-intensity
physical activity, resistance exercise ie. exercise against an opposing
force such as weight, is also recommended at least twice a week to build
and maintain strength. With these increases in lifestyle activity, people
can expect to improve their health significantly. Assessment of your Activity Index
You can assess your activity index by multiplying the frequency and
intensity of your physical activity by the duration. Frequency x Duration x Intensity = Activity Index. 1. Frequency: How often do you
exercise?
2. Duration: How long do you exercise?
3. Intensity: How hard do you
exercise?
Multiply to determine your total score. To assess your activity index, refer to the table below.
Source: Kusinitz, I. & Fine,
M. (1995).
If your activity level is in one of the lower
categories, review the components of your score (be it frequency, duration
or intensity, or all) and see how you can raise your score. Then you can
add more physical activity to your current exercise program or devise
a new one. Exercise Program Design to Develop Physical Fitness
How much physical activity is enough?
Most experts agree that some physical activity is better than none. They believe that more activity, as long as it does not result in injury, is better than less. The physical activity pyramid below is a guide to
meeting goals.
![]() If your activity index score reveals a sedentary
lifestyle, as at the peak of the pyramid, do those things infrequently
and gradually increase your activity to moderate-intensity. If your score
shows you to already be moderately active, begin a formal exercise program
that includes cadio-respiratory endurance, flexibility training and strengthen
training to help you develop all of the health related component of fitness. Overcoming Barriers to Physical Activity
There are numerous reasons given by people to explain why they do not
participate in much physical activity. The reasons falls into seven
categories: Lack of time, social influence, lack of energy, lack of
power, fear of injury, lack of skill and lack of resources.
Table II. Personal Assessment of Your Barriers to
Physical Activity. Please read each statement and indicate how likely you are to admit each of the statements.
Source: Insel and Roth (2002) Scoring
The sum of scores of the three items in each variable
reveals the level to which you will be active. A score of 5 or above in
any category reveals that it is an important barrier. Try the suggestions
given here. Suggestion for Overcoming Barriers to Physical Activity.
Lack of time
Social influence
Lack of energy
Lack of willpower
Fear of injury
Lack of skill
Lack of Resources
Other additional barriers can also be overcome.
Weather conditions
Travel
Family Obligations
Retirement years
Conclusion
The benefits of physical activity are both immediate and far-reaching.
Being physically fit makes it easier to do everyday tasks. Over the
long term, physically fit persons are less likely to develop chronic
illness. Over the years, they develop cardio-respiratory endurance.
You can become involved in your own wellness. A sedentary lifestyle
is a barrier to healthy living. To assume healthy living, use the personal
assessment tool and evaluate your activity index. It will help you to
evaluate your lifestyle. You can overcome the barriers through behaviour
change. References
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of Internai Medicine: 159: 2290-2296. Contact
Dr. Clement Abiodun AJIBOLA Ph.D
& AKPAN, S. C. (Mrs.) Physical And Health Education Unit Department Of Vocational And Special Education Faculty Of Education, University Of Calabar Calabar, Nigeria perrycaa@yahoo.com ![]() http://www.icsspe.org/portal/index.php?w=1&z=5 |