Are You Risking Your Functional Fitness by Not Doing Enough Proper Exercise?
Who is exercise really for? The media depicts strength and fitness as being for the young and beautiful; as if you need to already be fit and well muscled before you can even begin to exercise. This view many seem to have about exercise may account for why it is estimated that some 80% of the population do not do enough proper exercise that properly works the muscular system.
A staggering eighty percent of the population considered sedentary or inactive. Could there really be that many people who do absolutely nothing related to vigorous physical activity? Years ago there were no intentional exercise programs and there was no need for them. Physical activity was a natural part of life and practically everyone participated in enough movement to condition their muscles and keep their bodies healthy. Our modern labor saving devices, cars, computers and televisions have robbed many people of movement time. We could think of exercise as contributing to our functional fitness. This term is applied to a simple strength training exercise program designed to improve health, enhance the quality of life and increase the ability to perform the activities of daily living. This type of fitness helps people reach goals such as weight loss, reduced blood pressure, reduced blood fats, blood sugar regulation and disease risk reduction. It will also improve the range of body motion, improve self esteem and reduce stress levels.For sedentary individuals achievable benefits from this type of exercise program includes the ability to get up from a sofa easier, have more energy throughout the day, carry suitcases easier when on vacation, climb up stairs two at a time and reducing any stiffness or pain caused by life’s movements.One of the most basic measures of physical fitness is your functional fitness: your ability to perform daily activities – such as walking, bending, carrying and lifting, reaching and climbing stairs. We all should be able to easily do these most basic movements without pain or discomfort no matter what our age is. Your functional fitness comes from having strong muscles, bones and joints, healthy lungs and hearts, good posture, tons of energy, a healthy body weight and it all influences your risk of disease and early death. Without proper exercise on a regular basis all of these essential elements of functional fitness will decline as we get older. But it is our inactivity and not the amount of candles on our birthday cake that is to blame. So, turn that around and get some help from a fitness professional to get you started on a program that will make you a better gardener, golfer, skier, swimmer, tennis player or just to lose some weight and get in the best shape of your life.Good indicators of your functional fitness are the number of minutes you engage in proper physical activity each week and the number of calories you burn in the process. So, take up the challenge and get moving and grab yourself a better quality of life.
Do you want to discover the secret to rejuvenating your body and improving the quality of your life? Download my free ebook “I’ve Found the Fountain of Youth- Let Me Show You Too!” here: Fountain of Youth For Free Fitness Report here Fitness Weight Loss Carolyn Hansen is a certified fitness expert and fitness center owner who coaches clients to look and feel younger.