Exercise is any bodily activity that enhances or maintains physical fitness and overall health and wellness. Experts recommend exercising daily in order to be healthy. Some physical activities include walking, gardening, games, jogging, and swimming, among other things. Here is why you should exercise daily.

Dr Gerald Luzindana, a wellness specialist at Amazon Wellness Centre, Remera, says that exercise is any physical activity that is planned, structured and done continually for the purpose of conditioning any part of the body. Physical activity is a concept the body uses to improve health, maintain fitness and is important as a means of physical rehabilitation.

He says that our body structure has over 360 joints, 650 muscles that make up half of a person’s body weight. They are connected to bones by tough cord-like tissues called tendons which allow the muscles to pull on bones, hence, motion.

"The human body was created to be mobile, any situation that binds the body in one position affects its function; this justifies the need for constant physical activities,” he says.

Eric Mutabazi, a senior physiotherapist at King Faisal Hospital, Kigali, says that physical activity is any form of movement that causes your body to burn calories; this can be as simple as walking or cleaning the house. The treatment of non-communicable diseases like coronary heart disease or type 2 diabetes causes rising costs for the health system. Physical activity is supposed to reduce the risk of these diseases.

Mutabazi explains that the short-term benefits of increasing your physical activity include lowering blood glucose within one hour — giving one more energy and strength during the day, decreasing stress, anxiety, and fatigue, and improving relaxation and sleep, boosting confidence and well-being, to mention a few.

Luzindana advises that regular physical activity is the best thing one can offer their body, as it reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease. However, each individual has specific exercise requirements and each body state calls for independent physical wellness.

Getting at least 150 minutes of exercise a week (two hours and 30 minutes) of moderate aerobic activity can put one at a lower risk of developing heart complications or stroke, he says.

Luzindana says regular physical activity can diminish the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome (a condition involving large waist circumference), and lower HDL cholesterol, high triglycerides, or high blood sugar.

Research shows that physically active people have a lower risk of endometrial, lung and colon cancers than people who are not active. Physically active women have a lesser risk of breast cancer than people who are not active.

Mutabazi notes that long-term benefits of  daily exercise include; improved blood glucose control, healthy weight, lowered blood pressure, stronger bones and muscles, lower risk of diabetes and complications such as eye, heart, and kidney disease, and improved quality of life.

Luzindana says that daily physical activity can also reduce one’s risk of depression and may help one sleep better. Scientific evidence shows that even minor physical activity can be beneficial; like using the stairs, going grocery shopping, or playing with children.

He adds that if one has trouble doing everyday aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities, engage in lighter physical activity like using the stairs, or walking.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY THROUGHOUT THE DAY

Mutabazi says, "Take the stairs (instead of elevators and escalators), shovel or sweep your own walkway, driveway, or deck (take lots of rest breaks, and do not push too hard), carry your own grocery bags, get up and stretch every 30 minutes at work or while watching TV, do your gardening, go bowling, or engage in any other recreational activity.”

Technology and modern living have removed many regular forms of physical activity from our daily lives, where cars replace walking and biking, elevators and escalators replace stairs, dishwashers replace doing dishes by hand, computers replace manual labour, and etcetera.

Moderate and vigorous exercises are totally different, especially regarding outcome. Therefore, both are good depending on someone’s ability and age. High intensity exercises like jogging, cycling, and hiking are used to increase oxygen intake in the body, Mutabazi says.

Mutabazi adds that moderate exercise is preferred by many people, and if done at least three times a week, it can make a difference.

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