Adults are usually individuals who fall between 18 and 65 years. Majority of them are usually tertiary students, young professionals or entrepreneurs. Many of them are established workers with families. This group of individuals needs to be efficient and effective either in their studies, on the job or while running a business. This is because they need their efforts to be productive to yield the expected results in whatever they do. Additionally, they seek to have optimal health so that their time is not spent treating illness but rather building their dream career and business. Staying active is one of the ways this age group can achieve efficiency, effectiveness and productivity. This is because staying active;
- Reduces the risk of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease mortality, incident hypertension, among others.
- Gives a good start for day: There is nothing as annoying as hearing the alarm clock ring, knowing you have to wake up, but wanting just a little more sleep. When you manage to get out of bed, you drudgingly get ready for work or school. If you feel this way, engaging in a 10 minute moderate physical activity or a 5 minute vigorous physical activity, will get your heart to beat faster and make you breathe harder, consequently waking you up fully to face the day. See it us a “system boot”.
- Refreshing effect: Engaging in a physical activity does not only wake you up to face the day but also gives you a refreshing effect as enough oxygen has been carried around your body due to the increase in the number of red blood cells. This helps to put you in good mood. When you feel good, you can better tolerate your demanding boss, a boring lecture, an annoying colleague, or a difficult mate, partner or client.
- Boosts your self-esteem: Having good self-esteem is very important especially if your job involves engaging stakeholders or study participants, as you need to be confident when dealing with such people. Waking up fully and feeling fresh sends signal to your brain that you are in a fit state. You are more confident and feel better about yourself.
- Prevents awkward situations: Many workers or students prefer emptying their bowels at home as they get to stay on the loo for as long as they want, and there is no need to worry about smell. This may not be possible in the workplace or in school. Engaging in physical activity will increase muscle movements to cause your bowel to respond to an empty call, so you can conveniently empty your bowel before leaving home each morning. And when you are not able to empty your bowel before leaving home, you will not spend too much time at the loo because the stool is not hardened.
- Makes you eat breakfast: As a young professional or student, breakfast is very important because it helps your body to start off with energy. Engaging in physical activity, especially in the morning, boosts your appetite for breakfast. Physical activity also helps to prevent constipation, which reduces appetite.
- Reduces fatigue: When workers, young professionals or students become easily tired, they may not be able to work efficiently and productively. Engaging in physical activity helps to reduce fatigue as it boosts the number of red blood cells that carry oxygen around the body, thereby delaying fatigue.
- Makes you sleep well: A good night’s sleep helps an individual to rest his or her body and allows the body to rejuvenate for the next day. Individuals, who engage in physical activity especially before taking their evening bath, tend to get a good sleep without interruption as it gives them a relaxing effect. They wake up ready to face the next day.
Staying active is associated with cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength and endurance, flexibility and body composition. All of the above helps to prevent cardiovascular diseases, some cancers, and putting on extra weight to become overweight or obese.
Join the Become A Healthier You community today and find support to stay active.
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Written and reviewed by: Irene Danquah, ANutr
Last page review: 23/12/2021
Next page review: 31/12/2024