Regular Exercise Enhances Health, Body Image, and Quality of Life

Physical fitness is a vital component of a healthy lifestyle. Research has shown that regular exercise is essential for managing weight, maintaining optimal energy and strength, sharpening motor skills, and resisting aging and disease. As we age, excess weight and accumulation of fat tissue become risk factors for diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. Researchers in Poland performed a health analysis on 421 women in the town of Nysa, Poland, using body measurements and physical fitness assessments to determine the effect of regular exercise on body composition and overall physical fitness. The complete study is published in the journal Human Movement.

Participants in the study included 301 women who had taken part in an organized physical training program for at least a six-month period. The control group consisted of 120 women who did not participate in the exercise program. Participants ranged in age from 20 to 59. The training program was led by an instructor, and included two 50-minute sessions per week. Each session incorporated aerobic exercise, strength training, and relaxation and stretching, along with information about sustaining a healthy lifestyle.

Because BMI values are proportionally related to increased risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, arthritis, and certain types of cancer, each participant's height and weight was measured to calculate BMI. Participants were also measured for total skin-fold thickness to determine body fat composition. Fitness levels were determined using a plate tapping test to measure speed of hand movements, a handgrip test to determine forearm muscle strength, a sit and reach test to measure the flexibility of the lower back and hamstring muscles, and a standing broad jump test to measure explosive leg power.

Weight increased with age, but women in the control group were significantly heavier at every age. The mean BMI also increased with age, but values were higher in women who did not train. A larger number of women in the training program were in the normal BMI range, and a smaller number were in the overweight or obese range. Overall, the majority of women who trained had leaner builds, while the majority of the control group were overweight or obese. Skin-fold thickness increased with age in both groups, but measurements were lower in women in the training group.

Hand speed coordination decreased with age; however, women who trained had significantly shorter performance times on the plate tapping test, in all age groups. Both flexibility and forearm muscle strength decreased after age 50 in both training and control groups, and values were significantly lower in the control group. Explosive leg power decreased with age, and physically active women had much higher scores.

The authors concluded that women who trained at least two days every week had lower BMI and less fat tissue than women in the control group. Women who trained also had better flexibility, muscle strength, and leg power. Data from this study demonstrate the profound effect of physical activity on body size and weight, as well as speed, coordination and overall vigor. Being active keeps weight down, tones muscle, and slows down aging. Regular exercise is essential, for the enjoyment of optimal health, and the best possible quality of life.

Reference

Nowak, P., Ignasiak, Z.

The State of Health of Women Aged 20-59 at Different Levels of Physical Activity

Human Movement

http://versita.metapress.com/content/l427l94h6476/?p=98a7d0886f60499fa381dba71c384ef6π=0

http://versita.metapress.com/content/31u003781x4v406x/fulltext.pdf