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Exercise Health Article

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Definition

The Surgeon General of the United States defines exercise as physical activity that involves planned, structured, and repetitive bodily movements in order to improve or maintain physical fitness. As an element of health, exercise involves both strength training of the muscles and cardiovascular fitness, with stretching activities for flexibility. Most research on physical activity for fitness stresses the intensity and regularity of exercise as key elements. Typical exercise activities include fast walking, running, cycling, swimming, or aerobics classes. The latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report, in conjunction with the American Council on Sports Medicine, recommends that all adults perform 30 or more minutes a day of moderate-intensity activity for 5–7 days per week. The National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Conference Statement on Physical Activity and Cardiovascular Health identifies inactivity as a major public health problem in the United States. They have recommended exercise regimens 5–7 days a week for people who are already active, and such leisure activities as gardening, walking, using stairs instead of an elevator, cleaning house and recreational pursuits etc., for people who are largely sedentary.

Purpose

One important purpose of exercise is speeding recovery from surgery. Nowhere is being fit as important as when a person is facing surgery or recovering from surgery. Regular exercise leads to important health advantages, including weight loss; greater cardiovascular efficiency; lower cholesterol levels; increased musculoskeletal strength and flexibility; and better functioning of the metabolic, endocrine and immune systems. These effects diminish with lack of exercise within two weeks if physical activity is substantially reduced; the fitness effects disappear altogether within two to eight months if physical activity is not resumed.

With regard to preparing for surgery, the effects of regular exercise on all body systems create optimal responses both to the surgical procedures itself and during the postoperative recovery period.

Demographics

Most adults in North America would benefit from increasing their level of physical activity. The majority of adults in the United States (55%) are overweight, and two-thirds of those with weight problems are likely also to have diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, or
other obesity-related conditions. A sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy eating patterns are responsible for at least 300,000 deaths each year from chronic diseases. It is estimated that two-thirds of people over 65 have at least one chronic condition, with 36 million Americans suffering from some form of arthritis. More than 300,000 total joint replacement procedures are performed each year due to osteoarthritis. Lack of physical activity contributes substantially to conditions like osteoarthritis, low back pain, and osteoporosis.

Obesity reached epidemic proportions among adults in the United States in the years between 1987 and 2000. Over 45 million adults are obese; in addition, the percentage of young people who are overweight has more than doubled in the last 20 years. Despite the benefits of physical activity, more than 60% of American adults do not get enough physical activity to provide health benefits. More than 25% are not active in their leisure time. Insufficient activity increases with age; it is also more common in women than men and among those with lower levels of economic stability and educational achievement.

The direct consequences of obesity include:

Heart disease and stroke, the leading causes of death and disability in the United States.
Type 2 diabetes (also known as NIDDM, or non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus).
Cancer. Obesity increases the risk of cancer of the uterus, gallbladder, cervix, ovary, breast, and colon in women; it increases the risk of cancer of the colon, rectum, and prostate in men.
Osteoarthritis. Obesity adds to daily "wear and tear" on joints, primarily the knees, as well as the hips and lower back.

Gallbladder disease. The risk of gallbladder disease and gallstones increases as a person's weight increases.

Stress incontinence in women, especially those over 65 years old.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

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