Exercise and Health
Ronan Donohoe, Student
Physiotherapist 21st August 2007
Learning Objectives
• To have an awareness of the risks
associated with a sedentary lifestyle
• To understand the importance of
exercise in the health and well being
of family carers
• To be able to set goals to improve
overall fitness levels through a
regular physical activity
Main causes of
premature death in
Ireland
•Heart Disease Died
•Stroke Young
-
Never
•Cancer Exercised
•Respiratory system
Risk factors for Heart
Disease & Stroke
•Things you can’t change
• Age
• Gender
• Heredity
•Things you can change
• Smoking
• High Blood Cholesterol
• High Blood pressure
• Obesity
• Diabetes
• Stress
• Physical inactivity
Physical Activity and
Well Being
•Decreased physical activity is linked to
the development of obesity.
• Obesity can place individuals at risk of
coronary heart disease, hypertension,
diabetes and cerebrovascular disease.
• Increasing levels of childhood obesity
are, therefore, putting future
generations at greater risk of
developing these diseases.
What is BMI?
• BMI = Body Mass Index
• “A measure of the relationship
between weight and height that is
associated with body fat and health
risk”
• BMIBMI
Ranges:
Less than 18 — Under Weight
BMI 18-25 — Normal Weight
BMI 25-30 — Over Weight
BMI 30-40 — Obese
BMI Over 40 — Severely Obese
Calculating your BMI
Use it or Lose it
• Muscles not used regularly become “de-
conditioned” & unfit.
• They become:
• - smaller - feel heavy
• - shorter - tire quickly during normal
activities
• - stiffer
• - weaker “getting old” syndrome
Benefits of Exercise
•Physical
•Increased Muscle strength
•Endurance
•Cardiovascular fitness
•Flexibility
•Balance
•Stability
•Coordination
Impact of Caregiving
• Caregivers who devote themselves to their loved
ones to the exclusion of their own needs become ill.
• In a study of spousal caregivers, (Schulz, et al,
1999) caregivers who experienced mental or
emotional strain had a 63 percent higher risk of
death than non-caregivers.
Benefits of Exercise
•Psychological
•Decreases stress
•Decreases anxiety and depression
•Increases self esteem and confidence
•Aids relaxation
•Promotes physical self worth and
improved body image.
Mental Health
• 80 million working days per year are
lost due to anxiety and depression.
• Physical activity is associated with
positive mood, improved motivation,
self esteem and psychological
wellbeing (Grant, 2000).
• Physical activity reduces depression,
stress and anxiety scores, however,
many studies lack rigour and further
research is needed to assess long term
outcome (Lawlor and Hopker, 2001)
Benefits of Exercise
•Personal
•Involvement in sporting activities
encourages:
•Social interaction
•Team work
•Discipline: adhering to rules and regulations.
•Promotes feelings of achievement and
motivation
Cardiology
•Regular exercise can reduce the risk of
heart disease by:
•Reducing blood pressure
•Reducing resting heart rate
•Altering blood lipid profiles
• The above are all risk factors for the
development of heart disease (NHS,
1998).
Neurology
• A study investigating the
relationship between stroke and
activity has shown that the
incidence of stroke is inversely
related to physical activity. (Salonen
et al., 1982).
• Physical activity can reduce
hypertension (high blood pressure)
the main risk factor of stroke.
The Case for
•makes Exercise
resting the heart to work more efficiently during exercise and
•increased capacity for exercise
•reduction of high blood pressure
•helps weight reduction by mobilizing excess fat from the body
•decreases total and LDL cholesterol ("bad cholesterol")
•raises HDL cholesterol ("good cholesterol")
•controls
glucose / prevents diabetes - improved ability to metabolize
•improves flexibility and builds muscle
•decreases risk of injury / falls improving balance & coordination
•can reduce the risk and reverse effects of osteoporosis
•reduces the risk of colon cancer
•increases energy store in the body
•increases tolerance to anxiety, stress and depression
•aids relaxation and helps people sleep
Is it safe for me to
exercise?
• You shouldn’t exercise without consulting a GP if you have:
• dizziness
• chest pain
• irregular, rapid, or fluttery heart beat
• severe shortness of breath
• significant, ongoing weight loss that hasn’t been diagnosed
• infections, such as pneumonia, accompanied by fever
• fever, which can cause dehydration and a rapid heart beat
• acute deep-vein thrombosis (or “DVT”) i.e. blood clot
• a hernia that is causing symptoms
• foot or ankle sores that won’t heal
• joint swelling, persistent pain, recent or existing injuries
• certain eye conditions, such as bleeding in the retina or detached
retina.
Types of Exercise
• Aerobic e.g. running, cycling, swimming...
• Anaerobic e.g. sprinting, weight lifting.....
Physical Fitness
Four components of physical fitness:
• strength,
• endurance,
• co-ordination
• and flexibility
How much should I
aim for?
• “FITT” principle:
•Frequency (how many days per week)
•Intensity (how hard)
•Time (how long)
•Type (what kind of exercise)
• Recommended activity level:
“Moderate aerobic exercise of 30 minute
duration is recommended 3-5 days per week”
Basic Exercise
Session Structure
• Basic Exercise Session Structure
• 1. Warm up - light exercise for 5 minutes
• 2. Stretch - muscle groups you will use during the workout
• 3. Workout - Start light, ease into hard work. Resist the
temptation to do more than you can. Take time to master
the correct form.
• 4. Stretch - muscle groups used
• 5. Cool down - 5-10 minutes of total body light intensity
exercise to help prevent build up of toxins in the muscles
and give the body time to return to normal functioning.
• 6. Recovery - Hydrate and feed the muscles depending
upon the intensity of the workout. Avoid hot showers until
your body temperature is back in a normal range.
What is my target heart
rate?
• Maximum Heart Rate (MHR) = the maximum heart
rate a person can achieve during maximal exertion
• Generally: 220 - age = MHR
• Target Heart Rate:
• 50-60% of MHR = maintain healthy heart
• 60-70% of MHR = lose weight / burn fat
• 70-80% of MHR = increase stamina / Aerobic zone
• 80-90%
zone
of MHR = performance training / Anaerobic
• e.g. A 50 year old would have a MHR of 220 - 50 =
170bpm
• 170 x 70% = 119bpm
How do I take my
pulse?
1. Lightly with two fingers at
base of wrist below thumb or
side of neck under jawbone
2. With a watch, count the
number of beats in 15
seconds and X 4 to get BPM
(beats per minute)
3. Normal resting heart rate for
an adult is 60-90 beats per
minute
How do I monitor my
activity level?
The Borg Rating Scale
6
no exertion at
all
• Borg Breathlessness
7
extremely Scale:
light
8
9 very light
• rates how “out of
10 breath” you feel
11
12
fairly light
Endurance
during exercise
Training Zone
13
somewhat
hard • closely related to
14
15 hard (heavy)
heart rate (x by 10)
16 e.g. fairly light is10 x
17 very hard
18
100 = 110bpm
extremely
19
hard
S M A R T Goals
• Specific “I will walk”
• Measurable “to the shops / for 15
mins”
• Acceptable “does it make sense?”
• Realistic “feasible? - to stay
motivated”
• Timed “will review after 3
attempts”
General Advice
• Start Slowly
• Pick something you enjoy
• Make sure you’re safe
• Dont forget to warm up, stretch and cool down
• Wear appropriate footwear
• Try to build up to 30 mins most days of the week
• Eat sensibly & don’t become dehydrated
• Don’t overdo it
• Consult your doctor if you’re unsure or have health
problems
Useful Contacts
• Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists (ISCP) ph 01
402 2148
• Irish Heart Foundation. ph 01 6685001
• Dublin City Council Leisure Services. ph 01 222 2222
•
Weblinks
Calculate your BMI ( http://tinyurl.com/ywk95j )
• Calculate your Target Heart Rate ( http://tinyurl.com/2laq8j
)
• Dublin City Council Leisure Services. ( www.dublincity.ie )
• Evening & night courses, Dublin ( www.nightcourses.com )
This presentation ( http://tinyurl.com/2gwr45 )
