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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
• Stroke Died
Young
-

• Cancer
Never
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”
• BMI Ranges:
BMI 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 Exercise
• makes the heart to work more efficiently during exercise and resting
• 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 / prevents diabetes - improved ability to metabolize glucose

• 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 detache
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% of MHR = performance training / Anaerobic zone
• e.g. A 50 year old would have a MHR of 220 - 50 = 170bpm
• 170 x 70% = 119bpm
How do I take my pulse?
• Lightly with two fingers at base of
wrist below thumb or side of neck
under jawbone
• With a watch, count the number of
beats in 15 seconds and X 4 to get
BPM (beats per minute)
• 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
7 extremely light
8 • Borg Breathlessness Scale:
9 very light
10 • rates how “out of breath”
11 fairly light
12
Endurance you feel during exercise
Training Zone


13 somewhat hard
14 closely related to heart
15 hard (heavy) rate (x by 10) e.g. fairly
16
17 very hard
light is10 x 100 = 110bpm
18
19 extremely hard
20 maximal exertion
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 )
• Exercises (animated older adults) to do at home ( http://tinyurl.com/mqlnu )
• This presentation ( http://tinyurl.com/2gwr45 )

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