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Exercise in Health
and Disease
A world famous physical
educationist, Eugene Sandow, has very aptly said, " Life
is movement, stagnation is death. " Physical exercise
is essential for the maintenance of normal condition of
life. Lack of natural exercise is one of the chief causes
of weakness and ill-health.
In recent
years, the need for exercise has been recognized even in
sickness. Physic and occupational therapy are now standard
procedures in medicine to restore the use of muscles and
nerves that have been injured by disease or by accident.
Patients with organic ailments are now advised to stay in
bed for the minimum period considered necessary.
Exercise and Activity
For corrective living, it
is essential to differentiate between exercise and activity.
While both are important as they are involved in vital physical
movement, they vary in degree and benefits. Both employ the
body in voluntary movement. Activity uses the body to a limited
degree and generally to achieve a specific purpose. Exercise
employs the body over the widest possible range of movement
for the particular purpose of maintaining or acquiring muscle
tone and control with maximum joint flexibility.
Activity
requires less physical effort and often less conscious effort
once the routine has been established. Exercise demands considerable
physical effort and is more beneficial as mental concentration
is simultaneously employed.
Benefits
Systematic physical exercise
has many benefits. The more important benefits are mentioned
below :
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Regular
exercise taken properly can achieve the increased use of
food by the body, which contributes to health and fitness.
The basal metabolic rate and habitual body temperature
will slowly rise during several weeks of physical exercise,
if the programme is not too hard. The healthy person usually
has abundant body heat and a warm radiant glow.
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Regular
progressive physical exercise can bring about the balance
of automatic, or involuntary , nervous system. The tone
of the vagus nerve, one of the nerves that control sensation
and motion, is strengthened. This accounts for stronger
pulse waves, higher metabolism and better circulation.
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Exercise
can prevent or reduce gravitational ptosis or sag, as it
is commonly called. Ptosis results from uneven flow of
blood in the feet, legs and lower abdomen.
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Improved
capillary action in the working of muscular and brain tissue
results from exercise carried to the point of real endurance.
This permits greater blood flow and gives the muscles,
including the heart, more resistance to fatigue. Massage,
heat and moderate exercise are relatively ineffective in
producing additional capillary action as compared with
vigorous exercise.
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The
full use of the lungs in vigorous exercise can reduce or
prevent lung congestion due to lymph accumulation.
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Gas
and intra-intestinal accumulations can be reduced by exercise
that acts to knead and squeeze or vibrate the intra intestinal
mass.
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Better
respiratory reserve is developed by persistent exercise.
This ensures better breath holding, especially after a
standard exercise. With greater respiratory reserves, exercise
become easier.
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Improvement
in tone and function of veins can be accomplished by repetitiously
squeezing
and draining the blood out of them and then allowing them
to fill.
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Sweating
in exercise aids kidneys by helping to eliminate the waste
matter from the body.
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Consistent
exercise leads to improvement in quality of blood. Studies
have shown improved hemoglobin levels, relatively greater
alkalinity, improved total protein content and a grater
red cell count.
Systemic exercise promotes
physical strength and mental vigour and strengthens will
power and self control leading to harmonious development
of the whole system.
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