Page 5 of 9

Page 6

Introduction

Tobacco and Cardiovascular Disease

Physical Activity and Cardiovascular Disease

Diet and Cardiovascular Disease

Summary

	Physical Inactivity and CVD

Fast Facts

• Regular physical activity can enhance the quality of life for people of all ages, providing numerous mental and physical benefits.
• Physical activity and fitness has been named the first of the 22 priority areas established by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and published in Healthy People 2000: National Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Objectives.
• Recognizing the benefits of moderate activity as well as vigorous, more "aerobic" exercise, guidelines from the Surgeon General's Report on Physical Activity and Health recommend a lifestyle approach to physical activity encouraging adults to accumulate 30 minutes or more of moderately intense activity over the course of most days of the week.
• Inactivity has long been recognized as a major cause of obesity.
• The relationships between physical activity and health are many and complex; physical activity has been linked to decreased incidence of heart disease, stroke, Type II diabetes, colon cancer, osteoporosis, and depression.

MYTHS

I've always been a couch potato. It's too late for me to change.

It's never too late to change. Studies show that sedentary people who adopt an active lifestyle receive a significant health benefit even if they've been sedentary for most of their lives. Changing from being inactive to being active is as important as changing other important risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

I'm too old to be active.

Nonsense! Physical activity is a key factor in healthy aging. The physiological decline associated with aging may actually be the result of inactivity. More than 40% of people over the age of 65 report no leisure time physical activity. Fewer than a third participate in regular moderate physical activity, such as walking or gardening, and less than 10% engage routinely in vigorous physical activity.

Perhaps the most important benefit of physical activity is that it enables people to retain their independence throughout the later years of life. One study suggests that people with higher levels of physical fitness and physical activity are less likely to develop the functional limitations often associated with aging. These include problems with personal care such as bathing, dressing, and feeding.

Women don't benefit as much as men from physical activity.

Women respond to exercise and activity in generally the same physiological and biochemical way as men. They also derive the same health benefits.

Women get big muscles when they exercise.

The male hormone, testosterone, is responsible for muscle bulkiness in males. This hormone is present in women but in quantities one-tenth that of men. Women who have participated in an intense weight training program for several months have shown significant increases in strength. However, their increase in muscle size might be relatively small.

Women benefit significantly from weight-bearing exercise, especially after menopause. As women and men grow older, there is a tendency for bones to lose calcium. Individuals who experience severe bone loss are said to have osteoporosis. Bones, like muscles, get stronger and thicker the more they are exercised. Many exercises slow down the bone-loss process. These include weight training, walking, and running.

Genetic factors influence your health and fitness, not how much you exercise.

It's true that traits inherited from your family are known to influence both your health and physical fitness performance. Accept that there are some characteristics about your body that cannot be changed even though you may be dedicated to an exercise program. Also, some forms of CVD and breast cancer, are linked to family history. Physical activity can still help improve and maintain your body and your fitness level. We may not all be elite athletes, but we can improve our health and enjoy the fun of activities.

Jogging is the best exercise.

No single exercise is the best. Jogging can be an excellent choice for some people, but it's not for everyone. The key to staying active is to select an exercise or activity that you like to do and that you want to do.

Top | Back | To Page 6 | Home