Exercise can help manage chronic diseases

Feb 12, 2023 News

Fit-nest…

Kaieteur News – The benefits of exercise can be discussed in tons of articles but this week, we are going to discuss how physical activity can help manage chronic diseases.

Now you may want to ask, what are chronic diseases? Simply put, these are conditions that affect your health for a year or more and require medical attention. Some of the common ones are diabetes, cholesterol, heart disease, cancer and hypertension.

Chronic diseases are not contagious – meaning, you can’t get them simply from sitting next to someone- put they can be passed down through our genes, meaning that, if you suffer from diabetes for example, it could be because you got it from a parent or grandparent.

In Guyana, more than 50 percent of deaths are linked to chronic illnesses. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) conducted a study in 2016 and released its report in 2021. That study found that 68% of deaths in 2016 were attributed to Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), specifically, cardiovascular disease (34%), cancers (8%), diabetes (8%), and chronic respiratory diseases (3%).

Studies have shown that regular exercise can help manage chronic diseases. You may be happy to know too that it can also help to prevent the onset of such conditions as well. It is however important that you speak with a doctor before starting any exercise routine.

The Centre for Disease Control and Prevent (CDC) advises that if you have been diagnosed with a chronic disease that you get the support of friends and family and get active. The CDC said too that it is critical to start slowly and add time, frequency, or
intensity each week. A simple and easy way to get some physical activity in is by walking to nearby destinations rather than driving, or, parking your car further away, to get some extra steps in.

Below is a list of a few chronic diseases that exercise can help to manage, as shared by Mayo Clinic:

Exercise can ease pain, build muscle strength around joints and lessen joint stiffness. It also can help people with arthritis move better and improve quality of life.
Often, exercise can help control how often asthma attacks happen and how bad they are.
Back pain.Low-impact aerobic exercise is regular exercise that raises heart rate without putting stress on the body. It can build back strength and make muscles work better.

Stomach and back muscle exercises, also known as core-strengthening exercises, can help ease symptoms by making the muscles around the spine stronger.

Exercise can improve the quality of life for people who’ve had cancer. It also can improve fitness. And, it can lower the risk of dying of breast, colorectal and prostate cancers.
Exercise can improve thinking skills in people with dementia. People who move regularly are at less risk of dementia and problems with learning and thinking.
Depression and anxiety.Regular exercise helps improve the symptoms of both these conditions.
Regular exercise can help lower blood sugar levels. Exercise also can help control weight and boost energy. For people with type 2 diabetes, exercise can lower the risk of dying of heart disease.
Heart disease.Regular exercise helps the heart. Exercise can lower the risk of dying of heart disease. And, it can lower the risk of heart disease getting worse.
This condition causes bones to thin and weaken. Some exercises, such as fast walking and lifting weights, help build strong bones and slow bone loss.

The CDC recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity every week, plus muscle- strengthening activities at least two days a week for adults.

Exercise is also important for children. They require 60 minutes or one hour or more of physical activity each day to stay healthy.

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