Goodfellow 1

Bryce Goodfellow
Professor Camille Pack
English 2010 Section 33
1/28/2015
Word Count: 1524
How Fitness Affects the Human Body
Exercise is vital for our bodies. Before our world was as developed as it is now
we were exercising without even realizing it. Once we become developed we were sitting
more and moving less. We began to see the affect it was having on our bodies. Exercise
is now known to be a key in our health and well-being. How and why is exercise so
important and how can it make such a significant difference?
Exercise is known to increase heart rate and blood flow and in turn, it exercises
the heart itself. Our heart is central to each of our organ systems and their functions. If the
heart isnt working properly then it is likely that another system is also failing. Scientists
and researchers have found that regular physical activity can prevent and also reverse
heart diseases and complications. A study has found that, Patients with newly diagnosed
heart disease who participate in an exercise program report an earlier return to work and
improvements in other measures of quality of life, such as more self-confidence, lower
stress, and less anxiety (Myers, 2). The benefits of regular exercise on cardiovascular
risk factors, according to Myers, are an increase in exercise tolerance, reduction in body
weight, reduction in blood pressure, reduction in LDL and total cholesterol, increase in
HDL cholesterol, and an increase in insulin sensitivity (1). The heart is a complex organ
with veins, arteries, valves, and chambers. It should be treated with care because we only
get one and it is difficult to repair once damage has been done. Improving your heart will

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improve your quality of life. This alone should motivate individuals to participate in an
exercise program.
Exercise is also beneficial for the brain and its maintenance. Over the years, many
have researched how thinking and learning can put off brain
decay. They did this with things like puzzles, crossword
puzzles, and learning an instrument. While these have been
shown to help, exercise is now considered an additional method
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to improve brain health and function. Reynolds stated that,

scientists in just

the past few months have discovered that

exercise appears to build a brain that resists
physical shrinkage and enhance cognitive
flexibility. Exercise, the latest neuroscience
suggests, does more to bolster thinking than

"WhataWorkoutDoestoYourBrain(andWhyDifficultExercisesMakeYourBrainGrow)."
CrewBlog.1May2014.Web.3Feb.2015.<http://blog.pickcrew.com/thisisyourbrainon
exercise/>.

thinking does. While it isnt specifically stated or known the intensity of exercise that is
needed, researchers did find that a simple walking program was helpful. When a group
of 120 older men and women were assigned to walking or stretching programs for a
major 2011 study, the walkers wound up with larger hippocampi after a year. Meanwhile,
the stretchers lost volume to normal atrophy. (Reynolds). With an increase of diseases
such as Alzheimers and Dementia it is wise to exercise for brain health. In todays
society we are living to older ages than ever before and therefore we are seeing more
decay, especially in the brain. We want to have a compression of morbidity so we can live
not only longer, but better lives longer.

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The benefits of exercise extend beyond the brain and heart and reach our bones
and joints. Our bone health affects all of our Activities of Daily Living, or our ADLs.
From sitting, standing, and walking our bones affect our entire life. It is well known that
as we age we put a lot of stress and pressure on our bones and joints and they have been
know to begin to lose strength as we age. With arthritis and osteoporosis so common it is
no surprise that researches have been looking for ways to combat these bone health
decays. The NIH states that, like muscle, bone is
living tissue that responds to exercise by
becoming stronger. Young women and men who
"CalciumKeytoGoodBoneHealthDeadlyVibe."DeadlyVibe.7June2013.Web.3Feb.2015.
<http://www.deadlyvibe.com.au/2013/06/calciumkeytogoodbonehealth/>.

exercise regularly generally achieve greater

peak bone mass (maximum bone density and strength) than those who do not (Exercise
for Your Bone Health 1). This is well known and accepted scientifically and therefore is
great advice to everyone, especially those at risk for arthritis and osteoporosis. However,
not just any exercise will help to build bone mass. As the NIH explains, The best
exercise for your bones is the weight-bearing kind, which forces you to work against
gravity. Some examples of weight-bearing exercises include weight training, walking,
hiking, jogging, climbing stairs, tennis, and dancing (Exercise for Your Bone Health
1). While things like biking and swimming are great for your muscle and heart strength,
they wont do much in the way of bone strength. The exercise recommendations become
more complex when a personal already has bone loss. You want to avoid high impact
exercises and exercises with twisting or bending of the spine. One would want to consult
with their doctor and an exercise professional before beginning a program.

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Beyond the heart, brain, and bones we have our muscles. Our muscles and muscle
tissue are what hold everything together and they will what you will primarily feel when
exercising. Our muscles are what help to move our bodies and joints to do what we
would like them to do. Sarnataro stated that, For a balanced fitness program, strength
training is essential. It can slow the muscle loss that comes with age, build the strength of
your muscles and connective tissues, increase bone
density, cut your risk of injury, and help ease arthritis
pain. She also stated that, studies from the CDC have
found that muscle-building exercise can also improve

"Menu."LevelHealthFitness.Web.3Feb.2015.
<http://levelhealthandfitness.com/buildmuscle/>.

balance, reduce the likelihood of falls, improve blood-sugar control, and improve sleep
and mental health. What most people enjoy about strength training is the aesthetic
benefits. It makes the body look leaner, stronger and fit. Most begin exercising for that
reason and strength training helps to achieve those goals. After a strength-training
workout, the body stays in an elevated calorie burn state that helps you burn excess
calories for hours after your workout. An increase in strength will also assist in
maintaining the activities of daily living. Things like walking up the stairs or getting up
from a chair require a certain amount of strength that can be achieved with strength
training. The American Heart Association recommends, Moderate- to high-intensity
muscle-strengthening activity at least 2 days per week for additional health benefits.
One should, as always, consult a professional before beginning a strength-training
program.
Exercise benefits the heart, the brain, bones, and muscles and overall it increases
our health and decreases many risk factors. As many as 250 000 deaths per year in the

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United States are attributable to a lack of regular physical activity. In addition, studies
that followed large groups of individuals for many years have documented the protective
effects of physical activity for a number of non cardiovascular chronic diseases, such as
noninsulin-dependent diabetes, hypertension, osteoporosis, and colon cancer (Myers,
1). With this information it should be an obvious choice to continue to exercise
throughout your life. Just a few hours a week can add years to your life. It doesnt matter
at what age you start; everyone can experience the benefits of exercise. Myers also stated
that, we see a higher rate of cardiovascular events and a higher death rate in those
individuals with low levels of physical fitness (1) Avoiding death should be a clear
reason to exercise.
As I have stated above, one should always consult a doctor before beginning an
exercise program, as there is some risk with exercise. Myers stated that, there is a
transient increase in the risk of having a cardiac-related complication (for example, a
heart attack or serious heart rhythm disorder). However, this risk is extremely small.
Moreover, contrary to popular view, the majority of heart attacks (approximately 90%)
occur in the resting state, not during physical activity (3). As you can see, exercise is
still considered extremely safe. As long as an exerciser is aware of warning signs such as
chest discomfort, dizziness, shortness of breath, and heart rhythm abnormalities then
exercise is safe for most groups of people.
With all of these benefits of exercise, how can we know how much exercise we should be
getting? In 1996, The Surgeon Generals Report, a joint CDC/ACSM consensus
statement, and a National Institutes of Health report agreed that the benefits mentioned
above will generally occur by engaging in at least 30 minutes of modest activity on most,

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preferably all, days of the week. (Myers, 2). Great benefits can be seen with this short
amount of exercise. Many may say that they just dont have 30 minutes. However, 30
minutes can be done in different bouts. For instance, one could do 10 minutes of exercise
3 times a day and see the same benefits as doing 30 minutes straight. Everyone can find
10 minutes here and there to get up and move. The American Heart Association also
recommends, Moderate to high intensity muscle-strengthening activity at least 2 days
per week for additional health benefits. While this may seem like a major time
commitment overall, when you think of all the benefits it has to offer it should be a
simple choice. Exercise benefits the body and makes a significant increase in our health
and decrease our risk factors. It is worth it.

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Works Cited
"American Heart Association Recommendations for Physical Activity in Adults."
American Heart Association Recommendations for Physical Activity in Adults.
Web. 28 Jan. 2015. <http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/
PhysicalActivity/FitnessBasics/American-Heart-Association-Recommendationsfor-Physical-Activity-in-Adults_UCM_307976_Article.jsp>.
Barbara Russi Sarnataro WebMD Weight Loss Clinic-Feature. "The Basics: Build Muscle
for Better Health." WebMD. WebMD. Web. 28 Jan. 2015.
<http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/build-muscle-better-health>.
"Exercise for Your Bone Health." Exercise for Your Bone Health. Web. 28 Jan. 2015.
<http://www.niams.nih.gov/health_info/bone/Bone_Health/Exercise/default.asp>.
Myers, PHD, Jonathan. "Exercise and Cardiovascular Health." Exercise and
Cardiovascular Health. Web. 28 Jan. 2015. http://circ.ahajournals. org/content/
107/1/e2.full>.
Reynolds, Gretchen. "How Exercise Could Lead to a Better Brain." The New York Times.
The New York Times, 21 Apr. 2012. Web. 28 Jan. 2015.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/22/magazine/how-exercise-could-lead-to-abetter-brain.html?pagewanted=all&_r=2&>.