Every day, a lot of Nigerians suffer from health issues like backache, obesity cancer etc. This can be attributed to a lot of health risk factors but one major factor is the lack of exercise.
A lot of people do not exercise either because they see it as a waste of time or they do not have time or tools to do so. Many people do not know health values. Even those that know simply ignore them.
A daily dose of workout would make you keep fit. It helps prevent and control diseases and also keep you healthy, especially in this era of the COVID-19 pandemic where exercise is much needed in boosting the immune system making it easier for your body to fight infections.
According to medlineplus.gov, exercise strengthens your heart and improves your circulation because increased blood flow raises the oxygen level in your body which helps lower the risk of heart diseases such as high cholesterol, coronary artery disease, and heart attack.
Regular exercise can also lower your blood pressure, improve your sleep, sexual health, your mental health and mood and improve triglyceride levels.
There are different types of exercises that one can engage in to stay active and healthy.
For example, strengthening exercises are very good to keep our muscles active and in good shape because, as we grow older, our muscles become weaker so much that we won’t be able to do things that we normally do.
Types of strengthening exercises include squats, push-ups, pull-ups lifting weights e.t.c.
Another exercise which is very good for our health is stretching. It helps you maintain flexibility.
Lack of exercise to keep our muscles active leads to loss of flexibility in the muscle and tendons which increases the risk for muscle cramps, pains, strains, muscle damage and joint pains but engaging yourself in stretching exercises such as bum stretch, butterfly stretch, chest stretch, hamstring stretch glute stretch etc would help elongate the muscles making them longer and more flexible which reduces the risk of pain and injuries.
Other exercises that can be done are aerobic exercises. These are any kind of cardiovascular conditioning which include running or jugging, hiking, biking, swimming, rowing, in-line skating, exercises on a stair climber or elliptical machine. Aerobic exercises strengthen the heart and lungs and improve muscle function. It also helps in improving endurance in people. Balancing exercise is also necessary as it helps you strengthen the muscles that help keep you upright. This kind of exercises can improve stability and help prevent falls.
Victor Efe Sunday, Department of Mass Communication, University of Maiduguri
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