The benefits of getting active
Reduce your risk of heart disease
Coronary
Heart Disease is now the leading cause of death worldwide, claiming the lives
of around 3.8 million men and 3.4 million women each year.
Although
genetics play a part, 80-90% of people dying from coronary heart disease have
one or more major risk factors that are influenced by lifestyle. Being
physically inactive increases your risk of heart disease and stroke by
approximately 1.5 times.
Reduce your risk of Type II diabetes
Diabetes
is the world's fastest growing disease, claiming well over a million lives each
year. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that more than 180 million
people worldwide have diabetes, a number expected to more than double by 2030.
Type
II diabetes is the most common form of diabetes, affecting 90% of all people
with diabetes.
It
is often referred to as the 'lifestyle disease' as it is mainly associated with
excessive weight and physical inactivity.
Taken
from Heart Disease and Diabetes Prevention (HDDP) Centre website – www.hddp.org
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Reduce your risk of arthritis
Muscle
and bone disorders, such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and
osteoporosis, can be prevented with regular, moderate physical activity.
In
particular being active helps with managing Arthritis
by reducing joint pain and stiffness, building strong muscles around the joints
and increasing flexibility and endurance.
Improve your mental health
Immediate
benefits of physical activity include feeling more energetic, confident, happy,
relaxed and being able to sleep better.
Regular
exercise can also:
- Reduce stress and
feelings of anxiety
- Reduce symptoms of
depression
- Build self-esteem
Walk your way to better health
Walking
is an easy, low impact way to reach your fitness goal and reap multiple health
benefits.
High
blood pressure is an important health problem. For those with high blood
pressure, walking 10,000 steps per day (equivalent to an additional 30-60
minutes per day of moderate intensity walking) has been shown to significantly
lower blood pressure.1
Regular
walking, especially brisk walking, is as good as vigorous exercise in reducing
the risk of diabetes among older women.2
Walking
is as good as vigorous activity for reducing heart disease and heart attack
risk among middle aged women. Regular walkers had a 30-40% reduced risk
compared to those who never walked.3, 4
Walking
assists in reducing heart disease risk among older men – especially if men walk
for at least two or more kilometres per day.5
Even
walking up stairs can reduce the risk of heart disease.6
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