Healthy through exercise: even simple measures helpWhat does a healthy lifestyle look like?? In addition to a wholesome diet, exercise plays a particularly important role. If you are physically active frequently, you can strengthen your immune system, prevent illness – and be happier all round. No one needs to become a top athlete for this.
At a glance
– Those who are physically active can counteract and prevent a variety of diseases. – Exercise boosts the metabolism and the immune system, increasing the production of immune cells and burning calories. – The muscles, heart and other organs are stimulated by movement, and endorphins (happiness hormones) are also released. – In addition, stress and tension can be reduced through exercise, which has a positive effect on both well-being and health. Even simple measures like climbing stairs. Regular walks increase performance. – In children, physical activity promotes motor, cognitive, psychosocial and emotional development.
Move more, live healthier
Most adults spend much of their time sitting – whether at a desk, on the sofa, or in the car. As a result, we allow our bodies too little exercise overall and the risk of health impairments or certain diseases increases. If, on the other hand, you are physically active on a regular basis, you can prevent many illnesses and increase your performance and well-being.
Be active: Good for body and mind
"Why don't you go for a little walk, it will help!"A simple but good tip that proves its worth again and again – whether in the case of anger, everyday stress, fatigue or headaches. Exercising actually clears our minds, it helps us think and switch off, puts us in a good mood and also makes us sleep better at night.
Regular physical activity can also promote long-term health – or prevent illnesses. For certain diseases such as high blood prere, cardiac insufficiency, osteoporosis, diabetes, depression and dementia, it has even been proven that exercise can alleviate symptoms and replace part of the medication.
Why is high blood prere dangerous?
In the following video you will learn what happens in the body with high blood prere. What consequential damage can result from high blood prere. How to reduce high blood prere?
How much exercise is good?
Physical activity is good on many levels. Not only the muscles, joints and the entire musculoskeletal system are strengthened. Being physically active also prevents back pain. The immune system and metabolism benefit, the heart and circulation are trained, and our mental health is positively influenced. It also releases happiness hormones (endorphins). In short: We live healthier. In the best case, also become ill less often.
But how much exercise should there be? Go jogging every day? Hiking once in a while or yoga twice a week? There is no fixed formula – but general recommendations.
The following clues can help guide you:
– Health-promoting activities, as defined by the Robert Koch Institute, include moderately strenuous endurance activities (called "aerobic" exercise) that increase breathing and heart rate and are performed for at least 10 minutes at a time. Examples: Cycling, jogging, soccer, swimming. – Muscle strengthening activities are also beneficial to health, as they promote performance as well as strengthen the musculoskeletal system, joints, bones, tendons and ligaments. Examples: Strength training, Pilates, yoga.
According to the "National Recommendations for Physical Activity and Physical Activity Promotion", the following applies to the different age groups:
– For infants and toddlers up to 3 years of age, it is important that they can follow their natural urge to move. It is recommended that young children avoid screen media (for example, TV, computer, smartphone). Kindergarten children (4 to 6 years) should not sit much. Get at least 180 minutes of exercise a day. You should use screen media for no more than 30 minutes a day. – Elementary school children (ages 6 to 11) and adolescents (ages 12 to 18) should get at least 90 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise a day – this can include up to 60 minutes of cycling or walking. In addition, strengthening the muscles for strength. Endurance several times a week recommended. Elementary school children should sit in front of a screen for a maximum of 60 minutes per day, adolescents for a maximum of 120 minutes. For adults (18 to 65 years of age), a total of 150 minutes of moderately strenuous exercise spread out over the week. Endurance-oriented activities recommended – optionally a total of 75 minutes of strenuous physical activity. Add strengthening exercises such as gymnastics or weight training 2 days a week. – The same recommendations apply to older adults (over 64 years of age) as to younger adults. People with limited mobility should also do balance exercises to reduce the risk of falling.
The following applies to all age groups: Prolonged periods of sitting should be avoided if possible. Sitting for long periods of time increases the risk of developing chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes mellitus, obesity, some cancers and cardiovascular disease. Small units of movement should replace sitting again and again – for example, short walks, working while standing or meetings while walking.
What is diabetes type 2?
The following video covers possible symptoms, causes, and treatments for type 2 diabetes.
Important to know: If you want to live healthier overall and prevent illness, you should also make sure you eat a balanced diet – with adequate hydration, plenty of fruit and vegetables, whole grains and as few convenience foods, fats, salt and sugar as possible. You can find out more about healthy eating here.
Counteracting stress with exercise
The changed professional life, which is determined among other things by numerous appointments and meetings, leads in addition to the lack of exercise to more stress due to time prere. Thus, tension and back pain are promoted by hectic and few breaks, but also by incorrect and too long sitting. Even small changes in behavior can make a big difference and help prevent excessive stress and health consequences:
– More movement at the workplace can be achieved through simple measures – for example, by visiting colleagues at their desk instead of calling them on the phone. You can stretch regularly. Stretch or do small rocking movements with your feet. Deep breathing into the abdomen also helps. – Neck and shoulder exercises can also be done at the desk. Health-conscious people should eat lunch in peace. Plan a short digestive walk afterwards. To protect the back, it's important to sit correctly – a good. Properly adjusted office chair or a ball cushion can go a long way.
Interesting to know: Meanwhile, many health insurance companies offer exercise instructions and videos on their websites. You don't need any tools for many exercises.
Integrate more exercise into everyday life – without overstraining yourself
It does not make sense to sign up for a marathon in a few weeks in order to go from being an exercise slacker to a super athlete overnight. On the other hand, realistic goals that are deliberately not set too high can be a very good motivation for integrating more exercise and sport into your everyday life in the long term.
If you take a few more steps every day, you can discover the joy of exercise slowly and without overexertion. In the beginning, it helps a lot to get off the bus one stop earlier on the way to work and to walk part of the way, to take the bicycle in good weather and to prefer the stairs to the elevator.
For larger activities it is best to find a partner: long walks and hikes with the family or jogging, swimming and yoga with friends are more fun than always getting up alone. It is just as important to find the right type of sport for you. On the way, you can try out a few things and, if necessary, get advice from a doctor or trainers.
With children, the natural urge to move should be supported from the start – for example, with joint excursions and hiking and biking tours or trial courses in the sports club. This promotes their motor, cognitive, psychosocial and emotional development, as well as the enjoyment of physical activities. People who do a lot of exercise during their childhood and adolescence will find it easier to integrate regular activity into their daily lives later on, too. What's more, when children play sports and romp around, they train their perception and are able to concentrate better, which helps them with their studies.