The Benefits of Physical Activity for Children and Adults

Whatever your age, gender, ethnicity, or physical ability, you can greatly benefit from engaging in regular physical activity. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) says that 150 minutes of moderate weight-bearing and aerobic activity per week helps people in a variety of ways. That’s just a half an hour of purposeful movement five days a week.

While some individuals may have to build up to that goal, most healthy Americans can undertake it right away and reap a wide range of health benefits. Here are just a few.

Weight Management

Use your caloric intake efficiently by burning it off with a walk or run. The calories that you burn through physical activity— combined with lowering your caloric intake—creates a “calorie deficit,” resulting in weight loss.

Furthermore, the CDC reports that about one in six American children are clinically obese. Exercise, when combined with proper diet, can help children living with obesity overcome their condition.

Prevention and Management of Chronic Diseases

Routine physical activity helps you keep your cardiovascular and metabolic health in check, thereby helping lower your risk of developing diabetes, hypertension, and many other chronic conditions.

If you’re living with a chronic joint problem like arthritis, exercise has been shown to help with pain and joint stiffness and ultimately improve your physical function and quality of life.

Enhanced Mental and Emotional Well-Being

Studies show that children ages 6 to 13 years of age concentrate, focus, learn, and think better when they stay away from their mobile gadgets and engage in sports or any other physical activity outdoors. This improved mental status translates into lower risk for depression, anxiety, and behavior problems.

The same goes for adults of all ages. According to the CDC, people who move more are less likely to suffer from depression and stress-related issues. Plus, they are likely to get better quantity and quality of sleep.

Improved Musculoskeletal Strength

Regular physical activity can help improve musculoskeletal health by:

• Increasing bone density (which can deteriorate with menopause, poor diet, and sedentary lifestyle)
• Improving joint range of motion
• Boosting muscle strength and power, thereby helping reduce risk of injuries

For children, weight-bearing activities and muscle-strengthening exercises help stimulate bone development.

Optimal Health and Longevity

Research shows that you can lower your risk of premature death and increase your life expectancy by 33 percent with regular physical activity. You can reap the health benefits that come with exercise right away and for as long as you make it a part of your daily life.

Top-Notch Musculoskeletal Health Care in St. Peters, Wentzville, O’Fallon, MO

At Advanced Bone & Joint, our highly qualified sports medicine physicians have dedicated their careers to providing physically active people not only with high-quality health care but also with comprehensive education, which we believe can have an appreciable impact on how they manage their musculoskeletal health.

To see one of our sports medicine specialists, give us a call at (636) 229-4222, or request your appointment right here on our website.