The Active Lifestyle

Today’s generation of youths is very different from any that have preceded it. Children in today’s society have countless technological blessings that previous generations could not have possibly enjoyed. Between gaming systems, instant messaging, email and the Internet, most teens do not allocate as much time as they should to performing physical activities. This trend of inactiveness is not solely rising in the teenage generation. Likewise, adults are finding it more difficult to find time for regular exercise in their busy schedule. Between work and keeping up a relationship or raising a family, they tend to stop being active. As a result, this can seriously affect their physical health, especially later on in life. Therefore, to secure healthy mental and physical well-being throughout one’s life, it is important to maintain an active lifestyle.

Being active has tremendous effects on a person’s physical health. Merely jogging, swimming, or taking part in any other activity on a regular basis can help the human body perform more efficiently and live longer. Studies have proven that one’s weight can be kept under control by taking part in regular exercise. The heart of an individual with an ideal weight is put under less stress and thereby is less likely to suffer from arrhythmia than the heart of an overweight individual. By being active, an individual’s lungs will become more efficient which will in turn lead to fewer occurrences of shortness of breath. Though giving examples of the positive effects of staying active is useful, making it even easier to see the benefits would be giving the negative effects of being extremely inactive. A young man, due to sitting in the same position for more than 15 hours while playing a videogame, developed a blood cloth in his leg which then traveled through his blood stream to his heart, causing serious damage. By performing little physical activity, your body will take longer to heal from injury and illness. And how can we forget about George Castansa, the popular character from Seinfeld who’s summer, what he called the Summer of George, was ruined due to fall after a period of extreme inactivity, he could have lost the use of his legs for life. In short, your physical health will not only improve from staying active but depends on it.

Besides the physical benefits of staying active, physical activities can also contribute to good mental health. Since physical activities help maintain a healthy body weight, they will, in turn, lead to positive self-esteem, greater self-efficacy, and improved academic and cognitive performance. Statistics show that young people who are physically active are less likely to use tobacco, alcohol, or other drugs. Problems of juvenile delinquency can also decrease when appropriate physical activity programs are available. Rebecca Hu, a yoga instructor, states that most of her students take yoga classes to relieve their stress and tension by doing this type of stretching exercises. Similar activities such as kung fu and karate are also designed for people to release their tension.

If those activities are not effective, they would not exist for more than a thousand years. For most adults, leisure-time physical activity provides a balance to the demands of family and work. Regular physical activities and higher levels of fitness also allow daily tasks to be accomplished with greater ease and comfort and with less fatigue. Furthermore, there is a positive relationship between workplace physical activity programs and job satisfaction. Higher job satisfaction, in turn, can lead to better employee morale, increased productivity, and reduced absenteeism. In short, physical activity helps prolong good mental health in various ways.

It should now be clear that being active and taking part in simple exercise is a good investment for one’s health. Jogging, swimming and everyday sports are just a small fraction of the many forms of exercising that an individual can participate in. Being an active individual leads to a life that is reasonably longer and of higher quality than the lives of those who don’t know the meaning of exercise. It is good to play video games or watch television for a prolonged time once in a while but sometimes it is better to realize when enough is enough and it is time to get some fresh air. For maximum health benefits, it is important to maintain a regular pattern of activity. One sure way to reap these benefits is to participate in your favourite activities more often and more regularly. And while you’re at it, why not take a friend or family member along? It will keep them active too and give you a little extra motivation.