Physical Fitness For Different People

Physical fitness should be an important part of all people’s lives, no matter what their age or gender. A healthy lifestyle is something that will not only help you to live longer, but will help the years you live to be more enjoyable. Everyone needs good nutrition and physical activity to give their bodies the best possible chance of health and longevity.

Starting the habit of healthy eating and daily exercise in early childhood can help children grow into healthy teens that carry their good health habits with them into adulthood. Although we all need basic activity and nutrition, the amount needed can be different depending on our gender, or as we age.

Children have lots of energy. That is a great thing! It means it shouldn’t be very hard to convince them to get out there to run and play. The NIH recommends that children get at least one hour of physical exercise every day. When adults think exercise, they usually think of being in the gym with some weights or the stair master, but when talking about children, exercise means playtime.

Childhood games such as soccer, tag, jump rope and even playing on playground toys provide quite a workout for young bodies. The next step is to provide their bodies plenty of fuel for their activity. It is best to stay away from processed and sugar packed foods. Lean protein such as chicken and fish, dietary fiber such as whole grains and legumes and plenty of fresh vegetables are the building blocks of a healthy and balanced diet.

As we grow into adulthood our bodies require a little more than just some time on the playground, however, many of the activities we enjoyed as a child are still great exercise as adults. Jumping rope, swimming and games like soccer remain excellent cardiovascular exercises. These exercises work off fat, build up our stamina and help strengthen our circulatory system.

The recommended amount of exercise for adults over the age of 18 is at least 4 separate instances of physical activity that lasts for a constant 30 to 45 minutes every week. This number remains the same no matter if you are male or female. One thing males seem to take time for in their exercises that many women seem to shy away from is strength training. Working out with free weights has shown to be the best way to build lean muscle mass. Due to the higher levels of testosterone produced by males, they build larger muscles faster.

Muscle mass helps to burn calories while the body is in rest. It also adds strength and balance to the entire body. Women lack the testosterone levels that men have to build muscle. A woman following the same weight lifting routine as her male counterpart would not grow large like the man, even if they did the exact same workout.

When women strength train, their bodies become tighter and more toned, the dense muscle tissue is more compact than fat, making the body appear longer and leaner. All men and women should add strength training to their recommended physical activity levels.

As we continue to age into our golden years, physical fitness remains extremely important. It is suggested that seniors should make sure to get a variety of exercises for balance to help prevent fall, stretching to keep the joints flexible and limber, strength training to reduce age related muscle loss and low impact cardio to maintain cardiovascular health.

The recommended amount of activity is 30 minutes on most, if not every day. Seniors should follow the same diet as an adult but with added attention to getting enough servings of fiber. With their regular diet, however, seniors need a bit extra of a few vitamins and minerals than adults under the age of 50. These vitamins are B12, B6, Vitamin D and Calcium.

Habits of healthy eating and physical activity play and important role throughout our lives. Although amounts of activity needed and amounts of vitamins may vary, the basics of good health remain the same for men and women of all ages.