SICKLE CELL AND HEALTH & FITNESS
What is health and fitness?
In order for you to be healthy, you will have to be fit and by that I mean getting in shape or having an exercise regime. I suppose its about being mindful of your diet as well; by eating what is good for you as well keeping fit. Not eating well will defeat the whole purpose of trying to keep fit.
Regular exercise improves health and fitness. Health is defined as a state of complete mental, physical and social well-being; not merely the absence of illness or infirmity. Fitness is the ability to meet the demands of the environment.
www.bbc.co.uk
One of the links between physical activity and your health are , people who enjoy regular physical activity have lower death rates than people who have no risk factors but who aren’t physically active. What’s more, people who are physically fit live longer and have fewer heart attacks than patients who aren’t physically fit. The facts are clear: Regular physical activity benefits people in general.
A regular physical activity program helps:
- Lower blood pressure.
- Increase HDL “good” cholesterol in your blood.
- Improve blood sugar.
- Reduce feelings of stress.
- Control body weight.
- Make you feel good about yourself.
www.heart.com
The terms ‘health‘ and ‘fitness‘ are often used interchangeably these days, but there are important differences between them, even though they do intereact. Let me explain.
‘Health’ is a general term describing the overall status of a person. Being ‘in good health’ implies being free from illness or disease, and not suffering from any impairment or pain. It’s rather vague, but being healthy does not necessarily mean that you are fit. And health can be affected by many things – food, environment, disease etc.
‘Fitness’ on the other hand, is more a measure of the amount of physical capability than a measure of well being. Fitness is almost entirely a result of action. Certainly food and drink can influence fitness. But the main way of increasing fitness is through exercise. And increasing your fitness has been shown to boost health is so many different ways -reduction in risk of cardiovascualr disease, reduction in the risk of contracting many cancers, and boosting the immune system being just three of them.
www.getfitfeelgreat.co.uk
For someone with Sickle Cell, eating well is very important and by that I mean food that is good for you and can help you minimise having a crisis, (see my articles on this blog) and to have an exercise regime that is not too strenuous on you physically. Personally, I love walking.
