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Wellbeingical Fitness and Wellbeing
The absence of disease does not imply wellbeing; instead, wellbeing encompasses physical, social, and mental welfare. Genetics, the environment, behavior, and physical fitness are some of the factors that influence a person’s life span before and after conception. Physical fitness is the ability of the human body systems to work efficiently, maintain good health, and enable one to perform their daily activities. The United States of America is one of the wealthiest and most influential countries in the world, but it lacks significantly in its healthy population.
A considerable number of Americans are unhealthy, which is evident in the increase in obesity, heart diseases, and depression caused by low fitness levels. The United States Department of Health and Human Services (2013) states that less than 5% of adults take part in thirty minutes of physical activities in a day. As of 2013, 80.2 million persons from age six and older were physically inactive (The United States Department of Health and Human Services, 2013). The numbers are worse because children and adolescents spend around 8 hours in front of a screen watching or playing games and consuming ultra-processed meals. Only six states, Illinois, Mississippi, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New York, and Vermont, have mandated physical education in their schools. The percentage of physical inactivity increased by 1.6% in adults and 1.8% in adolescents by 2016 (Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, 2020).
One of the most significant health menaces America faces is obesity, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2020) states that the prevalence of obesity was at 42.4% between 2017 and 2018. That is an increase of 11.9% as compared to early 2000. Studies from Stanford University School of Medicine show that poor physical fitness, rather than overeating, maybe the cause of the upsurge of obesity (as cited in Bach, 2014). Obesity can lead to conditions such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, depression, and some cancers. All these conditions lead to preventable and premature deaths individually; thus, the numbers skyrocket when combined with obesity.
The lack of physical activities has become the new normal in America as the majority of the population is shifting from the traditional physical involving occupations. Today, with technology, most jobs are online, where one sits for hours on end with no activity to burn calories. The overall effect of this is low fitness levels. Depression can stem from obesity as the level of self-esteem reduces, and peers might subject a person to constant ridicule. High costs associated with treating obesity and related conditions can cause depression. In America, over 40 million adults face depression or some form of anxiety. High fitness levels help to boost a person’s mood and can manage one’s depression or anxiety (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2020).
Extensive research indicates that physical fitness goes a long way in increasing the life span and preventing or managing the prevalence of chronic diseases (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2020). Maintaining a healthy physical fitness level will increase life expectancy by at least three years. It also helps to improve mood and sleep patterns, boost energy and acts as a platform for social interactions, which is good for the overall health of an individual. Although there has been an increase in Americans’ physical activity, the majority are still not achieving the fitness levels required. It has to be a combination of exercise and diet; therefore, if one exercises regularly but consumes sugar and fats, such practices have counter effects on the benefits achieved.
America’s nature of being unhealthy is continually increasing as people are over-depending on prescription drugs to solve all their conditions. If one has depression, they depend on antidepressants instead of trying to change their lifestyle to improve their health. The same applies to obesity; people rely heavily on surgery and pills to try and curb their weight instead of trying physical activities and eating healthy diets. Over-dependence and abuse of these drugs lead to an unhealthier population as they become addicted. In 2017, over 70,000 people died from drug abuse; 68% of the cases stemmed from illegal opioids or prescription pills (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017).
The number of Americans diagnosed with arthritis is alarming. Statistics from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention show that as of 2017, one in four Americans had a case of Arthritis (PT in Motion, 2020). The majority of those people reported not taking part in physical activities; therefore, they were unfit. The figures were the same in 2015; this implies that there has been little or no uptake in any form of fitness and wellbeing programs to prevent or manage the condition. PT in Motion (2019), states that 30.4% of those with arthritis suffered from obesity. In most cases of arthritis, there is a high level of physical pain experienced, which can eventually lead to disabilities. Physical fitness increases strength and flexibility, reducing pain in the joints and fatigue caused by arthritis.
Developing a sustainable wellbeing and fitness program is a difficult task as there are so many distractions in the modern world. Easy access to fast-food joints, ultra-processed meals, social media, and an environment designed for vehicles instead of pedestrians discourages exercises like cycling. It is vital to note that wellbeing comprises of nutrition, mental wellness, and physical activities. Before developing a program, one has to assess their fitness levels. Assessment occurs in terms of a person’s body mass index, waist circumference, or pulse rate before and after a one walk mile and so forth. Keeping a record of all these measurements acts as a benchmark to compare the progress made in the future.
When designing a physical fitness and wellness program, it is vital to have a schedule or plan. Here one has to consider what levels of fitness they want to achieve. Adults require at least 150 minutes of aerobic activity in a week (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2020). It is crucial to start slowly to give your body time to adjust; also, one has to incorporate the activities into their everyday routine. With the various distractions and responsibilities one has in a day, it is challenging to make time for exercise. Therefore, one can read or watch a movie while walking on the treadmill. Putting the plan on paper may act as a source of encouragement to keep going.
To ensure all-around physical fitness, one has to incorporate flexibility, muscular endurance, body composition, and cardiovascular endurance in their plan. High muscle endurance and flexibility help maintain a steady level of physical fitness to mitigate chronic diseases. Cardiovascular endurance or aerobic fitness is the ability of a human body to take in oxygen and successfully pass it to the tissues. Physical fitness implies that bodies can efficiently intake and deliver oxygen. Because over 600,000 Americans die each year due to heart diseases, aerobic fitness is essential (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2020).
The third step in developing the program is to gather all the equipment you would require as per your plan. Shoes, clothing, fitness monitoring, mobile applications, or joining a fitness center is crucial. It gives one a begin mindset as without all this procrastination would have occurred; it also helps prevents injuries. Lastly, one has to start the program; healthy foods, a positive environment, and physical activities characterize this. Taking water is essential to our bodies as it prevents muscle fatigue, and the body can maintain a steady flow of liquids that contribute to physical fitness. One has to aim for overall incremental growth with each passing day by tracking their progress to witness the changes.
Having different sets of exercise and changing the environment helps to keep boredom at bay and to maintain physical health and fitness. Additionally, exercising with friends or in a gym can motivate people to keep going with their plans, staying positive in a conducive environment influences how we manage our fitness and wellbeing plans. Having a full understanding of the benefits of physical fitness is another source of motivation. Another way to maintain a healthy level of fitness is by consuming a balanced diet with sufficient fruits, vegetables, and reduced amounts of saturated fats and sugar.
Physical fitness goes hand in hand with a person’s health, reducing or mitigating the effect or occurrence of disease. As Americans, we should invest in more physical activities to take the stairs instead of the lift unless necessary; it is also advisable to take part in at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise a day. Parents and adults should set up examples for the younger population by reducing the amount of time spent in front of a screen and investing more in healthy home-cooked meals. Fitness affects each sector of our social, mental, and social health, so it has to be a top priority ensuring healthy living. As a student, staying in a positive circle and having role models to push one to realize their goals goes a long way in motivating a person to maintain the required level of fitness.
The health status of a significant number of Americans is alarming; most of the conditions people have stemmed from unhealthy physical conditions. It is now vital to take great care of individual fitness and wellbeing. All of this will reduce the prevalence of obesity, arthritis, heart diseases, and depression.
References
Bach, B. (2014). Lack of exercise, not diet, linked to rise in obesity, Stanford research shows. Stanford Medicine. https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2014/07/lack-of-exercise–not-diet–linked-to-rise-in-obesity–stanford-.html.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017). America’s drug overdose epidemic: Data to action. Injury Prevention and Control. CDC https://www.cdc.gov/injury/features/prescription-drug-overdose/index.html.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020). Obesity is a common, serious, and costly disease. CDC. https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html.
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2020). Fitness program: 5 steps to get started. Healthy lifestyle, Fitness. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/fitness/art-20048269.
Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. (2020). Nutrition, physical activity, and obesity. Healthy People.gov. https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/leading-health-indicators/2020-lhi-topics/Nutrition-Physical-Activity-and-Obesity.
PT in Motion. (2019). CDC: Arthritis affects 1 in 4 in US; More emphasis on physical activity needed. https://www.apta.org/PTinMotion/News/2019/05/08/CDCArthritisPrevalence2019/.