What Are the Specific Health Benefits of Exercise?

Regular physical activity is not only great for weight loss and staying in shape, it can also provide many different health benefits.

Research has shown that regular physical activity can help improve the quality of your life as well as reduce the risk of disease.  Studies have also shown that people who are inactive have an increased risk of chronic diseases and of course, obesity.

So what exactly can regular exercise prevent? Daily physical activity can help prevent stroke and heart disease because it lowers your blood pressure, raises your good cholesterol, lowers your bad cholesterol and strengthens the muscles in your heart.  Regular exercise can also reduce blood pressure in those with hypertension, prevent bone loss and osteoporosis, improve back pain by increasing flexibility and helping with posture, prevent and control Type 2 Diabetes by reducing body fat and even improve your mood.

You might wonder how much exercise is recommended. The U.S. Surgeon General, the CDC and the American College of Sports Medicine recommend at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise on most days of the week. Moderate-intensity physical activity is the kind that causes a slight increase in your heart rate and breathing.  It is usually just enough to break a sweat. An example of this kind of activity would be a brisk walk, which is usually where a person is walking at a rate of 3 to 4 miles per hour.

If it has been a while since you have been active, it's a good idea to begin with low-impact activities such as swimming or walking. Once you have gotten in better shape, you can begin introducing more strenuous activity into your routine.

Millions of people suffer from illnesses every day, but the good news is, many of them can be improved or even prevented through regular exercise and physical activity.

How Important is Warming Up Before Exercise?

Working out regularly is great for your body, but many times people jump right into it without warming up first--and this can actually be harmful.  Warming up loosens your muscles and joints, making them less prone to injuries.

Warm ups get the fluids in your joints flowing which helps decrease the wear and tear on muscles that a workout can cause. It also allows the heart some time to adjust and pump nutrients and blood into the muscles. This is especially important for older people, as their hearts tend to be weaker and their joints contain less fluid.

A proper warm-up can also prevent muscle soreness after a workout. The increased blood flow that results from warming up helps to deliver oxygen to the muscles and lessen the build-up of waste products which often causes the muscles to become sore.

The main goal of warming up is just to get the heart to beat faster.  Walking or jogging at a steadily increasing pace is one way, which allows the body's temperature to rise and a light sweat to be achieved. Other great ways to warm up include doing jumping jacks, jumping rope or doing light cardio such as on an elliptical machine or a treadmill.

Once you've warmed up and completed your exercises, it's also a good idea to do a cool down. This helps you stretch your muscles and slow your heart down, and is the perfect ending to a complete, effective and most of all safe workout.

Looking for Quality Sports Medicine Treatment?

The SportsCare team at Allegheny Medical consists of specially trained nurses, dietitians, physicians, physical therapists and rehabilitation specialists providing sports performance training and injury treatment management. SportsCare’s programs combine lifestyle, fitness and behavior management with quality medical treatments, and are personalized based on the assessment of each athlete's ability and health.

SportsCare programs are unique. Here at Allegheny Medical, we start by performing an in-depth evaluation of an individual's health status and athletic ability. The performance-based training program we create is a completely personalized performance plan. Based on our assessment of the athlete's athletic ability and health, our training staff will develop a performance-based training program that will ultimately help individuals achieve greater athletic outcomes and increase their performance. Every athlete is tested, screened and counseled prior to beginning the customized training program.

Each athlete will receive a variety of educational materials focusing on diet and nutrition information, performance enhancing exercises and personalized performance training instruction.

Dr. Neal Fanelli and his team have more than 20 years experience working with professional Olympic and amateur athletes. Dr. Neal has specifically assisted the National Football League by working with athletes that played for the Philadelphia Eagles and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Allegheny Medical and their top-notch SportsCare team can truly keep you "stronger, healthier and faster for life."

Complimentary, personalized consultation appointments at Allegheny Medical can be made by calling (412) 494-4554.

Maximize Your Performance Potential

Allegheny Medical offers a 10-week complimentary performance conditioning program with weekly nutritional counseling and medically supervised workouts on state-of-the-art equipment.  The program was developed with the intent to improve the community's level of health, beginning with those who serve the community and its citizens. Allegheny Medical believes strongly in helping keep those who risk their lives for others healthy--and to do so without a cost to those individuals.

The program is currently being offered to service organizations that may benefit from increased levels of health.  These days, emergency workers face a multitude of challenges on the job which require more strength, endurance and speed than ever before.  Fortunately, the athletic trainers at Allegheny Medical can help you get in the best shape of your life in just a few hours per week.

For example, after a 10-week program, the officers of the Robinson police department experienced an average weight loss of 16 pounds, an average 25% increase in cardiovascular fitness, an average 24% increase in strength improvement and an average waist size decrease of 9%.  Many other firefighters and police officers have also completed our program with outstanding results.

How is Allegheny Medical able to offer this program as a complimentary service?  The reason is that we are funded by medical services provided as well as by referrals from organizations. We have board certified physicians in internal medicine and orthopedics, a doctor of physical therapy and a doctor of chiropractic care. We also have twenty years of experience working with professional, Olympic and amateur athletes at a variety of levels, and we would love to design a program that meets your needs.

There are limited enrollments yearly, so give us a call at 412-494-4554 for a consultation today.