Health, fitness, physical activity and exercise cannot and should not be separated in my estimation. The relationship between exercise physiology on the aforementioned is one of mutual effect.
How we Live Effects how We Move by Professor Phil Ross, M.S. CPT Health, fitness, physical activity and exercise cannot and should not be separated in my estimation. The relationship between exercise physiology on the aforementioned is one of mutual effect. What happens to the body’s seven systems; cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, skeletal, nervous, muscular and endocrine (Bryant and Green, 2012) are inseparable from what a person does in the realm of health, fitness and physical activity. Consider how blood flow is increased and more capillaries developed to deliver nutrients to the cells through exercise and physical activity. Proper diet and nutrition also have a profound effect on the health and repair of tissue. This is simple one aspect. There are many aspects to consider when it comes to health, physiology and exercise. Exercise physiology is an overwhelmingly indispensable component in relation to overall health with vast amounts tentacles reaching many areas of life. In America today, we have an obesity epidemic, with 37.5% (World Health Organization, 2011) of the population being termed obese and over 65Þemed as overweight (Robert Wood Johnson, 2016). From 1991 to the year 2000, the obesity rate rose from 20 percent to 25 percent. 2006 witnessed only Mississippi and West Virginia with rates above 31 percent. Currently, the rate is almost 38 percent with 8 percent termed as morbidly obese. This epidemic is of epic proportions. This is not only an American issue. Worldwide obesity has more than doubled since 1980 and 10 percent of the world’s overall population is obese (World Health Organization, 2011). The state of obesity is the United States of America is at epidemic proportions. According to the statistics provided by Robert Wood Johnson (2016), “Adult obesity rates now exceed 35 percent in four states, 30 percent in 25 states and are above 20 percent in all states. Louisiana has the highest adult obesity rate at 36.2 percent and Colorado has the lowest at 20.2 percent. ”A full 66 percent of American adults are overweight and nearly 35 percent fall into the obese category (Martin, 2010). Many people rightfully fixate on these statistics when considering the health of a society. Even though the obesity statistics are staggering and lead to many other ailments; diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, depression, to name a few, there is another element. How a person moves. There are many facets of exercise physiology as it relates health, fitness, physical activity and exercise. As stated previously, the obesity issue in America is at epidemic proportions and is growing worldwide, but I’d like to address another issue that is closely related and, I believe, a contributing factor to the obesity issue. How people move. How people move is tantamount to their physical activity and overall health. If someone is experiencing pain, their impetus to engage in physical activity is affected. The major joints in the human body favor either stability of mobility. Certain joints of the body prefer stability and others favor mobility. Here’s a rundown from the ground up of the joints. The joints that favor stability are the foot, knee, low back and scapular region. Those that flourish in mobility are the ankle, hip, thoracic spine (middle back) and glenohumeral joint (shoulder) (Green 2014). The joints need to do what they are designed to do, if not asymmetries and injuries occur. Here’s the double whammy, not only will the misaligned joint be affected, but the ones both above and below will as well. For example, if a person has tight hips, their hip movement is compromised, but the movement forced to take place in other parts of the body, namely the knee and/or the low back, the stability favoring joints above and below. This creates instability of these joints resulting in pain and anomalies. Many people have low back pain; they may stretch their backs, get chiropractic adjustments or take as many pain pills as they wish, however the issue is still not being addressed. The origin of pain may lie in the hips being tight and immobile and/or hamstrings being too tight. The individual may also have immobility issues with their thoracic spine, aka T-Spine, where this region is not strong enough or mobile enough for the subject to move safely. Are the erector spinae and the multifidus muscles (muscles that connect the vertebra) strong and engaged? How about the rhomboids, trapezius and other muscles of the scapula, are they developed and does the individual know how to keep them engaged? On many occasions, issues of the low back lie in the areas above and below. Addressing the strength and flexibility on these major joints often has a significant effect upon relieving back pain. This is where exercise physiology comes in. Move with purpose and in a fashion that promotes proper alignment, symmetrical patterns, and flexible, mobile and stable joints in accordance with their design. The better that a person is able to move; the easier it is to become healthy, active and engage in physical exercise. References Bryant, Cedric X., Ph.D., FASM and Green, Daniel J. Essentials of Exercise Science for Fitness Professionals. (2010, 2011, 2012) American Council on Exercise. ISBN 9781890720315. 4851 Paramount Drive, San Diego, CA, 92123 Green , Daniel J., Project Editor. ACE, American Council on Exercise (2014). ISBN 978-1-890720-50-6. American Council on Exercise Personal Trainer Manual, Fifth Edition. Martin. (2010). Statewide Physical Fitness Testing: Perspectives From the Gym. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 81(2s). doi:10.5641/027013610x13100547898112 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. (2016, November) "Obesity Rates & Trends." Obesity Rates & Trends: The State of Obesity. N.p., n.d. Web. http://stateofobesity.org/rates/ World Health Organization (2011). Obesity and Overweight. www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs311/en/
