The architecture of the human being is designed for movement. Unscheduled physical activity is an essential part of life activity and forms the basis of a healthy life at any age. As Dr. César Quesada, a specialist in Sports Medicine at Top Doctors, explains, it is advisable to program this activity and adapt it to the needs of each individual.
In this way, an active lifestyle reduces the possibility of suffering from cardiovascular diseases, reduces the percentage of body fat with the possible diseases associated with obesity (diabetes, arterial hypertension, osteoporosis, cancer), increases muscle mass and, in many cases, allows new relationships to be established. All this brings physical, psychological and social improvements.
Daily physical exercise
There is a fairly widespread consensus that scheduled moderate physical activity of 30 minutes 5 days per week may be sufficient for the prevention of sedentary-associated diseases.
Of course, many people may not even be able to tolerate this amount of activity and many others may find this amount clearly insufficient. The establishment of the amount of physical exercise for each individual should be personalized and based on the capabilities or limitations of each person, which usually require a sports medical examination with complementary tests (analytical, radiological, etc.) that the doctor determines in case of doubt.
It is essential to accompany the sport with a healthy diet.
The main advice is to always maintain a healthy diet. With regard to sports activity, it is advisable to plan the intake also taking into account such activity, having made an adequate previous intake, since it is never recommended on an empty stomach and even less so if the activity is going to be moderate or intense.
In the same way, it is convenient to plan a later intake with the adequate replacement of carbohydrates, intake of micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) and increase the intake of proteins, especially from eggs, fish or white meats (poorer in saturated fats) or from vegetable products such as soy.
Tips for effective performance
First of all, it is necessary to know one’s limits. To this end, the importance of an initial medical-sports check-up should be stressed once again.
Secondly, the activity must be properly prepared, knowing the exercise to be performed and its intensity or volume, and using the appropriate sports equipment (footwear, clothing, etc.). In many cases the advice of a specialist in physical activity is necessary to protect the novice athlete from errors that may cause injury.
Older people should also work on physical activity
All of the above advice applies to older people. However, greater importance should be given to prior assessment, with exact knowledge of possible underlying pathologies. It should not be forgotten that both the intensity and the volume of the activity should be carefully monitored and that progression is slower due to the lower muscular capacity that is generally found.
In any case, aerobic activities at the heart rates advised by the physician and coordination and strength activities are equally recommended.
Explosive activities, competitions and team sports are not recommended, and above all to perform varied activities, not to focus on a single sport since our main objective at this age is to improve aspects related to coordination, and this will not be achieved if we only focus on one sport.