The consequences of excessive exercise: how to avoid them? What is physical activity and its effect on the human body

No incentive to go to the gym? It’s high time for you to get acquainted with information about the benefits and effects of physical activity on the human body, as well as the parameters of their distribution. We bring to your attention the results of research by scientists who care about your health. Find out what diseases regular exercise will save you from.

What diseases will physical activity save you from?

Stroke. If you spend time walking every day (at least an hour if possible), you will reduce your risk of stroke by 40% compared to people who walk sedentary lifestyle life. You need to know how to regulate physical activity, which is determined by assessing it: the main indicator and criterion for the body’s adaptation to exercise is the heart rate (pulse).

Regular walking will reduce the likelihood of work failures by 20-30%. of cardio-vascular system. A half hour of active walking 5 times a week will reduce the risk of heart attack by 30%.

Hypertension. From 2 to 5 sessions of 40 minutes each week can reduce arterial pressure by 2-5 divisions. Few? American scientists have proven that this result may well save the lives of thousands of their fellow citizens. Moreover, the numbers are impressive: from 11,000 to 27,600.

Arthritis. Light physical activity will improve your well-being. The best option- walking while performing strength exercises 3-6 times a week. They can be given attention for 30-60 minutes.

Fractures. Add muscle-working exercises to regular walking 2-3 times every 7 days, and you will feel that musculoskeletal system got stronger, and the body became more resilient. One study found that women who walked 4 hours a week had a 40% lower risk of hip fracture.

Diabetes. Compared with lazy people, for those who regularly give the body different kinds physical activity and performs physical activity within normal limits, diabetes of the 2nd degree and metabolic syndrome are found 30-40% less frequently. Fat women Those who prefer the couch rather than the gym suffer from diabetes 16 times more often than more active people.

Mental disorders. Are you prone to depression? Maybe you need to move more? U active people This phenomenon occurs 15-25 times less frequently than in inactive people. Normal and increased degree intensity of physical activity on the body (3 times every 7 days) will effectively reduce symptoms of depression. Try it and see good results!

Benefit physical exercise cannot be overemphasized: they shape good figure and posture, improve complexion, make your muscles and bones strong, increase resistance various diseases and relieve stress. Strong the immune system, productive brain function, lack of fatigue, nervous tension And a good appetite- all this is the merit of regular sports activities.

Are you already thinking about buying a gym membership or purchasing a home exercise machine?

Intense physical activity leads to early atherosclerosis and calcium deposition in blood vessels. This news came from American scientists (publication in the scientific journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings, which is published by the famous Mayo Clinic). The results of the study are shocking. Not only very intense loads turned out to be harmful, but also ordinary ones, which we are strongly recommended to do.

If you carefully study the table from the article (we adapted it for the reader), it turns out that those who intensively and regularly loaded themselves in the gym, jogging, cycling, etc., had atherosclerosis 2 times more often than those who did not lead a very active lifestyle. The latter won even against those who acted in accordance with the advice of doctors: they dedicated physical activities 150 minutes per week (in the US this is the official recommendation).

25 years of observations

Observation of volunteers lasted 25 years. Their health status was first assessed between the ages of 18 and 30. According to adherence to an active lifestyle, everyone was divided into three groups. The first included the most passive ones; they did not run, did not jump, and did not even walk at a brisk pace for 20-25 minutes a day. The latter performed the recommended level of physical activity. The third group included the most active ones, who tortured themselves with physical activity for at least 450 minutes a week, that is, they spent more than an hour a day on it. And these enthusiasts, who were involved in a serious race for health, were 80% more likely to have poorer blood vessels than those who were lazy to do the sports minimum.

The scientists were amazed: they expected the opposite results. After all, there is an established opinion that when playing sports, cholesterol is reduced, glucose in the blood and fat under the skin are burned, the heart and blood vessels are trained, and all this delays the development of atherosclerosis.

What to do?

“There have already been studies in which similar vascular changes were detected in athletes,” explains cardiologist, doctor of medical sciences, head of department and scientific secretary of Moscow State Medical University named after. Evdokimova Yuri Vasyuk. — And in principle it’s clear why this happens. Heavy loads not only train the heart muscle, but also stress the blood vessels: high blood pressure during long and intense exercise it has the same effect as arterial hypertension. Because of this, mechanisms are triggered that contribute to the development of atherosclerosis and calcium deposition in blood vessels. It seems that in in this case It was exactly these mechanisms that worked, because people who were intensely involved in physical exercise experienced the same stress as athletes. But, of course, we need here additional research to find out all the details.

The main thing is to focus not on the kilometers of distance, but on the state of the body. This can be determined by heart rate, calculating the optimal load using Shepard's very simple formula (see infographic). With its help you will determine the maximum allowable heart rate during exercise for your age. It’s good if during exercise your heart rate is 50-60% of the maximum. This usually corresponds to a feeling of light perspiration. Try to stick to that load."

Click to enlarge

To be healthy, you need to constantly exercise. Each of us has heard these words more than once, but not all people are ready to follow this call. And that 10 minutes of exercise from 4-5 exercises will not stand out in any way? Perhaps one of the reasons for the reluctance to play sports is a lack of understanding of exactly how physical activity affects our body. Is exercise good for the heart? If yes, then why. Is running good for the heart and blood vessels? How does exercise help you stay healthy and fit? Let's find out.

Is exercise good for the heart?

Most people will answer this question positively, since we have been told since childhood that this is so. But what exactly happens to the heart when a person regularly engages in sports and exercise?

As a result of numerous studies, it has been established that regular workouts contribute to an increase in cardiac output. Its average volume for an ordinary man who does not play sports is approximately 750 cubic cm. Now let's find out what kind of heart capacity trained people, for example, long-distance racers, alpine skiers, boxers or basketball players, can boast of. Their cardiac volume exceeds 900 cubic cm! The situation is similar with the indicators for girls. Those who do not play sports have a heart volume that does not exceed 580 cm3, while for female cyclists, handball players, and women rowers it is more than 750 cm3.

What is the importance of heart size for health? In proportion to the increase in the volume of this organ, its stroke volume of blood also increases. What does this mean? In other words, a big heart With one push, it can push out a significant amount of blood. It turns out that in people who are regularly exposed to physical activity, the heart muscle works more slowly, but more efficiently. This phenomenon is called training bradycardia. Athletes, gymnasts and people involved in physical culture constantly, the heart muscle works slowly, and it doesn’t matter if a person is resting or busy with heavy physical labor. U ordinary people the heart muscle with an intense load begins to speed up its oscillatory movements.

What are the benefits of slowing the heart rate and increasing stroke volume? A common person, being under the influence of serious loads or having experienced a shock, is at risk - his heart begins to work hard, increasing the number of contractions. Having reached the maximum threshold, cardiac arrest or malfunction may occur. In people who constantly train, the heart is already accustomed to stress, it works moderately and stably, it is distinguished by endurance. Faced with severe stress or a shock, finding itself in unbearably difficult conditions, a trained organ will not stop its work and will not misfire.

Physical education is not the same as professional sports, you probably say. But any physical activity that occurs regularly, and is not episodic, is good for the heart and blood vessels. They train this organ, gradually increasing its volume and increasing endurance.

Is running good for the heart and blood vessels?

Running is considered one of the best ways to strengthen the heart and blood vessels. The cardiovascular system responds well to prolonged exercise that is not very intense, such as running, cycling, walking, rowing.

Daily jogging allows the body to get rid of bad cholesterol, and this, as you know, is a favorable factor for blood vessels. They are cleansed from the inside, the lumen in the capillaries and veins increases, which contributes to good blood flow and normalization of pressure.

While running, almost all muscles work. Muscle fibers heat up, increase in size and exert slight pressure on the walls of blood vessels, stimulating them. Thus, the elasticity of the veins increases, which means that the risk of developing many vascular diseases- varicose veins, thrombophlebitis and others.

When a person leads a sedentary lifestyle, most small vessels, located vertically, are also almost inactive. Blood moves through them very slowly, supplying minimum quantity oxygen to adjacent tissues and organs. During running, these stagnant zones also begin to work, the blood in the capillaries moves faster, which means that all organs receive a sufficient amount of oxygen.

Running allows naturally reduce blood pressure, and therefore, protect a person from a stroke. Since the bulk of blood during training and running rushes to the skeletal muscles, which require a lot nutrients and oxygen, the pressure in the veins and arteries is somewhat reduced.

What conclusions can be drawn from the above? People who exercise regularly, rather than occasionally, benefit their cardiovascular system. Their heartbeat stable, no matter what conditions they find themselves in, they are not afraid of stress and severe overexertion. Those who jog daily should not be afraid of stroke or heart attack, as well as thrombophlebitis or varicose veins. Their vessels are cleared of cholesterol, elastic and resilient, and all tissues and organs in sufficiently supplied with oxygen. Here is my answer about whether running is good for blood vessels and the heart.

The fact that movement is life has been known to mankind since the time of Aristotle. He is the author of this phrase, which later became popular. ABOUT positive impact Of course, everyone has heard of physical exertion on the human body. But does everyone know what physical activity gives, what processes are activated in the body during training or physical labor, and which loads are correct?

Reaction and adaptation of the human body to physical activity

What's happened exercise stress With scientific point vision? This concept means the magnitude and intensity of all muscular work performed by a person associated with all types of activity. Physical activity is an integral and complex component of human behavior. Habitual physical activity regulates the level and nature of food consumption, life activities, including work and rest. When maintaining the body in a certain position and performing everyday work, only a small part of the muscles is involved in the work; when performing more intense work and engaging in physical education and sports, the combined participation of almost all the muscles occurs.

The functions of all apparatuses and systems of the body are interconnected and depend on the state musculoskeletal system. The body's response to physical activity is optimal only if high level functioning of the motor system. Physical activity It is the most in a natural way improvements vegetative functions human, metabolism.

With low physical activity, the body's resistance to various stressful influences decreases, and functional reserves decrease various systems, the working capabilities of the body are limited. In the absence of proper physical activity, the work of the heart becomes less economical, its potential reserves are limited, the function of the endocrine glands is inhibited.

With great physical activity, all organs and systems work very economically. Adaptation of the human body to physical stress occurs quickly, since our adaptive reserves are large, and the resistance of organs to unfavorable conditions- high. The higher the habitual physical activity, the greater the muscle mass and the higher the maximum oxygen absorption capacity, and the lower the mass of adipose tissue. The higher the maximum absorption of oxygen, the more intensively the organs and tissues are supplied with it, and the higher the level of metabolism. Any age average level maximum oxygen uptake is 10-20% higher in persons leading active image life than those engaged in mental (sedentary) work. And this difference does not depend on age.

Over the past 30-40 years in developed countries There is a significant decrease in the functional capabilities of the body, which depend on its physiological reserves. Physiological reserves are the ability of an organ or functional system the body increases the intensity of its activity many times compared to a state of relative rest.

How to choose physical activity, and what factors you need to pay attention to when doing physical exercise, read in the following sections of the article.

Positive effects of adequate physical activity on health

The impact of physical activity on health is difficult to overestimate.

• optimal functioning of the cardiovascular, respiratory, protective, excretory, endocrine and other systems;
• maintaining muscle tone, strengthening muscles;
• constancy of body weight;
• joint mobility, strength and elasticity of the ligamentous apparatus;
• physical, mental and sexual health;
• maintaining the physiological reserves of the body at an optimal level;
• increasing bone strength;
• optimal physical and mental performance; coordination of movements;
• optimal level of metabolism;
• optimal functioning of the reproductive system;
• resistance to stress;
• smooth good mood.

The positive effect of physical activity is that it prevents:

• development of atherosclerosis, hypertension and their complications;
• disorders of the structure and functions of the musculoskeletal system;
• premature aging;
• deposition of excess fat and weight gain;
• development of chronic psycho-emotional stress;
• development of sexual disorders;
• development of chronic fatigue.

Under the influence of physical activity, all parts of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system are activated. What else is useful for physical activity was very successfully formulated by the great Russian physiologist I.P. Pavlov, who called the pleasure, freshness, and vigor that arise during movements “muscular joy.” Of all types of physical activity, the optimal one for a person (especially those not engaged in physical labor) is a load that increases the body’s supply of oxygen and its consumption. To do this, large and strong muscles must work without overexertion.

The main effect of physical activity on the body is that it gives a person vigor and prolongs youth.

What is aerobic exercise for?

Aerobic exercise involves covering long distances at a slow pace. Of course, walking and running are initially, from the moment humans appeared, two main types of muscular activity. The amount of energy consumption depends on speed, body weight, and the nature of the road surface. However, there is no direct relationship between energy consumption and speed. So, at a speed of less than 7 km/h, running is less tiring than walking, and at a speed of more than 7 km/h, on the contrary, walking is less tiring than running. However, walking takes three times longer to achieve the same aerobic effect as running. Jogging at a speed of 1 km in 6 minutes or less, cycling at a speed of 25 km/h give a good training effect.

As a result of regular aerobic exercise, a person's personality changes. This appears to be due to an endorphin effect. The feeling of happiness, joy, well-being caused by running, walking and other types of physical activity is associated with the release of endorphins, which play a role in the regulation of emotions, behavior and autonomic integrative processes. Endorphins, released from the hypothalamus and pituitary gland, have a morphine-like effect: they create a feeling of happiness, joy, and bliss. With adequate aerobic physical activity, the release of endorphins increases. Perhaps the disappearance of pain in muscles, joints, bones after repeated training is associated with increased secretion endorphins. With physical inactivity and mental depression, the level of endorphins decreases. As a result of regular aerobic health exercises, your sex life also improves (but you don’t have to drive yourself to chronic fatigue). Personal self-esteem increases, a person is more confident and energetic.

The influence of physical activity on a person occurs in such a way that during physical exercise the body responds with a “training effect”, in which the following changes occur:

• the myocardium is strengthened and the stroke volume of the heart increases;
• the total blood volume increases; lung volume increases;
• carbohydrate and fat metabolism are normalized.

Normal heart rate during proper physical activity

Having formed an idea of ​​what physical activity is for, it’s time to figure out how to keep your body under control during training. Each person can independently control the effectiveness of physical exercise. To do this, you need to learn how to count your pulse during physical activity, but first you should learn about the average norms.

In the table " Allowable frequency heart rate during physical exertion "are given as much as possible valid values. If the pulse rate after the load is less than the specified one, the load should be increased; if it is more, the load should be reduced. Please note that as a result of physical activity, the normal heart rate should increase by at least 1.5-2 times. The optimal pulse for a man is (205 - 1/2 of age) x 0.8. You can bring your heart rate up to this number during physical activity. This achieves a good aerobic effect. For women, this figure is equal to (220 - age) x 0.8. It is the pulse rate after exercise that determines its intensity, duration, and speed.

Table “Permissible heart rate during physical activity”:

Recommendations for adequate physical activity: how to choose and where to start

Each person is individual. Therefore, all recommendations for adequate physical activity depend on the characteristics of each individual’s body. At any age, a person, starting to work according to a certain program, must be guided by his feelings and, of course, his pulse rate. Alas, today in our country, as in other developed countries, most people are lazy. And if it is possible to convince many to eat right, or at least strive for it, then it is very difficult to convince them to start an active life.

Where to start physical activity so as not to cause a sharp “blow” to the body? Of course, it is difficult to start with 7-8 km. “Even a journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step,” said the great Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu. You should start with 1000 steps, monitoring your pulse and adding 100 steps every day for the 1-2nd week; during the 3rd and subsequent weeks you should add 5-6 steps daily, reaching 10,000 steps. At the same time, start climbing the stairs. Only the ascent is taken into account, the descent is not taken into account. On the 1st day - 3-4 floors (one floor = two flights), on subsequent days adding one flight each day to reach 10 floors. The exercise should be done while monitoring your pulse. If its frequency exceeds the permissible limit, reduce the number of marches; if it is lower than permissible, increase it. Then you should walk 10 floors every day for a week, then gradually increase the load. It is advisable not to climb immediately: first - 3 floors up and down, then - 4, 5, 6, 8 and 10. In bad weather (rain, frost, snowfall), you can replace walking by climbing the stairs, doubling the normal load (number of floors).

During the day, it is necessary to devote 5-6 minutes of physical exercises several times to fresh air. A brisk walk, climbing stairs, exercises with dumbbells, squats and jumps, working out the joints, especially the hands and feet - all this increases oxygen consumption, relieves fatigue, improves general state and improves sexual performance. Sedentary people with overweight We recommend starting your body with walking, and after a week add walking up the stairs.

A good degree of preparedness can be achieved by the end of the sixth week of training. If you continue training, then by the end of the tenth week you can reach an excellent level of preparedness. At any age, persons with weak physical development You should start with walking, and after 4-5 weeks add walking on stairs. For people with good physical development, it is advisable to combine running and walking on stairs.

The article has been read 34,834 times.

When talking about the necessary physical activity for modern man, it is mainly about sports exercises. Although in fact walking, entertainment and other demanding applications physical effort actions are also called motor activity.

Why do we need physical activity, what are its benefits and, most importantly, pleasure and benefits?

Why is exercise necessary?

People need physical activity various reasons, of which several main ones stand out.

Muscle strengthening. Regular load allows you to make muscles more resilient and optimally spend energy. Besides, individual species loads allow you to increase muscle volume and strength.

Weight control. Physical activity helps you lose weight by burning extra calories from food.

Cardiovascular training. The heart is also a muscle. Regular, correctly dosed loads help make it more resilient and the walls of blood vessels more elastic.

Development of motor skills. Specially selected exercises improve flexibility, balance, or make it easier to master sports equipment.

Way to deal with stress. Psychologists say that physical activity can save a person from increased anxiety and depression. Movement can reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol and increase levels of the pleasure hormone endorphin.

Entertainment. Movement brings a lot of joy. Roller skating, orienteering, swimming in the river and horseback riding are also sets of exercises that train the muscular and cardiovascular systems.

Competition. Many people need to constantly compete with someone and strive to win. Physical activity - The best way fulfill this need: you can take up wrestling, join a basketball team, or train for a marathon.

Method of communication. There are quite a few types of exercises that are more interesting to do together with other people: in aerobics or water aerobics courses, in yoga classes or in team sports.

Benefits of exercise

Better for the heart . Physically active people have a reduced risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, stroke, type 2 diabetes and many types of cancer - all those diseases that appear, among other things, due to overweight, which regular calorie expenditure while moving helps control.

Fewer injuries in older age. Staying physically active throughout your life reduces the likelihood of serious injury in old age by maintaining dexterity and balance, and also maintains mental clarity because the brain is also stimulated by physical activity.

Readiness for childbirth. Physical activity during pregnancy allows you to prepare the mother’s body for childbirth, avoid developmental disorders of the baby during the intrauterine period and complications during and after childbirth.

Happiness in your personal life. Regular physical exercise stimulates the production of sex hormones, thereby improving sex life both men and women. In addition, they improve mood, and if performed together with a partner, they increase the level of trust in the couple.

Healthy Appetite. Even moderate physical activity reduces levels of the hormone ghrelin, which increases appetite. This allows you to better control the amount you eat.

Replacement bad habits . Movement can reduce the craving for cigarettes in people who are trying to quit smoking: physical activity distracts during withdrawal symptoms and allows you to get a dose of pleasure hormones that nicotine previously supplied.

Physical activity makes the body healthier and more resilient, which allows live longer. Therefore, we must move!