Short-term recovery occurs in the hours immediately after intense exercise. It might include doing low-intensity exercise during the cool-down phase of your workout, which is linked to performance benefits. It may also involve consuming the right foods and drinks in a post-exercise meal, replenishing your glycogen or muscle stores and fluids while optimizing protein synthesis.
5 Benefits of Physical Activity in Recovery
Physical activity or exercise can improve your health and reduce the risk of developing several diseases like type 2 diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease. Physical activity and exercise can have immediate and long-term health benefits. Most importantly, regular activity can improve your quality of life.
To maintain health and reduce your risk of health problems, health professionals and researchers recommend a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most, preferably all, days.
This study examines the short-term recovery benefits of weekend physical activity on reduced negative affective state (NA) on Monday morning, using a weekly diary method from 70 employees across four weekends (repeated pre- and post-weekend measures). The first hypothesis tests the within-person relationship between weekend physical activity and post-weekend NA. The results of multilevel path analysis show that the main effect of weekend physical activity on reduced Monday NA is not significant. In addition, the study tests weekend recovery experiences (i.e., psychological detachment, relaxation, mastery, and control) and sleep hours as possible moderators. The findings support the moderating effects of psychological detachment and sleep hours. Specifically, weekend physical activity is related to lower Monday NA only if workers achieve high psychological detachment from work during the weekend. If not, their weekend physical activity is associated with higher NA. Also, the benefit of weekend physical activity occurs only when workers sleep longer on the weekend nights. The findings suggest that physical activity has important boundary conditions-psychological detachment and sleep duration-that influence its recovery effects on NA. The complex relationship between exercise and recovery is discussed, along with the implications of the findings for future research.
Studies have shown that maintaining regular physical activity can help prevent many common diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes. Exercise improves overall immune function, which is important for seniors as their immune systems are often compromised. Even light exercise, such as walking, can be a powerful tool for preventable disease management.
Regular physical activity and fine-tuned motor skills benefit cognitive function. Countless studies suggest a lower risk of dementia for physically active individuals, regardless of when you begin a routine.
Studies indicate that patients who start physical therapy on the day of their surgery see better overall results and a quicker recovery than those who start later.In addition to achieving better results, hospitals saw a 10% increase in the number of hip replacement patients who were discharged on postoperative day 3.
Exercise has lots of benefits for everyone, whether you are young or old, slender or large, able-bodied or living with a chronic illness or disability. Physical activity can reduce your risk of serious illness, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes and some forms of cancer, including lung cancer. Being active can help you stay active, by strengthening bones, improving flexibility and agility, reducing weight gain and improving sleep. Regular exercise is good for your head too. It can reduce feelings of anxiety and depression, improve attention and memory, and reduce the risk of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease.
National guidelines recommend that all adults get 30 minutes of moderate physical activity five days a week. It doesn't have to be a formal exercise program to be beneficial. Some examples of moderate activity include walking briskly, recreational bicycling, gardening and vigorous housecleaning.
People living with lung disease can and should get regular exercise for all the same reasons as everyone else. Your lungs and heart stay stronger, you are better able to perform the tasks of daily living and you feel better in mind and body. But if you already are dealing shortness of breath, it can be intimidating to think about increasing your physical activity. It is important to work with your healthcare team to make a fitness plan that works for you.
Physical exercise is important for maintaining physical fitness and can contribute to maintaining a healthy weight, regulating the digestive system, building and maintaining healthy bone density, muscle strength, and joint mobility, promoting physiological well-being, reducing surgical risks, and strengthening the immune system. Some studies indicate that exercise may increase life expectancy and the overall quality of life.[12] People who participate in moderate to high levels of physical exercise have a lower mortality rate compared to individuals who by comparison are not physically active.[13] Moderate levels of exercise have been correlated with preventing aging by reducing inflammatory potential.[14] The majority of the benefits from exercise are achieved with around 3500 metabolic equivalent (MET) minutes per week, with diminishing returns at higher levels of activity.[15] For example, climbing stairs 10 minutes, vacuuming 15 minutes, gardening 20 minutes, running 20 minutes, and walking or bicycling for transportation 25 minutes on a daily basis would together achieve about 3000 MET minutes a week.[15] A lack of physical activity causes approximately 6% of the burden of disease from coronary heart disease, 7% of type 2 diabetes, 10% of breast cancer and 10% of colon cancer worldwide.[16] Overall, physical inactivity causes 9% of premature mortality worldwide.[16]
Most people can increase fitness by increasing physical activity levels.[17] Increases in muscle size from resistance training are primarily determined by diet and testosterone.[18] This genetic variation in improvement from training is one of the key physiological differences between elite athletes and the larger population.[19][20] There is evidence that exercising in middle age may lead to better physical ability later in life.[21]
Early motor skills and development is also related to physical activity and performance later in life. Children who are more proficient with motor skills early on are more inclined to be physically active, and thus tend to perform well in sports and have better fitness levels. Early motor proficiency has a positive correlation to childhood physical activity and fitness levels, while less proficiency in motor skills results in a more sedentary lifestyle.[22]
The type and intensity of physical activity performed may have an effect on a person's fitness level. There is some weak evidence that high-intensity interval training may improve a person's VO2 max slightly more than lower intensity endurance training.[23] However, unscientific fitness methods could lead to sports injuries.[24]
The beneficial effect of exercise on the cardiovascular system is well documented. There is a direct correlation between physical inactivity and cardiovascular disease, and physical inactivity is an independent risk factor for the development of coronary artery disease. Low levels of physical exercise increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases mortality.[25][26]
The neurobiological effects of physical exercise are numerous and involve a wide range of interrelated effects on brain structure,[42] brain function, and cognition.[43][44][45][46] A large body of research in humans has demonstrated that consistent aerobic exercise (e.g., 30 minutes every day) induces persistent improvements in certain cognitive functions, healthy alterations in gene expression in the brain, and beneficial forms of neuroplasticity and behavioral plasticity; some of these long-term effects include: increased neuron growth, increased neurological activity (e.g., c-Fos and BDNF signaling), improved stress coping, enhanced cognitive control of behavior, improved declarative, spatial, and working memory, and structural and functional improvements in brain structures and pathways associated with cognitive control and memory.[43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51][52][excessive citations] The effects of exercise on cognition have important implications for improving academic performance in children and college students, improving adult productivity, preserving cognitive function in old age, preventing or treating certain neurological disorders, and improving overall quality of life.[43][53][54][55]
Community-wide and school campaigns are often used in an attempt to increase a population's level of physical activity. Studies to determine the effectiveness of these types of programs need to be interpreted cautiously as the results vary.[17] There is some evidence that certain types of exercise programmes for older adults, such as those involving gait, balance, co-ordination and functional tasks, can improve balance.[129] Following progressive resistance training, older adults also respond with improved physical function.[130] Brief interventions promoting physical activity may be cost-effective, however this evidence is weak and there are variations between studies.[131]
Parents can promote physical activity by modelling healthy levels of physical activity or by encouraging physical activity.[135] According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States, children and adolescents should do 60 minutes or more of physical activity each day.[136] Implementing physical exercise in the school system and ensuring an environment in which children can reduce barriers to maintain a healthy lifestyle is essential.
The European Commission's Directorate-General for Education and Culture (DG EAC) has dedicated programs and funds for Health Enhancing Physical Activity (HEPA) projects[137] within its Horizon 2020 and Erasmus+ program, as research showed that too many Europeans are not physically active enough. Financing is available for increased collaboration between players active in this field across the EU and around the world, the promotion of HEPA in the EU and its partner countries, and the European Sports Week. The DG EAC regularly publishes a Eurobarometer on sport and physical activity. 2ff7e9595c
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