By Dr. Marcello Serra
Approximately 9% of the Italian population is afflicted with obesity, a third is overweight, over 20% smoke.
Obesity, overweight and smoking are risk factors that can be removed by adopting correct lifestyles and, consequently, leading to a significant reduction in the incidence of the most widespread and serious diseases.
Prevention means putting in place a series of actions aimed at eliminating or minimizing the occurrence of harmful, or at least dangerous, situations both for people and for animals and things.
In the health field, prevention means the set of actions aimed at maintaining or improving the state of health, therefore aimed at anticipating the onset of a specific type of pathology, or curing its effects, or limiting its damage.
There are in fact three levels of prevention :
- Primary : prevents or combats the onset of a disease
- Secondary : it is linked to the early diagnosis of a nascent pathology
- Tertiary : cures and reduces the "damage" produced by a disease, limiting complications.
Examples of prevention at various levels:
- Primary prevention: performing a healthy and regular physical activity, combined with a balanced diet both in terms of quality and quantity
- Secondary prevention: begin to practice physical activity and have a correct diet, because body weight is now too high and it is hard to go up a flight of stairs or tie your shoes
- Tertiary prevention: practicing physical activity because prescribed by the doctor, who has found, for example, an arterial hypertension. Therefore movement as a "rehabilitative" and preventive therapy against possible recurrences.
Countless studies have shown how important physical exercise is for the well-being of body and mind.
The importance of the movement has been noticed in recent decades, during which the trend of "bad eating and social habits" - a consequence of modern "well-being" - has progressively led to a real pandemic.
As a result of all this, the apparently improved quality of life has actually deteriorated!
this is why - as a personal trainer and parent - I feel the responsibility to work in the best possible way to promote health with a high level of quality.
The personal trainer, as an expert in the movement, can and must play a fundamental role in the preventive field, placing his attentions and skills at the disposal of those who want to improve their state of health and psycho-physical well-being.
It is always the personal trainer who, through movement, must become a promoter of health, where health promotion means:
" the process that allows people to exercise greater control over their health and improve it" (according to the "Ottawa Charter" - signed by the States belonging to the World Health Organization).
But what are the benefits that regular physical activity can produce?
Among the many, here are some of the most relevant ones:
- On a cardiovascular level
- It improves cardiac function: cavities increase (atriums and ventricles), walls become thicker and stronger, so the heart pumps more blood with each contraction
- The resistance of the vessels at the peripheral level is reduced, with important improvements on both diastolic and systolic pressure
- Improves exchange, transport and use of oxygen
- Helps prevent cardiovascular diseases, such as arterial hypertension, stroke, coronary heart disease, cardiomyopathies
- Musculoskeletal level
- Improves strength, muscle tropism and flexibility
- Improves coordination, balance and reduces the risk of falls
- Improves self perception
- Delays the onset of osteoporosis and slows its progress
- In terms of metabolism and body composition
- Increases muscle mass, part metabolically active, and consequently also energy expenditure in 24 hours
- When combined with proper nutrition, physical activity affects fatty deposits by reducing them
- Prevents metabolic pathologies, such as diabetes mellitus and the metabolic syndrome *.
* The condition of people presenting with three or more of the following symptoms is defined as " at risk metabolic syndrome ":
> body mass index (ratio between weight and height: weight (kg) / height (meters) 2) greater than 30
> waist size greater than 102 cm for men and 88 cm for women
> arterial hypertension above 130 (maximum) and 90 (minimum)
> fasting blood sugar above 110 mg / dl (100 mg / dl according to ADA)
> cholesterolemia greater than 200 mg / dl
> triglycerides higher than 150 mg / dl
- On a psychological level
- Exercise provides emotional benefits, increasing energy and strengthening the optimistic outlook on life and the positive self-image
- Reduces stress and nervous tension levels
- Promotes and enhances night rest
So, to enhance your health, what better way to practice physical activity regularly and make radical and lasting changes to your lifestyle?
To look at it would seem an idyllic panorama, in which everything is easy and linear, but it is not.
In fact, if practiced in the proper manner, and perhaps under the guidance of a movement professional, physical activity can be considered an investment in the present and the future, regardless of age. It is obvious that the sooner we start, the better.
At the same time, if practiced discontinuously, in disorder or in excess, it could be a source of injuries.
It must also be said that the training done with all the criteria and under the supervision of a personal trainer does not protect us from injuries, but certainly exposes us in a more limited way to such occurrences, so that if we were to put on a balances the benefits and risks of physical activity, the needle would clearly hang on the side of the former.
In conclusion, I believe it is a duty for each individual - young, adult, elderly, male or female - to take a positive attitude towards any form of movement and a healthy lifestyle. Naturally it is up to us parents to start our children to physical activity and above all to lead by example, practicing it firsthand.
