Wrap Up

Closing Post for Get Up, Get Active

The key to living a longer, healthier life with a decreased chance of obtaining various chronic disease is physical activity. As Americans, we typically search for an easy way out or a quick fix to a problem, but there are many situations where you must work hard to reach your goal. However, hard work does not always mean the fun is taken away. In fact, finding a fun, enjoyable way to be active is recommended. If we enjoy the activity, we are more likely to continue it.

Living an active lifestyle can have numerous health benefits. For example, it can strengthen bones, control weight, and decrease chances of developing heart disease, some cancers, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and depression (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2014). Even with all of these health benefits, only 48% of Americans are meeting the guidelines of at least 2.5 hours of physical activity a week (CDC, 2014). Less than 5% of adults are active for at least 30 minutes a day, and this is unfortunately rubbing off on today’s youth because only one-third of American children are physically active on a daily basis (President’s Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition [PCFSN], 2014).

Reader Experience

Throughout this blog, we have discussed physical activity for the entire population as well as information directed for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals. The reason for this is because very little information on physical activity has been gathered on LGBT members, but if physical activity can have such a positive impact on overall health for everyone, this would of course include all groups of people. A lot of the health benefits from physical activity also happen to alleviate some of the leading health issues for LGBT members such as depression, obesity, and other chronic diseases.

I hoped the readers were able to learn and understand the benefits of physical activity, the LGBT community and associated disparities, and fun ways to increase physical activity. There is so much more information about these topics, but due to time constraints, the highlights were primarily published here. The nation is becoming more diverse every single day. People are beginning to feel more comfortable to be themselves instead of hiding and pretending to be someone they are not, and it is the role of every person (especially health education specialists and other health care professionals) to ensure we all are treated fairly and have the opportunity to be happy and healthy.

Thank you! -Mimi

"If it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you."

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2014). Facts about physical activity. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/data/facts.html

President’s Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition. (2014). Facts and statistics. Retrieved from http://www.fitness.gov/resource-center/facts-and-statistics/

Yoga Controversy

Is Yoga Helpful or Harmful?

The benefits and costs of yoga have been an increasingly controversial topic as the practice continues to rise in popularity. In 2006, more than 13 million adults and more than 1.5 million children practiced yoga, and these numbers are climbing every year (National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine [NCCAM], 2013). Yoga is used for health purposes and typically combines physical movement, posture, breathing, and meditation or relaxation (NCCAM, 2013).

Pros

            Some types of yoga have been shown to help reduce pain and improve function for individuals with chronic low back pain (NCCAM, 2013). Additionally, yoga has been shown to reduce heart rate, decrease blood pressure, relieve anxiety, and ease depression (NCCAM, 2013). Other studies have shown yoga to improve quality of life, reduce stress levels, help relieve insomnia, and improve overall physical fitness, flexibility, and strength (NCCAM, 2013). New research is also investigating the link between yoga and decreased risk for heart disease, diabetes, epilepsy, and cancer (Mercer, 2012).

 Cons

            With its rise in popularity, not all yoga trainers and practitioners are professionals who have been properly trained. Therefore, not all trainers know proper techniques and poses, which could put the individuals at an increased risk for injury. Injuries which could possibly occur from practicing yoga improperly could be stroke, nerve damage, muscle damage, and joint damage. People who are pregnant or have certain medical conditions should take caution with some poses and adapt when necessary to prevent injury.

Ultimate Decision

            Looking at both the benefits and risks, one can see why this issue is such a controversial one. When deciding if yoga, or any form of physical activity is right for you, you must consider the pros and cons. As long as yoga is practiced safely with a trained professional, side effects and serious injury is quite low (NCCAM, 2013). However, it is important to find a trained professional who is willing to work with your personal fitness goals. Additionally, you should know your body, which means you should know what your limits are. It is great to push yourself a little more each time, but the “no pain, no gain” approach should no longer be applied.

References

National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. (2013). Yoga for health: Get the facts. Retrieved from http://nccam.nih.gov/health/yoga/introduction.htm

Presentation

Presentation Critique

This video is part of a presentation I was assigned in class where I am discussing the importance of physical activity for LGBT colleges students. I am an instructor for living, so I am normally quite comfortable presenting in a room full of people. However, as this was the first time I have presented face-to-face to my classmates, I must admit I was a lot more nervous than usual. Even though I was passionate and knowledgeable about the topic and practiced before the presentation, I felt extremely unprepared for some reason. It was definitely different than what I was used to.

            The main critique I have of myself is the length of time the polls took. I wanted to show how valuable anonymous polls were in the classroom that students could easily answer using their mobile devices. However, looking at how much time it took of the allotted 20 minutes, I believe I should have asked fewer questions. Additionally, for the purpose of this presentation, I probably spent a little too much time introducing the topic and not enough time going over the “meat” of the presentation. 

Presentation - Allen 

PSA: Physical Activity Linked to Academic Achievement

Physical Activity Linked to Academic Achievement

            It is well known that physical activity can help us live longer, happier lives.  For example, physical activity decreases the chances of obtaining heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, and having a stroke (United States Department of Agriculture [USDA], 2014).  However, a new study in Finland has shown that physical activity is also associated with early achievement in school (Medical News Today [MNT], 2014). The study included children in Finland during their first three years of school.  Children who played more at recess had higher reading skills, and those who played sports had higher arithmetic scores (MNT, 2014).  Even though some girls had positive results, the boys were the ones who had higher reading and arithmetic skills with higher levels of physical activity (MNT, 2014).  In fact, some girls had lower academic skills with higher levels of physical activity (MNT, 2014). Researchers point out that these gender differences show the importance in the type of physical activity and how it can potentially impact academic achievement (MNT, 2014).

References

Medical News Today. (2014). High levels of physical activity linked to early academic achievement. Retrieved from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/282408.php

United States Department of Agriculture. (2014). Why is physical activity important? Retrieved from http://www.choosemyplate.gov/physical-activity/why.html

Welcome to Get Up, Get Active! Let me begin by telling you a little bit about myself. My name is Jaimi, but I go by Mimi. I currently live in Greenbrier, Arkansas, and I am married to a wonderful man and we are blessed to be raising two bright teenage boys. I am in my second year of the Health Studies doctoral program at Texas Woman’s University, and my focal area is public health. Throughout my experiences, I have realized I am extremely passionate about several health topics, one of which is physical activity. Physical activity can be conducted in various ways, so finding something that is interesting and fun is important! We all need to participate in it, so why not have fun with it? The most recent activity I have found myself fond of (and slightly addicted to) is obstacle and mud racing. But before you knock it, you must try it!! =)