One of the simplest and most effective ways to bring down  blood glucose levels, cut the risk of cardiovascular disease, and improve overall health and well-being is physical fitness and exercise. Yet, in our increasingly sedentary world, where almost every essential task can be performed online, from the driver’s seat, or with a phone call, exercising and being physically fit can be tough case to sell.

In reality, everyone should exercise, yet survey shows that only 30% of the United States adult population gets the recommended thirty minutes of daily physical activity, and 25% are not active at all.

Inactivity is thought to be one of the key reasons for the surge of type 2 diabetes in America, because inactivity and obesity promote insulin resistance and other factors that trigger other kinds of diseases.

The good news is that it is never too late to get moving, and exercise is one of the easiest ways to start controlling the onset of any kinds of diseases. For people who are already candidates for some serious diseases like diabetes and heart failure, exercise and physical fitness can improve the condition of some parts of the body like insulin sensitivity, lower the risk of heart disease, and promote weight loss.

In 2003, the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism had published an issue regarding the result of their study and found out that lack of exercise and physical fitness were the key factors behind obesity and other serious diseases like diabetes.

Hence, it is extremely important for a person to stay healthy and be physically fit in order to avoid such illnesses.

Getting Started

The first order of business with any exercise plan, especially if you are a “dyed-in-the-wool” couch potato, is to consult with your health care provider.

If you have cardiac factors, your doctor may want to perform a stress test to establish a safe level of exercise for you.

Certain complications of some diseases will also dictate what type of exercise program you can take on. Activities like weightlifting, jogging, or high-impact aerobics can possibly pose a risk for people with diabetic retinopathy due to the risk for further blood vessel damage and possible “retinal detachment.” 

Health experts also contend that patients with sever peripheral neuropathy or PN should avoid foot-intensive weight-bearing exercises such as long-distance walking, jogging, or step aerobics and opt instead for low-impact activities like swimming, biking, and rowing.

If you have conditions that make exercise and physical fitness a challenge, your provider may refer you to an exercise physiologist who can design a fitness program for your specific needs.

If you are already active in sports or work out regularly, it will still benefit you to discuss your regular routine with your doctor.

The bottom line is that physical fitness and exercise should not have to be a rigid activity and should not come off strong. Your exercise routine can be as simple as a brisk nightly neighborhood walk, walking the dog, or simply taking the stairs instead of the elevator. The important thing is that you keep on moving. Every little bit really helps a lot.

In the end, you will realize that the many things that good food can bring you are equally the same as what physical fitness can do for you.

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There have been numerous studies conducted regarding physical fitness for girls. The dominant result reveals that most teen age girls have turned their back from sports, and tend to neglect physical fitness.  

For this reason, parents become anxious about their daughters health. When their little girls step into the period of adolescence, parents usually start their search on how to keep their daughter's interest on maintaining fitness as their son does.

The primary key to this problem is to orient the kids that it is a lifestyle choice to choose fitness. Likewise, keeping oneself fit is a lifetime endeavor. 

There is no problem for boys when it comes to the consciousness on their fitness. They are usually sports oriented. It is really the girls who remain inactive on their fitness exercise as they step into adolescent. 

A consultant on fitness education, Judy Notay, stated that girls, upon reaching 12 and 13, illustrate a dramatic fall in their enthusiasm towards sports and fitness. The performance of team sports for girls frequently plunges. 

To keep the focus of these girls in maintaining their fitness, parents must be aware to choose a school which will be able to provide them good fitness programs.  Not just the common fitness program, but the one that mirrors the girls' interests.

The logic here is simple, role modeling.   

A Physical Education professor in University of Victoria, Rick Bell, said that according to his own perception, the decline of interest of girls in maintaining their fitness only reflects the occasions in schools.   

According to him, the curriculum of the schools does not suit the interest of these girls, specifically, the sort of activities being offered. Especially the nature of competition, which is a normal element of the activities, does not conform to the perception of most girls when it comes to its significance. 

The activities that will catch the attentions of these girls, according to professor Bell, are basically dancing. 

Today, a number ofschools offer this kind of activities. Dance programs in its different classifications. Examples of this are jazz, social dance, and modern.  

Other activities that capture the interests of girls are aerobics and programs on outdoor education. Truth is these programs are actually proven to be effective in catching the attention of children. In the same manner, these also make the girls active.

Notay stated that the kind of fitness program that parents should search is the one that offers a kind of activity that will be exclusive for girls. The purpose here is to meet the skill level of the girls.  

Of course, the one that heads the program should possess a vast understanding of the needs of the girls. This is very applicable especially when the program will not be within school.   

As a parent, don't think that this will be of so much effort. True, it will take a good deal of effort, but just keep in mind that it is all worth it.

By simply being conscious of your daughter's enthusiasm for physical fitness, you are already guiding your kid to be safe from the threats of illnesses. You are also helping her to cope up with stresses. Of course, through physical fitness, your daughter's confidence is also being developed through socializing with others. 

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