Mr. Southam

Mr. Southam's Classes Fall 2010

1st Period JH Physical Education

2nd Period: High School History

3rd Period: High School Physical Education

4th Period: High School Physical Education

5th Period: High School Physical Education

6th Period: Prep

7th Period: High School Psychology

Effect on Exercise on the Body

According to fitness experts, engaging in regular exercise regimen tends to have a favorable effect in the natural immune system of an individual. Accordingly, positive effects of exercise on the body pertain to the psychological, physiological and immunological capabilities.

This is one of the reasons why health care providers and doctors today often recommend that the best way we can address our weight loss problem is to change our lifestyle. This includes keeping ourselves fit through regular exercise routines aside from eating well balanced diets and abstinence from cigarette smoking and alcohol drinking. Allowing exercise to improve our immune system promotes sustainability in our own natural self healing functions.

What are the Positive Effects of Exercise on the Body

A person who exercises regularly uses up most of his calorie intakes. Hence, the body's internal organs particularly the heart can keep up with the process of circulating and supplying blood needed for the body's regular functions. There are no excess calories or fats to hamper its activities. Once a person, is able to keep his body functioning regularly, wastes and other excessive intakes are easily carried through the blood stream, and delivered to the kidneys for excretion.

A properly functioning kidney can prevent any hormonal imbalance from taking place, allowing all cells to receive and absorb blood and food nutrients without any impediments. Exercise can help in maintainimg normal blood sugar levels, since the calories are all well spent and burned during physical exertion. If the blood stream does not contain too much sugar, the pancreas produces only sufficient insulin needed by the cell for all absorption processes.

If a person and his cells have enough blood supply, the immune system of the body is enabled to produce the antibodies that can combat all the germs and bacteria that enter our bodies. While exercising, these antibodies are said to move freely within us and destroy any foreign matters they come in contact with. Thus, the more antibodies that our body produces, the less susceptible we become to infectious diseases.

The Sedentary Problem
The percentage of overweight and obese kids and teens has more than doubled over the past 30 years. Although many factors contribute to this epidemic, children are becoming more sedentary. In other words, they're sitting around a lot more than they used to.

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, the average child is watching about 3 hours of television a day. And the average kid spends 5½ hours on all screen media combined (TV, videos and DVDs, computer time outside of schoolwork, and video games).

One of the best ways to get kids to be more active is to limit the amount of time spent in sedentary activities, especially watching TV or playing video games. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that children under the age of 2 years watch no TV at all and that screen time should be limited to no more than 1-2 hours of quality programming a day for kids 2 years and older.

BackContinueListenHow Much Exercise Is Enough?Parents need to ensure that their kids get enough exercise. So, how much is enough? All kids 2 years and older should get at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise on most, preferably all, days of the week.
The National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) offers expanded activity guidelines for infants, toddlers and preschoolers:
Age
Minimum Daily Activity
Comments

Infant
No specific requirements
Physical activity should encourage motor development

Toddler
1½ hours
30 minutes planned physical activity AND 60 minutes unstructured physical activity (free play)

Preschooler
2 hours
60 minutes planned physical activity AND 60 minutes unstructured physical activity (free play)

School age
1 hour or more
Break up into bouts of 15 minutes or more

Infants and young children should not be inactive for prolonged periods of time — no more than 1 hour unless they're sleeping. And school-age children should not be inactive for periods longer than 2 hours.
BackContinue
ListenRaising a Fit KidCombining regular physical activity with a healthy diet is the key to a healthy lifestyle.
Here are some tips for raising fit kids:
Help your child participate in a variety of activities that are age-appropriate.Establish a regular schedule for physical activity.Incorporate activity into daily routines, such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator.Embrace a healthier lifestyle yourself, so you'll be a positive role model for your family.Keep it fun, so you can count on your child to come back for more.Reviewed by: Mary L. Gavin, MD
Date reviewed: February 2009
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Motivating Kids to Be Active
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Fitness for Kids Who Don't Like Sports
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