Delaying Aging Through Exercise Essay, Research Paper

TOPIC OUTLINE

Thesis statement: Using the benefits of exercise to delay the onset of aging is a worthwhile investment in a persons future

Intro. – talk about origins

I. History of exercise

A. Definition

B. general overview of exercise

C. Types

1. Aerobic

2. Anaerobic

3. Crosstraining

D. Benefits of exercise

1. Lower Blood Pressure / Higher Stroke volume

2. Increase in endurance / Strength

3. More alert/ Better mental attitude

II. Benefits to the aging population

A. Longer life

B. Slowing down the aging process

C. Cut down in medical expenses

Conclusion – reinstates health benefits from essay.

The first group of people to utilize the benefits of exercise were the Greeks. It was Aristotle a famous philosopher of the time who brought this concept to the people at the time. The word exercise means “Bodily exertion for the sake of developing and maintaining physical fitness.”

In today s world you find people from all walks of life, age and sex exercising in some form or another. Whether it be running in a park or lifting weights in a gym, let s face its here to stay.

There are basically three types of exercise. First we have aerobic meaning with oxygen, this type uses oxygenated blood produced by the heart and lungs to supply the body with energy. This type is long in duration, an example of an exercise would be jogging.

Next we have anaerobic meaning without oxygen it uses the stored energy in the muscles only and is short in duration an example would be the 200m hurdles.

Finally we come to crosstraining. It encompasses both aerobic and anaerobic styles to make maximum use of all systems this would be accomplished by starting and stopping at

different intervals. For example you could go running down a path then stop do push-ups then repeat the cycle again and again.

Some of the benefits that can be achieved through exercise are lower blood pressure and an increase in stroke volume. Blood pressure (the force that the blood exerts on the vessel wall). Stroke volume ( the amount of blood that passes through the heart in one beat).By doing this the heart will become more efficient and will be able to recover faster after exercise is over. Remember the heart is a muscle the harder you work it the stronger it becomes.

By working the muscles of the body they will naturally become stronger. They will be able to do more work for longer periods of time without fatigue or injury occurring.

You will have a greater sense of mental awareness (a clear head). You will feel more attentive about what is gong on around you, as well as feeling less stress from daily problems which brings us back again to less stain on the heart.

The benefits to be had by the aging population are unbelievable. People who stay active (exercise) through their life live longer than those who are sedentary (don t exercise) “Most of the decline we associate with aging is really the result of inactivity.”

The reason for the difference is that people who stay active delay the onset of atrophy, by working the systems of the body. They say that for every year over that age of Twenty-five a person will have a One percent decline in performance. So by the age of Fifty you would lose a quarter of your effectiveness. This is only true for people who are sedentary. A new study has shown that people who do exercise who might experience a Five percent decline over that period of time.

Another plus of exercise would be fewer doctors’ visits and prescription drugs that are extremely expensive to purchase on a regular basis.

As you can see exercise has many different advantages going for it. For the little time it takes to get out there and sweat is a small price to pay for all the benefits you can get in return.

Bibliography

Winett PH.D., Richard. “Can You Decline To Age?”

Iron Man Jan. 1993: 142-144