As a physiotherapist as well as a strength coach, and a semi-retired powerlifter, who has trained and worked from those who’ve squatted up to a thousand pounds and those who are unable to lift themselves from their chair, it made me wonder for people like you that is not an or athlete, and want to appear good, feel great, and stay well-nourished, how much fitness is enough? What level of cardio fitness is sufficient? When does the attempt to increase those levels become harmful to your health, and then crossover into high-performance sports?” That is the subject of the article today.
Perspective 1:
Can let people enjoy the things they choose and live the way they want to live
There’s plenty to say about this, especially in light of the high levels of obesity and inactivity across the globe. The best form of activity is the one you’ll do and stick to.
In terms of compliance, is it important for people to be enjoying what they’re doing? It’s not everyone’s cup of tea carrying weights. That’s the nature of it. However, as much as some people want to do CrossFit – it has helped inspire a large number of people to become more physically active. It also gives an amazing feeling of belonging.
My primary concerns regarding this view are twofold:
Concern 1
In certain areas, particularly in my current home country of Canada in which it appears to be cold and humid throughout the year, lots of things that are enjoyed by people (i.e., certain sports, walking, gardening) just don’t get done. What’s the point of doing a sport if you’re engaging in it for 5 months (or longer) throughout the year?
Concern 2
Do these exercises suffice to increase the strength and cardiovascular fitness, the mass of your body, lean mass well and bone density?
Additionally, take a look at the individual who walks or does routine chores around the house, and then suffers a heart attack in the snow’s first big storm of winter, while shoveling snow. The activities they engaged in did not make them fit for the more physical (yet crucial) job.
Certain studies have raised questions about the possibility that activities with low intensity like walking give enough stimulation to keep you healthy, particularly during aging (1).
So, even though it is important to choose things they love, they must be carried out consistently. There should be enough stimulation to boost fitness and allow the more intense and demanding activities to be completed while maintaining the physical capacity in the aftermath. For guidance on maintaining this balance, physiotherapist in Waterloo can provide expert advice tailored to individual needs and goals.
Perspective 2:
It is time to turn each of our physical therapy and personal trainer clients into endurance athletes, or functional fitness enthusiasts.
All of them are beneficial to the physical body, and my worries are twofold.
The first thing to note is that the activities involved pose a greater chance of causing harm than fitness for general fitness.
If you want to be healthy don’t compete. However, strength sport like bodybuilding strength training, powerlifting, and Crossfit are all associated with injuries that are comparable to (or somewhat lower than) the non-contact sports (3) and an injury rate that ranges from one per 10 year up to one per year is quite very high for someone who isn’t pursuing competitive sports.
Additionally, there exist other health risks that come with carrying a lot of weight, such as osteoarthritis (OA) as well as diabetes sensitivity, elevated blood pressure, and sleep apnea.
While they are often deemed to be more healthy as strength sports, actually are much more prone to injuries (4). According to a highly regarded study, semi-recently published in the journal, the researchers found that recreational runners are less likely to experience knee OA as compared to the population of sedentary athletes. However, athletes tend to be more likely to develop knee OA (5). Furthermore, the relation between fitness levels and health isn’t always linear.
Athletes who perform at high levels of endurance may suffer from higher mortality rates and more pronounced adaptations to the heart which could make them more susceptible to diseases (6).
A lot of high-level athletes exercise, eat, rest, and recover as if they are doing their work. Consuming 6 meals per day and sleeping from at least 8-10 hours each night, not being in a position to travel much as well as training for 8-10 hours per week, aren’t the way individuals want to have in order to get healthy.
At Restore Life Physiotherapy, Physiotherapy in Waterloo can help tailor a more realistic and sustainable approach to fitness and recovery, based on individual goals and daily routines.
Therefore, practicing like an athlete in competition isn’t the solution, either.
What is the solution?
It’s difficult to provide precise information without having a thorough understanding of an individual’s objectives, health conditions and the needs of life.
An ideal general reference on what I believe”sufficient “sufficient” strength and cardiovascular fitness for individuals is to:
- You must be able to perform physical demanding tasks like farms and factories as well as assist in moving furniture and participate in sports with kids or coworkers without them being “max effort” or causing the muscles to become so tired or so stiff that they aren’t able to be completed regularly.
- Be in good bone density as well as Lean body mass
It’s possible to disagree but it’s my personal preference.
A few good indicators that can be used to determine health are:
- Ability to perform a minimum of 40 pushups at a time (7)
- The ability to stand with one foot (eyes opened) for a minimum of 20 minutes (8)
- Ability to complete one mile at least 8 mins (9)
- The Timed Up and Go (or TUG) time is less than 12 seconds (10)
If you’re fit, it is recommended to do 2-4 days per week of well-planned exercises for strength and a touch of cardio (or engaging in a leisure sport) in conjunction with NEPA (nonphysical activity that is not exercise, for example, working out) is likely to be able to achieve the desired results but without causing any harm or a negative impact for your overall health.
Wrapping up
This blog should have given you some ideas for making clear the difference between healthy and athletic performance. Thank you for taking the time to read.