Wellness & Beyond Health and Fitness Site
Overall Health of US and Worldwide Population
According to the National Academy of Sports Medicine chronic diseases have become the leading cause of death and disability accounting for 70% of deaths in the United States. Chronic diseases, such as asthma, cancer, diabetes, and heart disease are widespread and rising dramatically. The US Centers for Disease Control reported that 57% were caused by cardiovascular disease and cancer, and nearly 80% of these deaths could have been prevented if a healthy lifestyle was followed.
Research has shown low-back pain to be primary cause for musculoskeletal dysfunction affecting 80% of all adults. Also, research studies indicate that skeletal and muscular injuries are at all-time high than it was 40 years. Annually, an estimated 10 million visits are made for low-back problems, 19 million visits were conducted because of knee problems, and 11 million visits for ankle and foot problems.
The guidelines of US Surgeon General and fitness training organizations indicate that regular exercise of 2.5 hours a week that includes aerobic conditioning, weight and flexibility training will improve health and reduce the risk of developing or dying from leading causes of illness and death.
However, if the overall health in the U.S. and worldwide is steadily declining it is fair to question whether the current concepts of conventional fitness and exercise methodology in the present form fall short of keeping human body fit and healthy.
Regular Exercise and Fitness Results
Unfortunately, it is commonly accepted that exercising regularly is sufficient to stay healthy and fit and lack of training results has no consequences. The prevailing notion is that a fitness regimen comprising of “weights”, “cardio” and stretching addresses all of the body’s needs. These are common misconceptions that can lead to your body becoming dysfunctional in the long-term.
A typical training program does not provide a rate of progression resulting in little or no fitness improvements. Unfortunately, it is commonly accepted that if one exercises regularly it will be sufficient to stay fit and lack of training results has no consequences.
However, it is not widely understood that keeping the body fit and fitness plateau have a direct correlation. By using a workout “routine” you might assume that you keep your body conditioned while you drive your body consistently into plateau. As a result, when a plateau is reached the physical and mental condition will level off and start deteriorating.
This means that the body has to be constantly and properly stimulated. What makes this problem challenging is that existing approaches such as cross-training and changing daily workouts all the time or periodically have not proven to be effective.
Integrated Functional Movement
The very first and most important thing for you to know, before even beginning a fitness regimen of any kind, is how your body is designed to function. A widely ignored reality is that integrated functional movement is key to overall fitness. Starting your training without the understanding how is the body is designed to move can be dangerous because you may end up forcing your body to move in unnatural ways.
Integrated movement development and restoration needs to be done before starting any type of fitness training. In fact, improper movement for a long period can lead to significant physical deterioration and ultimately, it will prevent you from leading a healthy lifestyle. In addition, the principles of human anatomy must be incorporated in every aspect of your training to achieve fitness improvements.
