Physical activity is defined as any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that require energy expenditure. The term “Physical activity” is not equal to “exercise”. Exercise is a subcategory of physical activity which is structured, repetitive, and purposeful.
Exercise is a form of physical activity that is specifically planned, structured, and repetitive of oriented movement feature such as weight training, tai chi, or an aerobics class with consequent increase on the oxygen intake due to muscular demand thus generating work.
The physical exercise causes a series of physiological responses in the body systems, particularly in the cardiovascular system. With the objective of maintaining the cellular homeostasy in face of the increase on the metabolic demands, some mechanisms are set into action.
The people who make exercise as essential part of their routine are happier and more efficient than others. Exercise does not mean to go to gym or some club for daily activity; it only means to do some physical activity no matter how and where.
The regular practice of physical exercises promotes important autonomic and hemodynamic adaptations that will influence the cardiovascular system with the objective of maintaining the cellular homeostasis in face of the increment of the metabolic demands.
There are increases on the cardiac debt; redistribution on the blood flow and elevation on the circulatory perfusion into muscles in activity.
Exercise and physical activity fall into four basic categories—
*Endurance: increase breathing and heart rate
Endurance exercises improve the health of heart, lungs, and circulatory system. They also delay or prevent many diseases that are common in older adults such as diabetes, colon and breast cancers, heart disease, and others.
*Strength: make muscles stronger
Strength exercises include: Lifting weights and using a resistance band
*Balance: help prevent falls, a public problem in older adults
*Flexibility: stretch muscles and can help body stay limber
A well-balanced exercise program can improve general health, build endurance, and slow many of the effects of aging. The benefits of exercise not only improve physical health, but also enhance emotional well-being.
The possible mechanisms of the antihypertensive effects of exercise are not fully clear but may include
*Reduction in sympathetical‐induced vasoconstriction and reduced catecholamine segregation;
*Increased insulin sensitivity;
*Anti-inflammatory effects; and
*vascular structural adaptations.
Regular physical exercise
