GENDER AND HEALTH PROMOTING BEHAVIORS:Fitness and Exercise

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Gender Issues In Psychology (PSY - 512)

Lesson 34

GENDER AND HEALTH PROMOTING BEHAVIORS

As said earlier there are at least two aspects of the health issue:

a) Promotion of health, and

b) Prevention of illness

These are the two sides of the same coin, interrelated and complementing each other.

Health can be promoted in further two ways, by:

Adopting healthy lifestyles, and

ii)

Proper utilization of available health services so that health problems, if any, may be diagnosed earlier

and treated at the earliest stage.

Physical fitness is the other name of health. Regular exercise is the main way of attaining and managing physical

fitness.

Fitness and Exercise

Health, as discussed earlier, is a state of complete well being: physical, psychological, and social. A person

enjoys well-being when he/she feels fit and experiences fitness. Fitness is a condition that can be acquired and

enhanced, and that can deteriorate too.

When we talk about fitness we are primarily referring to physical fitness; however it encompasses psychological

and social aspects too. Physical fitness leads to shedding stress, and that may result into healthy, enjoyable,

social relations. In other words complete well-being, i.e., health.

Fitness implies enjoying healthy existence as well as absence of disease. One direct correlate of fitness is

exercise. Over the last 2-3 decades people in general have become more health conscious than ever before.

They are more interested in fitness enhancing activities, and more conscious about wise eating. In short they

are adopting healthier lifestyles.

Some of the major causes of this change in health-related attitudes and behaviors are that:

People today know that the leading causes of death today are not infections over which people had

little or not control.

Life expectancy has significantly improved over the past 5-10 decades. That means that if people take

good care of their health, they can stretch their life span considerably.

As a result of research findings, people are more aware of the fact that we can not only expand the life

span, but we can also improve the quality of life a great deal by attaining and improving physical fitness.

Physical fitness does not mean a single function or process. It is a complex condition. A physically fit person

experiences:

A muscular strength

Muscular flexibility

Muscular endurance, and

Cardio respiratory fitness

Fitness has tow aspects:

Organic Fitness

The ability for activity and mobility, that stems form the inbuilt qualities of a person's body e.g. the genetic

make up of the person, age, gender, health status and problems, family history etc.

Dynamic Fitness

This type of fitness is learnt, and comes through experience and practice i.e., exercise.

Dynamic fitness affects not only the physiology of a person, but the appearance too.

There is no dearth of research evidence suggesting that exercise is directly related with the health and fitness of

a person.

Gender Issues In Psychology (PSY - 512)

Exercise

How Much of Exercise is required for Good Health

People indulge into different types of exercise for different durations. Research reveals that one should exercise

thrice a week; some do it more often. But there are certain standards for how much and what kind of exercise

should be done.

The generally agreed upon standard is exercising for at least 15 minutes thrice weekly; in this time one is

required to indulge into sustained activity at 70%- 85% of maximal heart rate. However different people are

happier with different frequencies and intensity of exercise. Some people walk 5 miles at a stretch and are not

tired. Some exercise for 20-25 minutes only and they find it to be enough for their fitness. Exercise gives the

exerciser a feeling of well-being and elation. This is because of the release of endorphins as triggered by aerobic

exercise.

Types of Exercise

Aerobic Exercise

In aerobic exercise the heart of the person beats at an elevated level for a considerably long duration (in

minutes usually). It requires significantly increased consumption of oxygen for a long period. It is a high

intensity, long-duration, and high-endurance exercise. The major elements are intensity and duration. How long

and how intense the exercise should be, is calculated from a formula involving the age of the person as well as

the maximum possible heart rate. Jogging, brisk-power walking, aerobic dancing, cycling, swimming, rope

skipping are examples of aerobic exercise. An effective and true aerobic exercise requires that the heart rate is

at an elevated level for 12-20 minutes. During this period, the heart and the respiratory system work at an

elevated level; and the whole coronary system benefits from it. The ultimate benefit from this exercise is a rapid

and intense consumption of oxygen, besides flexible and elastic blood vessels. Aerobic exercise is believed to

be beneficial in terms of enhanced fitness; it results into cardio respiratory fitness and provides protection

against coronary-heart disease.

Caution: Before moving on to an intense aerobic exercise regimen, one should have complete medical check

ups and consultation with a physician in order to be sure that the body is fit enough to stand the rigor required

by this exercise. This exercise can be dangerous for persons with coronary-heart problems.

Anaerobic Exercise

These exercises are similar to aerobic exercise, but do not require heightened oxygen consumption. Anaerobic

exercises involve intensive bursts of energy for shorter durations. Short distance running or sprinting are

anaerobics; some calisthenics are also anaerobic. Speed and endurance are the salient features of these

exercises. These exercises are not suitable for people with coronary-heart problems.

Isometric Exercise

As compared to other age group, older people can benefit more from this exercise. The exercise involves

muscle contraction against and immovable object e.g. a pillar, or a wall. Isometric exercises give the feeling of

strength to the person exercising. The main benefit is in terms of muscle strength. However since it does not

involve other movements, it has little contribution to physical fitness.

Isotonic Exercise

Weight lifting is the best example of isotonic exercise. Muscles and joints are the main parts of body involved.

Isotonic exercise primarily involves muscle contraction and joints' movements. The ultimate benefit is muscle

tone, muscle strength and muscle endurance. These exercises can add to fitness if done for longer periods of

time. The immediate benefits may be felt in terms of physical appearance and body shape.

Gender Issues In Psychology (PSY - 512)

Isokinetic Exercise

As compare to isotonic exercise, isokinetic exercise involves lifting weight and returning it too, to the starting

point. Bringing the weight back requires additional exertion. This exercise requires special equipment and the

person may have to go to the gym or purchase expensive machinery.

However it is better than the isotonic or isometric exercise for attaining muscle strength and endurance.

Which Exercise should be chosen?

A person may choose an exercise regimen considering the following:

a) Physical condition, muscle strength and endurance level

b) Health Status

c) Physician's advice

d) Age

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