Following an exercise pyramid may be more beneficial than adopting just one exercise to address the physical fitness needs of an individual. The exercise pyramid, developed by National Exercise for Life Institute (NEFLI) is designed to remind people of what activities are most beneficial for particular aims.
Benefits of the pyramid
Jeff Zwiefel, an exercise physiologist and NEFLI director provides an extensive explanation of the NEFLI exercise pyramid:
“From enhancing quality of life to reducing the risk of heart disease, adopting a regular exercise program has been shown to be as equally strong a health influence as quitting smoking or even improving eating habits. t the base of the pyramid are daily lifestyle activities, such as doing housework and yard work, taking the steps instead of the elevator, or walking instead of driving.”
Zwiefel continues:
“These need to be the foundations of our lifestyles. While many Americans are already at this basic level, their goals should be to work up the pyramid, increasing their physical activity in order to gain additional health and fitness benefits.”
The exercise pyramid
This is the exercise pyramid from NEFLI:
Level 4: Competitive Recreational Sports
Tennis, volleyball, basketball, hockey, etc.
Level 3: Flexibility
10-15 minutes before and after exercise.
Level 2: Strength Conditioning
Weightlifting–8-12 repetitions, 1-3 sets, twice a week.
Level 1: Structured Aerobic Activity
20-60 minutes, 3-5 times a week; jogging, cycling, swimming, and treadmills
Foundation: Active Lifestyles
30 minutes of accumulated activity daily; walking, housecleaning, lawn mowing, raking leaves, shoveling snow, taking the stairs, carrying groceries, etc.
Notes on the exercise pyramid
If you would notice, the NEFLI exercise pyramid is stratified in a seemingly reverse manner. The reason for this is that different physical activities yield different results.
You work yourself slowly from the foundational lifestyle until you find the recreational sport of your dreams. According to Thomas Williamson, a physical therapist in London:
“Playing a sport regularly actually decreases the chances of degenerative bone diseases in old age. If you can play basketball until your fifties, you’re pretty much safe from osteoporosis and rheumatism.”
Zwiefel has some more comments regarding the pyramid:
“Moving to the next levels on the pyramid, a person should begin to integrate a regular program of planned or structured aerobic activity, then strength training and flexibility exercises.”
“Exercising at the top level–competitive recreational sports–is not essential, but can also play a role in achieving optimum health and fitness, while improving motivation and, ultimately, compliance with a balanced and regular exercise program.”
Sustaining motivation
Sustaining the drive to complete each level of the pyramid might take some time. But the good news is you have all the time in the world to see what level suits you best. If you want to engage in sports immediately, there’s nothing stopping you.
If at the moment your time only allows for some physical activities of middle-high intensities, there’s nothing wrong with that as well. The key to all of this is to finding what suits your capacity as of the moment. If walking works, then walk. If squash tennis works, then play squash tennis once every three days.
Benedict Yossarian
http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/the-benefits-of-an-exercise-pyramid-751394.html
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6 Responses for "The Benefits of an Exercise Pyramid"
Explaining the benefits of healthy eating to 6-11 year olds.?
i have an assignment where i need to explain the benefits of healthy eating to 6-11 year olds. Information should include things like the healthy eating food pyramid, benefits of exercise, healthy snack suggestions and possible results of poor diet choices.
Take them to a nursing home, or snow them pictures of failing organs. I was showed that when I was young. Has an impact. My teacher showed us lungs and organs when you smoke and or do drugs.
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the FDA has a kids website and here is another one…
http://www.ext.nodak.edu/food/kidsnutrition/
What’s your question? Go ahead and tell them about healthy eating, the food pyramid, and exercise or whatever, and use small words they can understand.
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My mother never explained anything to me, she’d just cook healthy food and I’d eat it. She would never take me to mcdonalds and I’d only drink coke on weekends…. But I guess that was then, and this is now.
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Maybe explain how good you feel when you eat good foods. You can also explain how bad junk food is and what it does to your body. maybe even make suggestions to good healthy snacks and lunches when they go to school. Hope this helps!!
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By all means don’t use the US Government Food Pyramid. It has sugar at the top. It includes milk which is a very bad food. It includes meat, whcih contributes to obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, some cancers, and diebetes. US Government constantly compromises its findings after discussing them with industry. Hence, there is a bias toward large corporate interests.
Instead, I recommend going to the Canadian Food Pyramid. Soy milk is recommended as an alternative to skim milk. Cow milk protein is not good for humans. Milk is not the best source of calcium.
The best diet in the world is low-fat, low-carb vegan. Dr. Dean Ornish is one of the few health advocates who base his recommendation on solid scientific research and not speculation.
Study the Canadian recommendations. It will be a better and more healthy set of recommendations.
References :
"Eat More, Weigh Less" Dr. Dean Ornish…
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