What is physical health?


 Physical health exists as a careful balance of physical activity and nutrition.  The use of one is significantly devalued without the support of the other.  i.e., running a few miles a day is not as beneficial as one might think if you are still pounding down a half dozen donuts each morning and fast food every night.  Enhancing your physical health should focus on both of these facets.

Modernization of our society, from sitting at computers to using elevators, has led to a massive decrease in the average person’s daily physical output. As a result, an unprecedented percentage of our country is overweight. Adding exercise back into your daily routine is easy and can help you feel better, lose weight, and live longer.

Please remember that whenever starting any new exercise routine, you should consult with your physician to make sure that you are properly informed about your own health status. For further supervision with exercise, try working with a personal trainer over at the student activity center.

Activity:

Here are a few ways to simply add some activity to your day:

  • TAKE THE STAIRS - We know the anatomy lab is on the 6th floor, but it’s not that bad!  Do it every day and by the end of the course, you probably won’t be out of breath when you get to the top!!
     
  • WALK TO SCHOOL or PARK FAR AWAY - If you are within a 15 minute walk (Conshohocken or Presidential Aves), try walking to school whenever the weather is nice, and when you go food shopping, take that parking spot in the back that no one else wants. By simply walking a little further to the entrance you’ll add activity to your day.
     
  • STRETCH! - Have you ever felt uncomfortable in your chair at school? You probably just need to stretch your muscles. Take advantage of those ten minute breaks between lectures and reach down and try to touch the floor to stretch out your hamstrings and low back. Roll your neck forward and to the side to stretch out your neck and upper back. Try it! It’ll feel good.
     
  • TAKE A WALK - If you only need the first half of your lunchtime to eat, or have an hour between lectures, take the time to go for a walk around the school or stop by the student activity center and shoot some hoops. This will help to rejuvenate you for the afternoon and you might meet some new people, too!

Why all the hype about physical exercise?

It doesn't just improve physical appearance!  Exercise can also:

  1. Improve your circulation, making the heart more efficient
  2. Decrease your blood pressure by helping maintain elasticity of the arteries
  3. Increase your HDL (good cholesterol) and decrease LDL (bad cholesterol)
  4. Help to maintain an efficient respiratory system allowing easier exchange of oxygen with carbon dioxide
  5. Improve your metabolism due to an increase in intestinal movement
  6. Help fight depression by stimulating the release of endorphins in the brain, reducing pain and improving sleep
     

Nutrition:

Maintaining a proper diet should be an important part of every medical student’s life.

To insure that you are consuming enough fruits and vegetables, follow the six a day color wheel – each day, eat one piece of fruit or veggies from each of the colors on the color wheel – red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple.  By varying what you consume, you will make sure that you are getting a proper mix of vitamins and minerals.

Did you know that it takes 3500 Calories to make a pound???  That means that if you eat an extra 3500 calories, you gain a pound.  But, if you burn off or eat 3500 calories less, you lose a pound.  Therefore maintaining a healthy weight is a combination of exercise and diet to even out the calorie expenditure per week.

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