What is Chronic disease?
It is a condition that lasts for 1 year or more, generally incurable, is usually a long term behavioral problem, requires ongoing medical attention and limits a person’s ability for normal daily activities.
Heart disease. high blood pressure, asthma, cancer and diabetes are often preventable and manageable with early detection, exercise, and improved diet. While adults are living longer, statistics show that chronic disease is the leading cause of death and disability in the United States. Almost 45% of the population has at least 1 chronic disease, and 75% of all health care costs goes to treat these conditions.
As a society we consume high amounts of processed food, not enough whole grains, fruit, and vegetables, spend hours watching TV and video games, not nearly enough exercise, recreational activities or sports and have easy access to tobacco. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that making massive changes to these 3 major risk factors, poor diet, inactivity and smoking would reduce heart disease, stroke and diabetes by almost 80%, and almost 40% of cancer.
Prevention needs to continue with the work of Public Health organizations educating about health and wellness within communities. Physicians being more proactive with their patients promoting how important a healthier lifestyle is, and consulting with health and fitness professionals regarding nutrition, exercise, and smoking programs. If we don’t control this epidemic, over 50% population will be affected by 2025.
Some things you can do to control and own your health:
- Exercise and daily movement
- Nourish your body with whole, fresh foods
- Hydrate with water, half your body weight in fluid ounces
- Rest and recovery, stress management
- Sleep, this is VERY important
- Do things you enjoy, love and have fun!
This may seem overwhelming, however, you can control ALL of these variables with discipline, motivation and the proper guidance from a coach/trainer. What we can do as fitness professionals to help: educate the people on how to exercise properly and efficiently based off of their lifestyle/habits. How to nourish and fuel their bodies properly, manage stress, incorporate recovery, monitor sleep and hydrate with water often. There are many pieces to the puzzle in how we can help become healthy individuals and maintain that. Finding a knowledgable health and fitness professional is key, more often than not individuals will find trainers/coaches who really do more harm than good to their clients…choose wisely.
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