Mexico City.- For many years, Mexico has positioned itself among the main countries with the highest rate of obesity and overweight worldwide. According to the 2021 National Health and Nutrition Survey (ENSANUT) carried out by the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI), 44.7 percent of adults considered between 60 and 69 years of age are overweight, while 39.6 percent of people between the ages of 30 and 39 are obese. Unfortunately, there is no notable decline in other age groups.
Those who are going through these conditions put their health at risk, since being overweight or obese can be a determining factor in the development of diseases such as diabetes and hypertension. For this reason, it is vitally important to take care of two fundamental aspects of day-to-day life: seek a diet based on healthy habits and keep moving, since a sedentary lifestyle is not only reflected in the increase in sizes, it also impairs physical condition.
Before delving into the keys to maintaining a good condition, it is necessary to clarify that physical activity and exercise are not the same. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), human beings carry out physical activities in their daily lives, such as going to work, going to school, visiting a friend or going to the grocery store, since they are all those movements that, Without considering it as such, they generate energy consumption.
The only difference it has with exercise is that it implies planning, since they are routines carried out to improve performance or promote performance in a sport. Both activities generate a positive impact that is not only visible in weight, but also in the functioning of the body in general and the condition to carry out any type of effort. This is where the keys to improve the body’s response to certain obstacles come into play, since not everyone has the same facility to climb stairs or hold on to the subway tube.
But… how to measure physical condition?
The performance of each person varies according to their age and daily activities. To find out if someone is in good condition, it is not enough for each person to detect a greater demand in certain activities, it can also be known through specialized treadmills where heart rate is measured, as explained by nutritionist Brandon del Valle in an interview with Infobae Mexico.
“The physical condition starts from how people perform according to time and resistance of their body. [además de las caminadora] Another test that can be considered is bioimpedance, these scales determine the amount of fat mass and the amount of vascular mass in kilograms or percentage. A surplus of 10 kilograms of body fat mass can be said that the patients do not have the adequate condition”, commented the specialist.
The World Health Organization recommends that children at least one year of age should be physically active several times a day through interactive games on the floor, that is, their first attempts at crawling or walking. Infants between 2-5 years of age have to exercise with a difference of different intensity for about 180 minutes.
Children between the ages of 5 and 17 should focus their efforts on doing moderate and aerobic activities for 60 minutes a day; this will help them strengthen their bones and muscles. Young people from 18 years to adults from 64 years have to exercise more time interspersing moderate and intense aerobic movements.
Finally, people aged 65 and over also have to follow the recommendations, but according to their abilities, since exercising helps keep their bodies moving, maintains their strength and prevents falls.
How to improve physical condition?
According to nutritionist Brandon del Valle, people who want to improve their physical condition should start by seeing a specialist who provides them with the necessary information about the current state of their body and the plan they must follow, which includes exercise routines. , in addition to daily physical activities, and a balanced diet.
“Mainly it is to make muscular movements. It is not necessary to go to the gym as many people consider it, but to exercise at home, walk, light exercises at least three times a week for 45 minutes […] This is when the fat oxidation process begins. It is also important to avoid refined flour or sugar, prefer more whole foods and drink water, ”he commented.
Likewise, the specialist explained that after carrying out demanding activities it is necessary to recover muscle wasting, for this reason, after exercising, foods without excess fat or sugar should be consumed, such as roasted breast, salads without dressings, tuna, proteins.
He also reflected on the importance of not consuming “miracle products” – pills, proteins without scientific support, teas or any other type of substance that is sold to supposedly lose weight without effort – because the result can be catastrophic for health.
They should not be consumed because they can directly harm the kidneys. Requesting help from a nutritionist is not good for “losing weight”, but rather for changing a lifestyle that perhaps was not the most appropriate, is to have good eating habits to have more energy, because sometimes, even if we eat enough, we do not have the strength needed to perform daily activities.
