Exercise should be an integral part of our daily routine. The benefits of exercise on our physical and mental wellbeing are numerous. Most importantly, exercise keeps the functioning of the body from declining with age and helps to improve functional capacity. Some of these benefits are listed below. The list is by no means exhaustive:
- Improved cardiovascular function
- Prevention of chronic diseases such as heart disease, strokes, breast and colon cancer, Alzheimer’s disease
- Improved muscular function
- Increase bone density and reduced risk of fractures
- Decreased body fat, improvement in insulin sensitivity and metabolic syndrome
- Decreased risk of fall or injury
- Increased sense of well being
Four types of exercise that should be included in an exercise program are:
• aerobic (cardio) exercise
• resistance exercise
• flexibility
• balance.
Each of these types of exercise will be addressed in your fitness testing and exercise consultation portion of the Executive Health Evaluation.
What should I expect during the fitness testing and exercise consultation portion of my Executive Health Evaluation?
During the fitness testing and exercise consultation portion of the Executive Health Evaluation at the IHL, we will test your aerobic capacity, muscular strength and endurance, flexibility and balance. An individualized exercise program will be developed for you based on the results of this testing and your personal goals and preferences.
Aerobic capacity – VO2 test will be used to evaluation your aerobic capacity. During this test, you will walk on a treadmill while we measure your heart rate and your body’s ability to use oxygen. The higher your fitness level, the more efficiently you body will utilize oxygen and the longer you can walk/run on the treadmill.
Muscular strength and endurance – A good measure of your muscular strength and endurance is how well you can move your own body weight. To measure, this we use push-ups, curl-ups and plank test. Push-up test is how many consecutive push-ups you can do in an unlimited amount of time without a break in motion. This measures the muscular strength and endurance of your arm, chest and back muscles. Curl-up tests is how many curl-ups you can do in one minute. This measures the muscular strength and endurance of your abdominal muscles. Plank test is a measure of how long you can hold the plank pose and measures the muscular endurance of your core muscles.
Flexibility – Is a measurement of your body’s range of motion. To measure flexibility, we use a sit-and-reach test. This test gives you information about the flexibility of your lower back, hamstrings, and gluteus muscles and is a good indication of your overall flexibility.
Balance - A good measurement of balance is the amount of time you can stand on one foot with your eyes closed. During this test, your body depends on the proprioceptors in your joints, rather than your eyes, to give your brain information about the location of your body. The longer you can hold this position, the better your balance.
Based on the results of these tests, we will work with you to develop an exercise program specific to your fitness goals, personal preferences, time availability, and equipment availability. You will also have access to your exercise/nutrition consultant for follow-up throughout the year.