Frequent exercise lowers risk of early death — Don
Nigerians have been enjoined to embrace healthy lifestyle through frequent exercise in order to forestall the risk of early death, heart diseases and stroke.
A Professor of Exercise Science and Sports Psychology in the Department of Human Kinetics and Health Education, Faculty of Education, Kwara State University (KWASU), Professor Ibrahim Laro Abubakar stated this while delivering his inaugural lecture at the university.
His remark is part of recommendations in the Fifteenth Inaugural lecture of the varsity titled, “Man’s limitation of himself against the potentials and gifts from His Creator: A psychological perspective” delivered at KWASU, Malete, Kwara State, North Central Nigeria.
Abubakar noted that frequent exercise can help a person to reduce the risk of early death by 30% and that of coronary heart diseases and stroke by 35% and that it helps to prevent dullness and illness.
He said, “There is strong evidence that regular exercise can reduce the risk of major illness by up to 50%, lower risk of early death by up to 30%, and lower risk of coronary heart diseases and stroke by 35%.
“I, therefore, recommend that to prevent dullness and illness including other forms of limitations, an individual needs at least between 10 minutes and 1 hour daily exercise and activities like walking, riding horses, cycling as well as Aerobics,” he said.
The don added that, “An active lifestyle through high level of participation in physical activities often promote a healthy living that made man to be unlimited and to possess richness in terms of Health status.”
Abubakar also encouraged KWASU and other employers to adopt the system of interjecting long meetings with exercise breaks in order to reduce meeting stress and tension, promote active participation and contribution at such meetings by all participants.
“Any meeting up to and stretching over 2 hours shall be interjected with a minimum of 10 minutes stretching and walk. This will help to reduce meeting stress and tension, promote active participation and contribution at such meetings by all participants, rejuvenate nerves and encourages concentration and attention,” he stressed further.
He disclosed that individual is expected to cultivate the habit of smiling because it’s one of the ultimate anti- depressants that decreases and eradicate limitations to human existence.