Positive characteristics of exercise and sport

Different countries, different customs, although the Swiss population is generally considered to be very hard-working by international standards. Diligence in working life pays off in the truest sense of the word in a number of areas, but it also harbors dangers. On the one hand, you might think that this willingness to work automatically leads to sufficient exercise, but previous generations performed significantly more physical work compared to today, as technical achievements and the associated social development have made our everyday lives less sedentary. Most people now hardly use their bodies at all, whether at work, at home or when moving around. On the other hand, too much work is causing the so-called work-life balance to falter. In other words, the relationship between work and private life is not in balance. In fact, we prefer to talk about life-domain balance, i.e. the balance between the different areas of life, because we don't want to suggest that real life only takes place outside of work. Accordingly, a distinction is made between work, the social environment, our body, meaning and self-realization. All areas play their part in staying healthy and productive, with each person deciding for themselves what the right balance between work and private life is. For everyone, however, if one area of life is neglected for a long period of time, this imbalance between work and leisure time leads to a lower quality of life, reduced satisfaction and a lack of energy, which ultimately has a negative impact on health on several levels.

The time of the COVID-19 pandemic in particular, with its numerous restrictions, has also made it clear how important the aforementioned balance is for our own well-being. It often became difficult to simply incorporate exercise and sport into everyday working life, which often had a negative impact on our mood. Once again, it was demonstrated how important regular physical activity is for our body, which adapts to the demands placed on it. It works according to the motto: what is used develops, what is not used regresses. Regular physical activity therefore has numerous positive effects: the risk of widespread complaints and diseases such as obesity, high blood pressure, cardiovascular or stomach problems, sleep disorders, headaches and back pain, depression and burnout, diabetes II, bone loss and bowel and breast cancer can be reduced. Furthermore, research indicates that regular exercise can have a positive effect on cognitive performance and that active people are less likely to suffer from degenerative brain diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. Mental health is also affected. Exercise and sport brighten the mood and have an antidepressant effect, increasing self-esteem and stress tolerance. Physically active people not only have a better health-related quality of life, they also live longer and are more independent, more mobile and require less care in old age because they are also mentally fitter than people who hardly exercise. Furthermore, physical activity offers a good opportunity for social contact and, last but not least, physically active people are more health-conscious in various areas of life.

Influence of physical activity behavior

In principle, there is a direct correlation between the amount of physical activity and the extent of the health effects, because the more a person moves, the greater the likelihood of benefiting from health benefits. Of course, it is easiest for people who are hardly or not at all active to achieve additional benefits by increasing the amount of exercise. However, even those who are already active can expect additional positive effects from further sporting activity, but as mentioned, the health benefits are no longer as pronounced as for people who exercise less.

Every step away from inactivity is important and benefits health, which is why it is never too late to get physically active. Even if regular exercise is only incorporated into the daily routine at an advanced age and you have hardly ever exercised before, there is still a lot you can do to improve your health, well-being and performance. The situation is different when it comes to bone health, because what was neglected when building up bone mass at a young age can only be partially made up for at an older age. In addition, exercise and sport have no health depot effect. This means that anyone who once had good stamina, for example, but has become inactive in the meantime, will have none of it left in later years.

Regular exercise and sport are therefore essential for health and performance in all age groups. The basic recommendations for women and men of working age are as follows per week (not to be confused with the guidelines for professional military personnel):

• At least 2.5 hours (150 minutes) of moderate-intensity endurance training (something besides breathing, not necessarily sweating).

• Or at least 1.25 hours (75 minutes) of high-intensity endurance training (accelerated breathing, light sweating).

• Combinations of exercise at different intensities are also possible, with the ratio of health benefits of moderate to high intensity exercise being approximately 1:2.

• Strength training on two or more days.

Ideally, physical activity should be spread over several days. As already mentioned, additional sporting activities that go beyond the exercise recommendations mentioned promise additional health benefits.

Even though a lasting change in exercise behavior is often a longer process that typically takes place over several stages and may involve relapses, it is recommended that everyone, regardless of age, should become (more) physically active, as their body and mind will thank them for it.

Let's go!

It is now a matter of becoming fully aware of the positive properties of exercise and sport and incorporating physical activity into your everyday life.

Regularly switching off is one motto. A break in the fresh air, perhaps in the form of a short walk, jog or bike ride, can give you a new lease of life. The time required for this should not necessarily be seen as lost in relation to work, as a short breather often significantly increases productivity again afterwards. It is not uncommon for daily performance to be even higher at the end of the day with or thanks to an active sports break than without a break from work. Sitting for long periods can become a health risk with consequences such as neck tension or back pain; occasional movement and relaxation exercises also have a preventative effect here. If, despite good intentions, you have not managed to take an active break during the working day, it is usually difficult to motivate yourself to exercise after a strenuous day. Nevertheless, it's worth getting yourself together, as sport is known to release happiness hormones - bet that you feel more alert and happier after exercise despite being tired. You may also have the option of taking the bike instead of the car to work, so you've already done your physical activity when you get home. Depending on the route, you can even save time. The classic idea of taking the stairs instead of the elevator is another well-known way to get more exercise in the simplest possible way.

Last but not least, the pandemic mentioned above has meant that many professionals can now work flexibly in terms of time and location. The home office, for example, offers the opportunity for more freedom, motivation and a better work-life balance. However, with this merging of work and leisure, employees must ensure that they can also switch off and consciously define the boundaries between work and private life so that health and productivity do not begin to suffer as a result.

Implementation

But if we are honest, we are basically aware of all the positive factors of exercise and sport described so far, as well as the risks associated with a lack of activity or an imbalance between work and everyday life. The problem lies in the implementation, and this is where each individual must take themselves by the nose! The following links can reinforce precisely this intention of daily exercise (e.g. through strengthening, relieving, relaxation or stretching exercises at the workplace or outdoors):

• Sportify brings more exercise and sport into everyday working life! As a strategic initiative, sportify supports the administrative units of the DDPS in motivating their employees to be more physically active. To this end, the sportify team develops and supports various offers relating to exercise and sport in the workplace. For example, it is possible to order active office boxes or benefit from the range of courses and health checks.

• The Federal Office of Sport (FOSPO) provides an online platform for physical education and training, which supports the general promotion of sport in Switzerland (e.g. enter the search term “Bewegungsempfehlungen”).

• Here on the Milsport internet platform, you can find numerous strengthening programs in the section on sample lessons (main section - conditional substance - strength). One of these training programs is published separately each week on the homepage. In addition, a monthly sporting challenge is suggested. Both the “workout of the week” and the “challenge of the month” can be subscribed to by e-mail. In general, Komp Zen Sport A is happy to help and support you; you can contact us at any time.

These are just a few examples; further support in the form of training materials for sporting activity is available in abundance on numerous channels. It is therefore up to each individual to make the decision to integrate more sport into their daily routine a reality. Whenever possible, it helps to make a fixed entry in your calendar. The right training time can also help to schedule the sessions appropriately. It's not just a question of whether you prefer to exercise in the morning or in the evening, but what your family and work routine looks like also plays a decisive role, as does whether you are tied to fixed times (e.g. gym or swimming pool opening times). Properly weighing up your preferences and considering what a week usually looks like will help to ensure that training has a fixed place in your everyday life in the future.

Once the training sessions have been planned, this path can only be successfully followed if the objective is known. Whether it is to lose weight, gain muscle mass or simply feel more vital and fitter, whatever the intention is, it is important never to lose sight of it. Especially when you get off track, reminding yourself of your plan can help you turn things around. It is also sometimes difficult to go it alone. A training partner (possibly even an employee) is a welcome support, because everything is a little easier as a team. This results in mutual motivation, but you also learn not to let the other person down and stay more focused. There are now also a number of running clubs or sports groups that you can join so that you don't neglect your training.

In this sense, if you don't want to, you'll find reasons, if you want to, you'll find ways - have fun and good luck in achieving your goals; long live the joy of exercise and sport!

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