Some say that doing sports is good for you. Others say that it is harmful. Where is the truth? Is it worth doing physical exercises or is it better to sit and lie down more so as not to overexert yourself? Let’s clarify this issue. We will not discuss the benefits of physical exercise for the heart, lungs and other organs. We will focus exclusively on the benefits and harms for the musculoskeletal system.
Benefits of Exercise
There is no doubt that physical exercise is beneficial for the musculoskeletal system. Therefore, physical education is often used to treat diseases and rehabilitate patients after injuries and operations. This type of training is called therapeutic physical education (LFK).
For healthy people, physical training is also useful. Moreover, it benefits all structures of the musculoskeletal system without exception: bones, muscles, joints, cartilage, ligaments, etc.
What exactly is the benefit:
- muscles grow;
- bones are strengthened;
- tissue blood circulation improves;
- ligaments and tendons become more elastic;
- joint mobility improves (range of motion increases);
- metabolism in cartilage tissue improves.
In addition, a person’s overall physical performance, strength, endurance, speed, coordination, etc. increase. Thus, under the influence of loads, the musculoskeletal system develops, and any development is useful, not harmful.
Potential Harm from Exercise
They say that physical exercise can wear out joints. In addition, you can get an injury or chronic diseases associated with long-term microtraumatization.
In fact, there can be no harm from exercises performed correctly. Only excessive training is harmful – such that it exceeds the body’s current capabilities. These capabilities gradually increase if you experience regular physical activity.
Exercise does not “kill” joints. On the contrary: physical inactivity is a risk factor for osteoarthritis – cartilage degeneration. The problem with cartilage tissue is that it is deprived of blood supply. Cartilage can only be nourished from the synovial fluid inside the joint. It is important to constantly “pound” this fluid during physical exercise, since periodic increases in pressure in the joint force nutrients to penetrate into the cartilage, thereby maintaining it in good condition.
What can be associated with harm from physical exercise:
- incorrect technique;
- too much weight during strength training;
- too frequent classes;
- excessively long workouts;
- lack of warm-up;
- exercising through pain, through fatigue, through unwillingness to exercise (overtraining).
If you know the limits and do the right exercises, you will not be able to get any harm from them. Training brings only benefits. They are recommended to everyone: healthy men and women, patients with chronic joint diseases, children, and the elderly. Even after serious injuries and surgeries, physical training begins literally the next day to speed up recovery. So there are practically no contraindications for doing exercises. The only question is what kind of physical activity you need to get benefits in a particular situation.
