Paper Example on Physical Activity and Behavioral Change

Introduction

It is essential for a person to create time to be physically active since there are several reasons why having regular physical activities boosts one's health. Staying physically active is one of the significant ways of keeping one's body healthy. Furthermore, creating time to become physically active is essential as it is a way of improving someone's overall quality and well-being of life.

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One of the reasons why people require creating time to be physically active is that physical activities are a way of boosting the natural mood of a person. Through carrying out physical activities may relieve stress, anger, depression, and anxiety. This is because physical activities are known to bring good sensation to individuals after they have done something that is physical. Most of the individuals realize that they usually feel better over time as a result of making physical activities as a daily part of their lives (Reiner, Niermann, Jekauc, & Woll, 2013).

Creating of time to be physically active helps individuals in keeping them become physically able and fit. In a situation whereby someone takes no regular activity, their body starts to slowly lose its stamina, strength as well as the ability to function properly. Creation of time to be physically active helps in increasing the strength of the muscles which enables individuals to perform other physical activities that assist in keeping able and fit.

Another reason why someone requires creating time to be physically active is the fact that physical activities assist in keeping the doctor away. Having too much sitting and only having several sedentary activities may raise the risk of an individual of becoming affected by stroke or some heart diseases (Warburton, Nicol, & Bredin, 2006). Growing more physically active has several benefits to one's health which include; lowering of the blood pressure, boosting one's levels of having good cholesterol, improving the blood flow of an individual, keeping of someone's weight under the right control, and preventing bone loss which may result to osteoporosis. According to Grosclaude & Ziltener, (2010), becoming physically active add up to having fewer medical expenses, medications, and interventions that may be incurred later in someone's life.

Creating time to be physically active enables a person to live longer. Individuals can live longer only when they are healthy. Those people who get more physically active and are living at a healthy weight are believed t live longer than the individuals who are obese and are not physically active (Janssen & LeBlanc, 2010). The important thing is that during those extra years that one life as a result of being more physically active are characterized as being healthier years. Staying physically active assist the delay or preventing of chronic diseases and illness that is associated with the aging factor. Thus, active adults can maintain the quality of their life as well as independence while they age.

Additionally, becoming physically active assists individuals in developing a positive outlook and attitude. This is possible because physical activities enable individuals in managing tension and stress that help in enhancing one's self-confidence and self-image.

A Critique of the Use of Wearable Technology as a Method of Promoting Physical Activity

Wearable technologies such as iwatch, Fitbit, and Garmin can provide the kind of motivation which is required to increase people's physical activities primarily for the individuals who stand the risk of hospitalization. Many people own some types of wearable technology (Park & Jayaraman, 2003). Over the last few years, the persuasiveness, the popularity, mass marketing appeal, and the widespread availability of the wearable devices has increased which has been facilitated by the reduction in cost (Binkley, 2003). The wearable technology devices help in providing significant opportunities required for promoting physical activities found in the broader community most of people who start using the wearable technology devices stop using them after six months (Gao, Li, & Luo, 2015). However, the underlying reasons as to why people stop using the wearable devices under a short period are not well known.

There is uncertainty as to whether the users have stopped using these wearable devices as a result of attaining their goals or having experienced trouble when they are utilizing the wearable technology. When individuals are aiming to measure their physical activities, their energy expenditure and sleep, the wearable technology facilitate a reasonable degree of validity for the step measurements. The overall effect which the wearable devices have on the health, as well as the levels of physical activities of the older adults, is not primarily known (Vallurupalli, Paydak, Agarwal, Agrawal, & Assad-Kottner, 2013). The monitors of the wearable devices activities are generally perceived as being useful and acceptable by the adults who have 70 years or more as well as by the people who are having chronic illness who can utilize these devices. Many users require help when setting up the wearable devices as well as understanding on the various ways that they can use to understand the data that the devices collect by first of all concentrating on the step data which can assist the older adults in familiarizing themselves with the operation of the wearable devices.

Wearable technology offers a ready way of conducting self-monitoring of the behavioral and clinical data in the real time. Scientists of behavioral health change have regarded the technology as being essential for the adoption of certain behaviors.

Despite the many benefits of the wearable technology, the devices have certain disadvantages that lead to their insufficient use. Most of the wearable devices usually tend to have short battery life. More advanced wearable devices such as Apple Watch will last only for 24 hours. For many individuals using the wearable devices especially the older adults, it may be a hassle for them to remember that they need to remove their wearable devices to charge them regularly. As a result f this, several developers are attempting to come up with the possibility of having several options for wireless charging which would eliminate the need of removing the device. Another limitation of the wearable technology is that on some occasions, the tools provide inaccurate data measurement. This is very dangerous especially in cases that measure data such as heart rates of individuals. The incorrect reading may lead to overexertion as well as furthering of health issues.

An Account of How Ambivalence in Behavioral Change Can Be Overcome

Ambivalence is an elaborate deterrent to attaining successful behavioral change. Ambivalence occurs naturally to all people. Ambivalence involves having the process of having simultaneous, competing or conflicting thoughts, wishes or feelings. During the process of conducting behavioral change, people usually realize that they are ambivalent when they face an inner belief that is uncomfortable. When doubt and uncertainty take over, people feel stuck as if they are straddling a fence. Ambivalence is mostly contributed by the messages that individuals hear during their early years from their colleagues, and older adults (De-Liver, van der Pligt, & Wigboldus, 2007).

One way of overcoming ambivalence as a result of the behavioral change is learning how to become more flexible and open. It is crucial for individuals to start embracing behavioral change instead of resisting it. Behavioral change is among one of the healthy natural flows of life which occurs many times even if most individuals do not want it to be. By becoming flexible and open to behavioral change can assist people's approach through going along or by embracing the behavioral change versus attempting to control it. After all, most of the behavioral changes are intended to bring good things to people's lives. Another way of overcoming ambivalence in behavioral change is through finding the strength within one's resistance (Van Harreveld, Rutjens, Rotteveel, Nordgren, & Van Der Pligt, 2009). Some individuals have innate instincts that they require to lead behavioral change and explore options. When individuals are resisting behavioral change as a result of they are risking averse, they may begin through assessing risk, planning or researching. One may successfully avoid ambivalence in behavioral change by realizing that they do not fear behavioral change but they fear loss.

When an individual appreciates the fact that they do not fear change, then they can start escaping behavioral change. Behavioral change is considered a situational event. Ambivalence in behavioral change occurs typically during a psychological, transition process that acknowledges what is navigating, ending the uncertainty and this is then followed by embracing what seems possible in the new start. Strengthening of support networks, supporting one's purpose, increasing of self-compassion, and actualizing of strengths may all result in minimizing resistance (Nir, 2005). Adopting a learning mindset helps in avoiding ambivalence in behavioral change. It is essential for one to appreciate that everything changes. Ambivalence in the behavioral change is similar to resisting of reality. Whenever people tense in adapting behavioral change, they fail (Zhixia, & Jianfeng, 2007).

By declaring ones goals and vision, an individual can adopt a learning mindset in different situations that they encounter as they embrace behavioral change. Another way that can be used to overcome ambivalence in behavioral change is through remaining supportive and positive. Individuals typically find behavioral change unsetting although the difference is usually constant in the individual lives and the professional environment. People will require support from a positive leader who is capable of inspiring free thought through honest communication as well as creativity. There is the need for having people to adopt a culture whereby change can be rendered as the remit of the individuals.

A Theory Based Briefing Paper for a Politician Regarding the Relationship between Socio-Economic Factors and the Adoption of Health-Enhancing Behaviors

Health inequalities refer to the differences that exist in the health status which are experienced by different groups or individuals in the society. The health inequalities may be brought as a result of biological and genetic factors, the choices made or through chance, but in many cases, they are due to unequal access to the primary factors which affect health such as education, income, social support, and employment. The social and economic drivers such as education, social connectedness, and income usually have a direct implication on the health. According to Braveman et al., (2005), the socioeconomic factors strongly interact in a manner that they influence health and having improvement in the socioeconomic determinants may produce an enhancement in both the outcomes and behaviors among different groups or individuals.

Individuals or groups that have low incomes, they frequently lack the resources that contributing to them accessing nutritious food, adequate housing as well as safe working environments. These individuals having meager income can face life and financial stress which over a given period may influence negatively on their health. The most common health consequences of having life and financial stress include high blood pressure, implications of the circulatory and immune system (Morales, Lara, Kington, Valdez, & Escarce, 2...