Aerobic and anaerobic exercises.

Literally, aerobic exercises need oxygen while anaerobic exercises do not. Aerobics can also mean exercises that involve the whole body while anaerobics has to do with just a part of the body. However you view it, aerobics are the ideal exercises that strengthen the heart and the lungs. The relevance of these two vital organs can not be over-emphasized; the lungs are concerned with respiration while the heart co-ordinates circulation.
Breathing exercise is a common ‘interlude’ during physiotherapy sessions. It ensures an adequate supply of oxygen to the body (atmospheric/external respiration), without which cellular/tissue/internal respiration will produce lactic acid (kreb’s cycle) instead of glucose. This lactic acid is responsible for local action (pain). Exercise increases the body’s metabolism, more energy is consequently needed for the exercise to progress smoothly and the process that makes this energy (ATP) available require oxygen, thus breathing exercise.
The circulatory system on the other hand ensures the even distribution of nutrients, oxygen, hormone, etc to all parts of the body. The heart sits at the center of this system, ensuring adequate flow of blood which( in the lungs)trap the oxygen made available by the external part of the respiratory system. Aerobic exercise places a higher demand for oxygen and the compensatory adjustment of the body to balance this strengthens the lungs and the heart. Anaerobic exercise is not useless as it may seem as its usually definite; besides, the body can't function effectively during strenuous exercises without anaerobic respiration. E.gs of aerobics are swimming, jogging, skipping, football, etc while anaerobics are pushups, sit-up, weight-lifting, etc.

Ergonomics

Ergonomics is the study and design of work places, products and systems to fit people who use them. It is the study of the often-complex inter-relationship between people and their occupational, domestic and leisure activities (Hayne, 1984). It is the science devoted to the search for and creation of the best possible conditions of employment so as to eliminate harm, boredom and fatigue of labour (Snork, Iruine and Bass, 1970).
The six manual material handling tasks include; lifting, lowering, pushing, pulling, carrying and walking: these as established by studies, are responsible for most occupational injuries (Astrad and Rodali, 1986, Garg and Sexena, 1986). Spine is the most vulnerable as a result of the injuries (Nwuga, 1990).
Most furniture and equipment found in our homes, offices, recreation centers, vehicles, etc, are beautifully designed but fail to conform to the basic biomechanics of normal posture and consequently compel its user to assume or develop poor postural habits.
It is recommended that the angle of inclination between the backrest and the seat of a working chair be 90 degrees-110 degrees and for a high-backed chair, comfortable when it is between 104 degrees and 110 degrees (Hayne, 1984). Any sitting without backrest or support has been discovered to place a load of 100kg on the lumber spine as to the 70kg in a standing posture of an individual of 70kg body weight (Nachemson, 1975).

Physical fitness

Physical fitness is a state of psychological harmony, cardiopulmonary efficiency, controlled weight, muscle strength and joint flexibility. Physiotherapy can broadly be divided into electrotherapy and exercise therapy; both are necessary to attain physical fitness.
Given some limitations, electrotherapy is not readily available for everybody or at all times but exercise therapy is; even when it seems not, achieved with improvisations.
Exercise therapy is the use of various body movements which are based on sound biomechanical principles for the purpose of bringing about therapeutic changes in the human body.
Exercise can be aerobic (when it involves all parts of the body), or anaerobic (when only a part of the body is involved). Aerobic exercise is preferable to attain physical fitness but most importantly, determination and discipline are the drive for this quest.

What is Physiotherapy?

Physiotherapy is that part of medicine which involves a systematic approach of evaluating the musculoskeletal, cardiopulmonary, genitourinary, dermatological, ophthalmic, psychological and neurological systems of the body and then seeking to address the deficiency in the systems by the use of physical modalities such as heat, electric current, sound, electromagnetic waves, laser, ice, soft tissue mobilization (STM), exercises and above all reassurance.
It is involved in prevention, curative, rehabilitative, maintenance (control) and consultative aspects of health-care delivery. It is available at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels of health care.
A physiotherapist can work in an/a: hospital, geriatrics (old peoples’) home, sports institution, educational system, industry, ergonomic, private setup, rehabilitation home, ministry, home for the disabled, nursing home, etc.