“It is established that playing sport is important: numerous scientific studies demonstrate the benefits of regular physical activity. Certainly playing sports is good for both the body and the mind”, says Matteo Acquati, Medical Director of the Milan Sports Medicine Institute, health manager of EA7 Olimpia Milano. “From a physical point of view – he continues – it is known that those who practice sport regularly have a lower probability of incurring cardiovascular pathologies (hypertension, ischemic heart disease, stroke) or metabolic disorders (diabetes, obesity), therefore the so-called chronic diseases But there’s more: in recent years it has been seen that sport leads to a lower probability of falling ill with oncological diseases, such as colon and breast cancer, in women”. (Video)
The mind also benefits enormously from regular motor activity. “Those who play sports have a greater ease of relating and, on average, are happier and more satisfied. It is no coincidence – recalls the specialist – that sport is one of the therapies that is also used in those suffering from depression”. With these premises, it is clear that “the role of the sports doctor cannot be limited only to defining the suitability for practice sports”, underlines Acquati. “Indeed, the medical-sports visit allows for the early identification of not only important pathologies – such as cardiac pathologies – which, if not correctly diagnosed, can cause serious problems especially in the case of intense sporting practice, but also minor and non-contraindicative pathologies suitability, but which – if left to their own devices – can lead to a worsening of the state of health. I am referring, for example, to scoliosis in children”.
In fact, the sports doctor has “transversal skills: orthopedics, cardiology, nutrition, exercise physiology. He is therefore not the figure to turn to only when you need to know if you are fit to practice a sport – Acquati reiterates – but especially when you want to receive advice on how to practice sports, which and how much to practice. The sports doctor can also offer useful advice to a person who has just received a diagnosis of a chronic disease, as well as those who have recovered from an injury ”.
Speaking of the benefits, “generally a person who practices sport – says the specialist – is favored over a sedentary person, because a sedentary lifestyle, which is often associated with an incorrect diet – rich in animal fats, alcohol and low in fruit and vegetables – favors the onset of an inflammatory state. If these habits are perpetuated – recalls Acquati – the inflammatory state becomes chronic and affects the whole body, becoming fertile ground for many pathologies, both cardiovascular and cancerous”.
“It is no coincidence – he recalls – that the World Health Organization (WHO) quantifies the threshold for achieving a benefit in at least 150 minutes of weekly activity. We have the possibility to defuse the inflammatory mechanism, protect ourselves, guarantee our health, preserve it and, if we are suffering from chronic disease, – he concludes – improve its control”.
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