The Positive Physiological Effects of Sports Activity on the Living Organism

Over the past few decades we have observed an impressive increase in the numbers of overweight and obese individuals in the Triad countries, not only in the human population but the pets are also affected. To fight this condition that can lead to many health issues, the states promote physical activity and sports. These can participate in preventing or even reversing this condition, with overall positive effect on health and longevity. Physical activity can be defined as any volunteer movement which leads to the uptake of energy, it can be anything from cleaning the house to working out. We are going to focus our attention on sports which is a subsection of physical activity. Sports are very different from one living organism to another, but as a general definition we can consider it as a high energy demanding activity that is practiced with the goal of improving physical condition and in many cases personal and team performances. This activity is normally practiced on a regular basis, the frequency however depends on the species practicing, the sport and the physical condition of the individual. When it comes to our pets, we have influenced their physical conditions by altering the environment they live in. By doing so we changed their natural behaviour for example horses which normally travel about 10-20 km a day are kept in boxes and are worked in a more intensive way for just one hour a day. Or in the case of dogs who are kept in apartments without having the space to freely run at any given time but depend on their owner to give him access to larger spaces. With all of this in mind, we are going to present the physiological benefits of regular sports activity on the organism but also emphasise the problems that can occur if this is overdone. In this essay we would therefore like to further elaborate on the physiological effects of regular physical activity on the following organ systems; musculoskeletal system, nervous system, endocrine system, gastrointestinal and excretory system, immune system, cardiovascular system, respiratory system, respiratory system and the reproductive system. At the end we would like to give a brief summary of what are the main benefits of regular physical activity and what are the dangers associated with over-exercising. Additionally, we would like to elaborate on possible methods to make our pets more active.