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MSN Insight: 8 Health Benefits of Physical Activity

Study alongside Walden University students with this required reading taken from the MSN degree course: Advanced Health Assessment.

Get. More. Exercise.

That has been a mantra of health providers and fitness gurus for a long time. As a nurse, you have likely given patients that exact advice. And that’s a good thing, because research continues to show that staying active can provide a lot of health benefits.

MSN Insight: 8 Health Benefits of Physical Activity

In Walden University’s Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) course Advanced Health Assessments, students learn all about the positive effects of physical activity, studying resources such as the U.S. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion’s (ODPHP) Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. These science-based guidelines set the standards for physical activity and provide the major research findings on the health benefits of being active. The benefits, as described in the in Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans summary, are: 1

  • Regular physical activity reduces the risk of many adverse health outcomes.
  • Some physical activity is better than none.
  • For most health outcomes, additional benefits occur as the amount of physical activity increases through higher intensity, greater frequency, and/or longer duration.
  • Most health benefits occur with at least 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) a week of moderate intensity physical activity, such as brisk walking. Additional benefits occur with more physical activity. 
  • Both aerobic (endurance) and muscle-strengthening (resistance) physical activity are beneficial.
  • Health benefits occur for children and adolescents, young and middle-aged adults, older adults, and those in every studied racial and ethnic group.
  • The health benefits of physical activity occur for people with disabilities.
  • The benefits of physical activity far outweigh the possibility of adverse outcomes.  

How Can You Learn More About Helping People Stay Healthy?

To be a truly great nurse, it’s not enough to know that physical activity is important. You need to understand why it’s important, be able to convince patients to get more activity, and provide patients with the information they need to make physical activity a realistic and regular part of their lives. For many nurses, reaching that level of quality care takes years of practice—and a Master of Science in Nursing.

Through an MSN program, like the one offered at Walden University, you can take courses in advanced health assessment and study vital resources like the ODPHP’s Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. But that’s just the beginning of the knowledge a master’s in nursing program can provide.

Whether you want to become a nurse practitioner or take your nursing career into nurse management, nursing education, nurse mentoring, or even health informatics, Walden’s MSN degree program and specializations can help you obtain the knowledge and gain the skills you need to succeed as a nurse leader.

Worried you don’t have time to earn a master’s of science in nursing? Don’t be. If you have the will to complete an MSN degree, online education can provide the way. Unlike at campus-based nursing schools, online nursing schools don’t require you to drive across town or even attend classes at specific times of day. Instead, a MSN program online gives you the freedom to take classes from wherever you have internet access and at whatever time of day works best for your schedule. It’s an exceptional level of convenience and flexibility, and it’s why so many working nurses turn to online learning.

In fact, master’s in nursing online programs are so great for working nurses that Walden’s online MSN program is number one in Master of Science in Nursing graduates in the U.S.2 If you hold a BSN degree and are interested in earning your MSN, Walden offers a convenient program that is great for nurses who are working full time while earning their degree. Walden even offers a path for students who hold a bachelor’s degree in a subject other than nursing, making it possible to go from RN to MSN without first holding a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. It’s yet another way online education is making it more possible for you to improve your skills as a nurse and elevate your career in nursing.

Walden University is an accredited institution offering a Master of Science in Nursing degree program online. Expand your career options and earn your degree in a convenient, flexible format that fits your busy life.

1Source: https://health.gov/paguidelines/guidelines
2Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) IPEDS database. Retrieved July 2017, using CIP code 51.3801 (Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse). Includes 2016 preliminary data.

Walden University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, www.hlcommission.org.

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