Inactivity is one of the main causes of premature death in the UK and the many other places in and around the developed world. (World Health Organisation 2003).
Some diseases & conditions that are associated with inactivity or a sedentary lifestyle are;
Overall Mortality: Higher levels of activity are associated with lower rates of death for both younger and older adults.
Cardiovascular Diseases: Regular physical activity has been found to decrease the risk of death from cardiovascular disease, particularly coronary heart disease.
Cancer: Colon cancer, breast cancer, pancreatic cancer and melanoma have all been linked with inactivity.
Osteoarthritis: Physical activity can help to reduce the effects and improve joint function.
Osteoporosis: Physical activity that supports your own body weight will help to increase bone density making bones stronger whatever your age.
Falling: Physical activity improves your balance, coordination and awareness.
Obesity: Inactivity and poor diet are the primary causes of obesity. Making small but positive changes to both factors can have considerable results.
Mental Health: Believe it or not, physical activity can help to improve your mood by relieving depression and anxiety. Physical activity releases endorphins, your body’s natural opiates that control pain and create pleasure helping to relieve daily stresses and strains.
Health related quality of life: Quality of life and psychological well-being appears to be improved by regular physical activity.
Did you know?
Health can be considerably improved by including as little as 30 minutes of moderate activity every day.
Health can be further improved by regular vigorous activity of an increased intensity or longer duration.
These are just 2 points that you may need to consider very carefully. Increasing your activity levels from light to moderate could have significant health benefits for you. Then shifting from moderate to a vigorous activity could include even more health benefits.
Below is a simple definition of the 3 different activity levels. To improve your overall health it’s important that you perform a moderate activity everyday for at least 30 minutes.
Which category do you fall into?
Light Activity: Little or no exertion and normally does not cause a noticeable change in breathing.
Examples: Normal day to day living.
Moderate Activity: Requires continuous, rhythmic muscular movements and leaves you feeling hot and slightly breathless.
Examples: Brisk walking, playing with the kids or the dog, cycling to the shops or mowing the lawn. Some sports include golf, swimming and cricket.
Vigorous Activity: Usually associated with getting fit or different types of sport. This is an activity performed at an intensity or duration that gets your heart rate beating at 60 to 70% of its maximum. This would leave you sweaty and breathless.
Examples: Running at 5 mph, sprinting, hard cycling, football, hill walking, aerobics, circuit training, weight training etc.
If you want to increase your daily activity, it’s important to start slowly and build it up gradually over a few weeks. Before embarking in any new activity or if you are suffering from any of the diseases or conditions mentioned above it’s important to get the ok from your GP first.
In 1994 a report called ‘Health of the Nation” revealed that 80% of the population where classified as inactive. Only recently it appears that people are beginning to stand up and take notice of the importance of physical activity. It’s key to understand that the benefits of physical activity are not just physical, but can also be psychological and social.
Not everyone will experience all the benefits. However, including some physical activity in to your life will far outweigh the effects of inactivity and therefore can only be seen as a positive step.
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