I often talk about the benefits of movement, I generally like to focus people on the positives of behaviour change. That’s just me. I like to look at the happy and positive side of life! But sometimes we need to hear the truth. The truth about the lack of movement is that it kills. The truth is that by leading a sedentary lifestyle you are slowly shrinking your lifespan and leaving yourself vulnerable to lifestyle-related diseases.
Sedentary Lifestyle is a medical term used to describe a lifestyle with little or no physical activity. It is commonly found in both the developed and developing world, and is characterized by sitting, reading, watching television or using the computer for much of the day, with little or no vigorous physical exercise.
The Facts on Sedentary Lifestyle:
The Australian Health Survey 2011-12 indicates that:
- Only one-third of children, and one in ten young people undertook the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity every day.
- 60% of Australian adults did less than the recommended 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity per day.
- Fewer than one in three children and young people (5-17 year olds) met the “no more than 2 hours of screen-based entertainment” every day.
- Nearly 70% of Australian adults (i.e. almost 12 million adults) are either sedentary or have low levels of physical activity.
According to the American Heart Association, those who are physically inactive have between 1.5 and 2.4 times the risk for developing coronary heart disease, comparable to that observed for high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure or cigarette smoking.
A sedentary lifestyle increases the risk of developing diabetes, hypertension, colon cancer, depression and anxiety, obesity, and weak muscles and bones.
On average, physically active people outlive those who are inactive.
Physical inactivity affects at least 20 of the most deadly chronic disorders.
The Importance of an Active Lifestyle . Our genes, combined with lifestyle choices, determine the health that we get to experience during our lifetime. What current research shows is that, our genes are virtually identical to those of our hunter-gatherer ancestors who inhabited the earth over 10,000 years ago. For them, daily physical activity was not a lifestyle choice; it was a necessary part of survival. Nowadays, even though exercise and movement may seem like a choice, exercise is still very necessary for our survival and optimal health.
Currently, more than 60% of Australian adults are not regularly active. Sedentary Death Syndrome, or “SeDS,” is the term developed by more than 200 of the leading physiologists to diagnose the growing epidemic of physical inactivity and its relationship to chronic, preventable diseases. All inactive Australians are currently at risk for SeDS, which can lead to premature disability or death. Approximately 2.5 million Americans will die prematurely in the next ten years due to SeDS, a number greater than all alcohol, gun, motor vehicle, and illicit drug use deaths combined. And despite my dislike in the matter, Australia’s health trends are very similar to those of America! Researchers call SeDS the second largest threat to public health.
Avoid all these dangers of a sedentary lifestyle by making the choice to exercise regularly!
Now Get Moving!
Yours in Health,
Dr. Anthea Holder
(Chiropractor and Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner)
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