Consequences of Physical Inactivity
A sedentary lifestyle is detrimental to living a quality life. A sedentary lifestyle is a bad habit that has life-altering consequences over time.
The human body was built to move, period. If you want proof, the human body is designed to move, look at the consequences of not moving. Physical inactivity leads to health deterioration, such as:
- Loss of bone density
- Stiffening of joints
- Weakening of muscles
- Weight gain and /or Obesity
- The weakening of the heart and lungs
- Degeneration of the cellular energy systems
- High cholesterol
- Depression and Anxiety
…to name a few.
As soon as you sit down, electrical activity shuts off in the leg muscles. Calorie burning is significantly reduced (potentially to as little as one calorie or less, depending on one’s height, weight, gender, etc.), and lipase, an enzyme in the legs that assists with the breakdown of fat, dramatically and rapidly drops. After two hours of sitting, HDL (the so-called good cholesterol) levels drop by 20 percent. After 24 hours of sitting, insulin effectiveness drops 24 percent, and the risk of diabetes rises. Sitting increases the risk of death up to 40 percent.
Use it or lose it is the mantra of the day when it comes to your body and daily maintenance. Whatever approach you choose to get your body moving, get moving daily for 30 minutes to an hour of and KEEP IT MOVING DAILY!
The benefits of exercise far outweigh the benefits of not exercising daily; the list is too long….Get and keep moving – Daily.
References:
Scutti, Susan, “Yes, sitting too long can kill you, even if you exercise”, CNN, September 12, 2017, https://www.cnn.com/2017/09/11/health/sitting-increases-risk-of-death-study/index.html
Lynch, Brigid M., PhD; Owens, Neville, PhD, ” Too Much Sitting and Chronic Disease Risk: Steps to Move the Science Forward”, Annals of Internal Medicine, January 20, 2015, http://annals.org/aim/article-abstract/2091332/too-much-sitting-chronic-disease-risk-steps-move-science-forward
“Risks of Physical Inactivity”, Johns Hopkins Medicine Health Library, https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/healthlibrary/conditions/cardiovascular_diseases/risks_of_physical_inactivity_85,P00218
“Health Risks of an Inactive Lifestyle”, MedilinePlus, https://medlineplus.gov/healthrisksofaninactivelifestyle.html
DePietro, MaryAnn, “8 Negative Health Effects Of Physical Inactivity”, symptomfind.com, , May 7, 2016, https://www.symptomfind.com/health/effects-of-physical-inactivity/
World Health Organization, ” Physical Inactivity: A Global Public Health Problem”, http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/factsheet_inactivity/en/