The sedentary lifestyle is when the person does not practice any type of physical activity regularly which ends up generating consequences such as accumulation of fat in the belly region, increased cholesterol and risk of type 2 diabetes, for example.
The person is considered sedentary even if he has an active life and moves around constantly because he is a maid or a janitor, for example. if the person is not in the habit of stopping for a moment to engage in physical activity.
8 harms that physical inactivity can cause
Being sedentary can lead to the development of health problems such as:
- Lack of muscle strength by not stimulating all muscles;
- Joint pain due to overweight;
- Accumulation of abdominal fat and within the arteries;
- Excessive weight gain and even obesity;
- Increased cholesterol and triglycerides;
- Cardiovascular diseases such as Infarction or stroke;
- Increased risk of type 2 diabetes due to insulin resistance;
- Snoring during sleep and sleep apnea because air can pass with difficulty through the airways.
Weight gain may be the first consequence of being sedentary, and the other complications arise slowly over time and are silent.
What favors the sedentarismo
Some situations that favor sedentary lifestyle include the lack of time or money to pay for the gym, but the use of the elevator, instead of climbing stairs, the possibility of parking the car close to work, rather than walking a part the remote control of the television.
Therefore, in order for the person to move more, maintaining strong muscles and heart health it is recommended to always choose the 'old fashioned' preferring the stairs and whenever possible walk on foot. But still, you should do some kind of exercise every week.
Who needs to worry
Ideally, all people of all ages should practice regular physical activity. It can be playing football with friends, running outdoors and walking at the end of the day because what matters most is to keep the body moving for 30 minutes daily or 1 hour, 3 times a week. Even children and people who think they already move a lot, need to be in the habit of practicing physical activity regularly because this only has health benefits.
How to combat sedentary lifestyle
In order to combat the sedentarismo one can opt for any type of physical avtividade since it is made at least 3 times a week because only this way there will be a decrease of the risk of illnesses due to lack of physical activity. Practicing some physical activity only once a week does not have as many benefits, but if it's what time the person has available at the time, any effort will be better than nothing.
To begin with it is recommended to go to the doctor to be examined because so he can tell if the person is fit or not for the activity he intends to do. Generally, the initial choice of a person who is overweight and wants to leave the sedentary lifestyle is walking because it has little impact on the joints and can be done at your own pace. If you want to start walking, check out a 1-month walking plan that may be helpful.