A sedentary lifestyle refers to a lack of meaningful physical activity. It is an important public health problem that affects a range of chronic diseases.
Most people with sedentary lifestyles are unlikely to meet national physical activity guidelines. According to the government
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Recent research is beginning to confirm the health risks associated with a sedentary lifestyle.
Studies now consistently demonstrate that a sedentary lifestyle can contribute to:
Prolonged periods of inactivity can reduce metabolism and impair the body’s ability to control blood sugar, regulate arterial pressureand break down fats.
A study analyzed data collected over 15 years and found that sedentary lifestyles were associated with an increased risk of premature death, regardless of physical activity level.
This shows that it is essential to reduce the time spent being sedentary in addition to exercising more.
A sedentary lifestyle also appears to have a negative impact on mental well-being.
The combination of physical and mental impacts on health makes a sedentary lifestyle particularly problematic.
A study with 10,381 participants associated a sedentary lifestyle and lack of physical activity with a higher risk of developing a Mental Health mess.
A recent goodbye which included data from 110,152 participants, found a link between sedentary behavior and an increased risk of depression.
A more active lifestyle can significantly reduce the risk of chronic health problems, mental health disorders and premature death.
Increase physical activity
Research has shown that physical activity, including exercise and sport, can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity and premature death.
Evidence also consistently shows that exercise can improve mental health. A 2018
It’s best to combine a variety of cardiovascular exercises, such as running or cycling, with strength training exercises, which may include strength training or resistance training. Doing at least three 30-minute runs and two 30-minute sessions of strength training per week would be enough to meet the minimum physical activity guidelines.
Reduce the time spent being sedentary
Physical activity is important, but spending most of the day being sedentary is still dangerous.
People can reduce the time they spend being sedentary by:
- standing rather than sitting on public transport
- to work on foot
- take a walk during lunch breaks
- set reminders to get up every 30 minutes when working at a desk
- invest in a standing desk or ask the workplace to provide one
- take a walk or get up for coffee or tea breaks
- spend more time doing household chores, including DIY or gardening
- finding excuses to leave the office or move around the building
- take phone calls outside and take a walk at the same time
- spend free time being active rather than watching TV or playing video games
- get up and walk around during TV commercials
- take the stairs instead of using the elevator
Research has linked a sedentary lifestyle to serious health problems.
Many people do not meet minimum guidelines for physical activity and are at risk of developing health problems from spending too much time being sedentary.
People can reduce the risks of a sedentary lifestyle by increasing the amount of physical activity they do and using the techniques above to reduce the time they spend sedentary.
