Movement is medicine! Today, the sedentary lifestyle is negatively impacting the health of many and has turned into a global epidemic. According to the World Health Organization, 60-85% of the world’s population lives a sedentary lifestyle. Inactivity increases all-cause mortality and heightens the risk for diseases such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, cancer, metabolic dysfunctions, and the list goes on. If we look at the anatomy of the human, we are clearly made to move. It is no wonder that when we resist what our bodies are made to do, the development of disease occurs. The positive thing is that we have the power to modify our lifestyles and decrease the risk of these occurrences and improve the quality of our lives.

The benefits that come with incorporating more physical activity during the day are substantial. As previously mentioned, moving the body decreases the risk factors for diseases that arise from a sedentary lifestyle. With the current obesity epidemic, a movement is a useful tool that can play a significant role in weight loss and management. Muscles and bones also reap the benefits given that they are maintained and strengthened when they are being used. The saying still holds true, “if you don’t use it, you lose it!” Lastly, one beneficial outcome that often gets overlooked is increased cognitive performance and overall mental health improvement. Movement really is our medicine! Incorporating more physical activity throughout the day does not have to be a time-consuming or challenging task. In fact, activities can often become habitual when we start to add them into our daily routines. So, let’s look at ways in which we can simply add more movement throughout the day:

• Take the stairs
• Park further away
• Wake up earlier
• Plan active social events with your friends
• Incorporate an exercise routine
• Walk after meals
• Walk while taking phone calls
• Decrease time spent on TV and screens
• Exercise/ stretch while watching TV

Now, let’s move our way out of the sedentary lifestyle and into one with improved health and longevity!

Sources:

Park, J. H., Moon, J. H., Kim, H. J., Kong, M. H., & Oh, Y. H. (2020, November). Sedentary lifestyle: Overview of updated evidence of potential health risks. Korean journal of family medicine. Retrieved February 20, 2022, from ,https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7700832/

World Health Organization. (n.d.). Physical inactivity a leading cause of disease and disability, warns who. World Health Organization. Retrieved February 24, 2022, from ,https://www.who.int/news/item/04-04-2002-physical-inactivity-a-leading-cause-of-disease-and-disability-warns-who#:~:text=According%20to%20WHO%2C%2060%20to,health%20problems%20of%20our%20time.

7 reasons to move every day. Sun Health Wellness. (n.d.). Retrieved February 20, 2022, from ,https://www.sunhealthwellness.org/articles/7-reasons-to-move-every-day