Why you should exercise your body

Physical inactivity is a severe and common health issue in both males and females, however, it is studied to be widespread among females. This means that females are more physically inactive than males. Females are also likely to develop a sedentary lifestyle with age. This is due to the need for more time for exercise and other demands and burdens that come with home keeping. But the narrative is changing gradually because we see more young females visiting the gym than before.

Physical activity is also known as exercising. Physical inactive people are not only those who are living sedentary lifestyles but also include those who are not doing sufficient exercise. According to WHO, for you to be considered physically active, you must attain an exercise threshold of 150 minutes (moderate) or 75 minutes (vigorous) weekly. Buy not everyone can meet up with these physical health requirements, as a result, physical inactivity is the fourth leading cause of death worldwide.

Physical inactivity is a health problem that is not restricted to a particular area or a particular country. The prevalence is estimated to increase from 17 % to 91 % in developing countries and from 4 % to 84 % in developed countries from 2005 to 2030 (Blair and Brodney 1999). Among the high-income countries, the Asian Pacific region has more than 35 % physically inactive populace, and more than 20 % of the central and eastern European populations are physically inactive. In the United state, physical inactivity account for more than 25 % of health issues prevalence (CDC 2022).

Physical activity is caused by several factors. Many societies are structured in such a way that most people do not need to be physically active to obtain their daily needs. The matter is made worst with the availability of everything ” with a click”. For instance, instead of people walking to the supermarkets to buy the things they need, they alternatively buy them online via Amazon and other online marketplaces. Also, instead of physically exercising by cooking healthy meals, they simply order foods online or by using such food applications as ”food hub”, ”just eat”, and so on, and accumulate fat in their body in addition to physical inactivity.

Many people also depend on automobiles to move from one place to another. Video games, remote working systems, and online classes during the COVID-19 pandemic, television watching, attention to social media all contribute to the widespread physical inactivity. In some countries, the unavailability of exercise centers and other resources may be mediating factors contributing to the prevalence of health issues.

Several non-communicable diseases and increased mortality rates are caused by physical inactivity. Physical inactivity also causes cardiovascular heart diseases (eg stroke and heart attack), cancer, high blood pressure, obesity, and type II diabetes (Abubakari and Bhopal 2008). The most studied impact is fat deposition in the body leading which can lead to a serious health condition called obesity. Physical inactivity is however not the only cause of obesity.

Not only does exercise keep the body young, but it also keeps the mind vital and promotes emotional well-being. The important thing is to start off slowly, find physical activities you enjoy, and do them regularly- Deepak Chopra

References

Abubakari, A.R. and Bhopal, R.S., 2008. A systematic review on the prevalence of diabetes, overweight/obesity, and physical inactivity in Ghanaians and Nigerians. Public health, 122(2), pp.173-182.

Blair, S.N. and Brodney, S., 1999. Effects of physical inactivity and obesity on morbidity and mortality: current evidence and research issues. Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 31 pp.S646-62.

Chronic Disease Fact Sheet: Physical Inactivity | CDC

Physical activity (who. int)