The Oneness Zone

Exercise and Well Being

By: Judith A. DeCava, C.C.N., L.N.C.

Many Americans basically or totally neglect physical activity, though most know that exercise is good for their health and that they "should" be doing something. About 60% of U.S. adults are essentially inactive or under-active. One in four do not exercise at all. Only 15% exercise vigorously three times a week for at least 20 minutes, and just 22% participate regularly in physical activity at any level for at least 30 minutes a day, five days a week. Overall, the statistics point to an increasingly sedentary nation.

One reason for the low prevalence of physical activity is that it has been virtually "engineered out of peoples lives." Elevators are more convenient than stairways. People drive their cars everywhere; there are drive-through restaurants, banks, even liquor stores. Television, computers, the Internet, sedentary jobs, long commutes from the suburbs, increased time stress: all are conducive to inactivity. Society today virtually compels people not to move. With "too much to do", mechanized ways of performing chores are common, from sit-down lawn mowers to electric can openers. When life speeds up, exercise is the first thing to go. The average person burns 800 fewer calories a day than he/she would have 20 years ago.

Exercise is ‘boring,’ takes time that can’t be spared, involves work and commitment. "I’m too fat", or "too flabby", or "too embarrassed". It might make one’s back or knees or feet or arms or head hurt. It is a dirty word. The Centers for Disease Control and American College of Sports Medicine try to make exercise as palatable as possible: Just 30 minutes a day of moderate-intensity physical activity on most, preferably all, days of the week would provide the minimum level of exercise needed.

The dangers of a sedentary life are becoming alarmingly clear. A staggering 250,000 deaths a year are attributed to physical inactivity. Death may be a potent persuader, but there are numerous other reasons to begin a more active lifestyle that relate to health and enjoyment. Studies show that people who become active increase their chances of staying healthy for a lifetime. As they age, they are less likely to face a decline into illness and frailty. "Now the evidence is overwhelming that exercise and a long, healthy life go hand in hand." WHO Assistant Director-General, Dr. N.P. Napalkov, states there is strong evidence that "regular physical activity provides peoples of all ages…with substantial health gains [that are] physical, mental, and social and contribute significantly to increased quality of life."

posted by fusionlin @ 7:40 PM