Physical inactivity and a sedentary lifestyle can be so harmful to one’s health, and this is especially the case as you get older. Think of the situation how people get to a point where all the energy and activity they had when they were younger, becomes replaced with a career and a family as their major priorities and responsibilities.
As a result, they just don’t seem to have the time [or at least won’t make the time] or feel like also exercising and maintaining good physical fitness.
And then this lack of physical fitness is also couple with a decrease in nutritional health coming from all the processed and junk food that is eaten, while trying to keep up with all of the demands of their every busy life.
The eventual result is an increase in major health problems – the longer you remain physically inactive, the greater the risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, and even different cancers.
This is consistent with many studies that continually show what physical inactivity as you age and prolonged sitting do to your health, and why it is said that physical inactivity is a medical condition.
A study done by the Pennington Biomedical Research Center further reported the health risks from continually sitting being more heart attacks, and that was even the case of people who were otherwise physically active.
And Bill Kohl, who is a professor of epidemiology and kinesiology at the University of Texas, had the following to say:
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“There are few things that physical activity doesn’t help in terms of health.”
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“It is remarkable for preventing falls and therefore risks of broken hips.”
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“Continued inactivity into the 60s and 70s results in balance insufficiencies and lack of strength. Daily living becomes much harder.”
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“We’ve learned even the oldest of the old can increase their muscle mass. Even at 90.”
After Many Years Of Inactivity It Is Harder To Get Started Again
It is never too late to start exercising and adding physical fitness to your lifestyle – but it sure is a lot harder the longer you wait, and all of the excuses and habits for inactivity become your way of life.
You can read a really good story about a women who became 70 pounds overweight: “Exercise was never a priority. I worked so hard at my job. By the time I got home there was feeding the family and housework. Working out was never on my mind.”
But then she did finally get started with an exercise and physical fitness program and lost 70 pounds – she said that once exercising it was also easier to have increased nutritional health. And not only did she accomplish all of these lifestyle improvements, her husband then got started too and lost 30 pounds, while here daughter then lost more than 50 pounds.
About Barry Lutz
