Do you lead a life where you hardly indulge in any physical activity? If this is so, then you are not alone. There are millions of people around the world that lead a sedentary lifestyle. Little do these people realize the repercussions of leading such a lifestyle. Today’s world is all about sitting in front of the computer or television. No longer is playing games, walking or cycling a part of a person’s daily life.
When a person just sits down and does not get involved in physical activities, his or her muscles are not being used. As a result there is poor circulation of blood in the body which, in turn, can cause a whole lot of health problems.
Some of the main health issues caused by sedentary lifestyle are obesity, heart diseases, muscle atrophy, diabetes, osteoporosis, and sleep apnea. Many health experts claim that the main reason for leading a sedentary life is laziness. A person will come up with number of excuses not to do any kind of physical exercise. He or she will claim to be tired, fatigued and drained out after spending 9 hours sitting in front of a computer at office. Little does this person realize that if he or she does some form of physical exercise, they will feel rejuvenated and energized.
One of the main effects of a sedentary lifestyle is obesity. Today, even children are battling obesity. Obesity is caused due to poor eating habits and not getting into any kind of physical activity. When a person consumes more calories than the body requires, the excess calories are stored as fat in the body. Obesity is a risk factor for several diseases, including heart disease, cancer, hypertension, strokes, diabetes, and arthrosclerosis.
The other effect of sedentary lifestyle is increasing the risk of getting heart diseases. When a person is inactive, the circulation of the blood is slow and this leads to the blood vessels getting stiff and blocked. It can lead to serious heart diseases, especially as the person gets older.
Therefore, having an active and healthy lifestyle that combines proper diet and physical activity can alleviate the risk of certain illnesses and diseases. Even simple exercises like walking or gardening can go a long way.