Q21. Explain sedentary lifestyle and give reasons. Why it is harmful for one's health and well-being ?
Answers
Answer:
A sedentary lifestyle is a bad habit. You don’t have to be a great athlete or an every day exerciser or runner to break free from a sedentary lifestyle. Here are some of the harmful effects of a sedentary lifestyle:
The Obvious Health Risks. Being sedentary is the opposite of being active. What happens with inactivity? Weight gain. Weight brings it’s own nasty problems, so a sedentary lifestyle has obvious health risks like obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. The more weight you gain the harder your heart has to work. Your heart is a muscle, and the less it is worked, the weaker it becomes.
Loss of Flexibility. Blood doesn’t flow as freely through tight, bound muscles. Inflammation and pain rear their ugly heads as flexibility is lost. The more sitting you do, the more your hip flexors and low back become particularly tight. Your abs and glutes also become weaker.
Lower Metabolism. A sedentary lifestyle means fewer calories burned. A lot of your body’s ability to break down fat simply shuts down.
Osteoporosis. Here’s a not-so-obvious health risk. Your body and muscles are made to move. Your bones are made to bear the weight of movement to stay strong. A sedentary lifestyle or too sitting and inactivity can lead to osteoporosis.
Increased Chances of Dementia, Depression, and Anxiety. The mind is more linked to the lack of moving than most realize, especially in the elderly. But you don’t have to become elderly before you feel the negative harmful effects of a sedentary lifestyle on the mind.
So what can you do? Nobody can keep moving all day long, and you have to work. Unless you work in an environment that keeps you active, this will be tough. This is where you have a choice. Choose to form good habits:
1. Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
2. Stand as often as you can at work.
3. Park further away from the door at work.
4. Walk the halls while on phone calls.
5. Exercise and stretch daily.
However you choose to get moving, just get moving. Avoid the harmful effects of a sedentary lifestyle and take control of your health and mind!