Sedentary lifestyle: Here are some dangers attached

Event of sedentary lifestyle is becoming a significant public health issue. Sedentary lifestyles look like to be increasingly widespread in Nigeria despite being linked to a range of chronic health conditions.

The combination of the physical and mental impact to health makes a sedentary lifestyle particularly problematic.

Sedentary time is defined as time spent in any waking activity done while sitting, including working, eating, watching TV or time on a computer.

Experts say that high levels of sedentary time – more than seven hours a day – increases the risk of an early death, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers, even if people are physically active at other times of the day

Nigeria with a large and increasing middle-aged office workers have increased risk from sedentary lifestyle.

Sitting for long hours is a sedentary lifestyle, it will not only affect your healthy living but can cause pain in your back, shoulders, hips, neck and  also office back “Getting up and moving during the day will help prevent pain in your back and in your joints.

According to the government’s 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, adults should be getting at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week.

However, dangers of a sedentary lifestyle can contribute to obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, some types of cancer and early death.

Oladoyin Odubanjo chair, Association of Public Health Physicians of Nigeria (APHPN), Lagos Chapter said, it is essential to reduce the amount of time spent being sedentary in addition to doing more exercise.

“A more active lifestyle can significantly reduce the chances of chronic health conditions, mental health disorders, and premature death.

“We have to be very careful with our living condition, many people are exposed to sedentary lifestyle and the government needs to improve in assisting the masses from the prolong stay in traffic events,” said Odubanjo.

A 2018 study of 1,237,194 people found that those who exercised reported fewer mental health problems than those who did not.

It is best to combine a variety of cardiovascular exercises, such as running or cycling, with strength-training exercises, which can include weight training or body-weight exercises.

Going for at least three 30-minute runs and doing two 30-minute sessions of strength-training exercises per week would be sufficient to meet the minimum physical activity guidelines.

ANTHONIA OBOKOH