Being sedentary is the problem of modern humanity, as is sugar and a global pandemic, but let us focus on things we can work on first, like being more active. Most people today live a very still lifestyle, using modern media and moving either to the next cafe, restaurant or cinema.
Well, that might work in the teens and 20s, but going forward, consequences start showing, particularly in terms of weight and for some people, even worse. A sedentary lifestyle often includes less sleep than ideal, staying up late and lots of screen time. Here is why the opposite, being active, is very important.
It is Tough to Get Moving After a While
It really is. The more you spend being inter, the more energy you will need to get moving. It is Newton’s first law and while it is used for objects, it also works for people, particularly in the case of having an active mentality.
Even the physical aspect becomes difficult, because you either weigh more or you are comparatively weak, meaning you will still be sore, despite being of average weight. Slide in a workout or two weekly and it will be much easier to make the transition to being more active than if you were not working out at all, or even walking.
The Legs and Hips Suffer a Lot
When you sit a lot, or rather not move as much as you should, your legs, hips and even the back suffer a lot. Your posture can get worse over time, you might start feeling pain in your joints, from the arms to the legs. Having your knees bent while you sit will leave you with consequences after a while. Even sitting for a long time, while keeping the most proper posture you can, will have negative effects.
To avoid those, one can simply get up every half an hour and stretch your hip flexors and do some face pulls or an exercise similar to that, to activate the muscles which pull the shoulders back. While it might appear okay to be sedentary when very young, once one gets to their 30s, a more active lifestyle is recommended.
It Promotes Happiness – Physical Activity Is Mentally Satisfying
When doing physical activities, and even more after we complete tasks we set our minds to, our bodies produce dopamine and serotonin, which give us a great feeling of satisfaction, much more than a notification on a social media site. When working on a long-term plan, whether fitness or simply, something that involves movement, the benefits are both biochemical in nature, and psychological. We all like achieving what we have strived for.
Plan your activities, whether hikes, simple walking, sports with friends or something individual like parkour or speed climbing, and the satisfaction of a job well done will follow, as will the health benefits.
Being active is very important in this day and age and now more than ever. Sedentary living next to a screen is not very healthy and being active can compensate for that.