1 in 4 adults do not exercise enough physical activity: how does this affect the body

Sometimes they are reluctance and laziness, sometimes injury. There are cases in which it is simply a lifestyle change. Technological progress also has an influence, as it requires less and less effort and movement in daily and professional tasks. In short, each of these reasons causes the physical activity stay relegated from the daily agenda and reserved only for those who have the time and availability to access a training center.

The sample is included in the latest large-scale survey conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO), in which the body warns that 28% of the population (1.4 billion people) are physically inactive. This research, published in the magazine The Lancet Global Healthit included 168 countries comparing statistics from the beginning of the 21st century to those of 2016, corresponding to 358 surveys, with 1.9 million participants.

The data is worrisome because of the impact that it entails. Physical inactivity is the fourth risk factor in terms of overall mortality (6% of registered deaths) and is considered to be the main cause of 21% and 25% of the bad and colon cancers, the 27% cases of diabetes and about 30% of the charge of ischemic heart disease.

The consequences they are evident from the day that physical exercise is abandoned. In these cases, they are notorious in the physical form, muscle mbad and performance of the individual. In the week following the end of the practice, the oxygen uptake capacity (which generates energy for the muscles) is reduced by 5% and by about 12% when the period of inactivity extends between two and three weeks, as the case may be. National Institute of Health.

Of course, inactivity has a direct impact on performance: if before running 5 km it took about 20 minutes, after several weeks without training, the same course will take several minutes. After a month, it is estimated that it will take about three more minutes to complete the visit.

In this context too, the muscle cells will be smaller, while the fat cells will grow bigger and can generate a feeling of swelling. Thus, the risks of hypertension, cardiovascular disease and obesity increase, among others.

In the experts' manuals, Physical activity is any body movement produced by skeletal muscles that requires an expenditure of energy.. Unlike exercise, these activities involve body movements and are performed as part of play, work, active transportation, domestic chores and leisure activities.

According to WHO, physical activity is an accepted practice and has long been regarded as a valuable therapeutic resource in the treatment of obesity. In this sense, it reduces weight, improves aerobic capacity, resistance to leptin, contributes to the increase in energy expenditure, the ability to oxidize and the use of fat. It also promotes control of food intake with consequent decrease in caloric intake, pecking and intake of fat.

But it also provides psychic benefits by increasing self-esteem and body image. And this reduces blood pressure and insulin levels. So much so that a recent survey by the American Cancer Society demonstrated the positive impact of the body on replace 30 minutes of sitting by exercise.

Suggested quantity according to age

WHO guidelines indicate that children and adolescents from 5 to 17 years old must perform at least 60 minutes of moderate or intense physical activity daily, with variants that strengthen muscles and bones, at least three times a week. There are guides to know how to train depending on the age and when to start the gymnasium.

Enter adults aged 18 to 64they are recommended 150 minutes per week of moderate practice, or 75 minutes of intense. In this age group, muscle building goes from two to several days a week.

"The recommended exercise was once a high intensity activity, but it is now proven that physical exercise does not have to be as intense as light diets and moderate have equal or greater impact, as well as greater long-term adherence, "he said. Liliana Grimberg, coordinator of the nutrition zone in the center of Ravenna.

Finally, for over 65, as well the same values ​​are recommended, with sessions of at least 10 minutes. People with mobility problems should exercise to improve their balance and avoid falls at least three days a week.

A check before you start

Carlos Reguera, cardiologist and head of the preventive medicine sector of the Buenos Aires Institute of Neuroscience, emphasized the importance of cardiology consultation which includes patient badessment, interview and physical examination.

"There is take into account family history heart disease and sudden death, personal cardiac history and exercise-related symptoms, especially syncope, chest pain and palpitations. Physical examination includes measurement of blood pressure, pulse palpation and dynamic auscultationamong others, "explained the specialist.

After this consultation, the studies are vital. The electrocardiogram and stress test are fundamental and first-rate studies which involves subjecting the patient to an effort to evaluate the cardiovascular response. "In case of discovery of doubtful or pathological results, it will be possible to move forward with additional studies such as echocardiography, Holter resonance or cardiac resonance, to name a few, "rounded Reguera.