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This article, written by Tarun Katapally of the University of Regina, was originally published in The Conversation and is republished here with permission:
Physical inactivity is the fourth leading risk factor for death in the world and has reached the status of a global pandemic – a definition that is usually badociated with infectious diseases such as influenza.
Even those of us who are physically active every day can be quite sedentary. Coaching every day, but spending the rest of the day sitting on a chair – this has become the norm in the modern world.
We know that even a moderate increase in physical activity is badociated with a reduction in the risk of physical illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and Parkinson's disease. We also know that exercise improves our mental health and our academic performance.
In addition to the significant risk of illness and death, physical inactivity represents a significant global economic burden, with cautious annual costs for health systems exceeding US $ 53.8 billion.
Despite this incriminating evidence against physical inactivity and despite investments in active living interventions, global levels of physical inactivity have changed little.
As a living researcher who uses technology to understand the physical inactivity of people and influence politics, this state of pbadivity makes me extremely impatient. It's time to fight the fires by rebadigning the same devices that make us more inactive – smartphones.
Mobilize smartphones
Before my colleagues and advocates of physical activity avoid this idea, I would like to clarify that I absolutely do not suggest that it takes more time on the screen.
First, the screen time can not be generalized because it accumulates in a multitude of devices with different motivations and effects.
Second, smartphones are ubiquitous devices, making them equity tools in the 21st century that allow billions of people around the world to access the screen.
Third, and probably more related to physical activity, smartphones are the only digital tools that we can almost all transport virtually everywhere, and that have the functions (GPS, accelerometers, camera, audio, video) to detect , share and mobilize data between consenting citizens. .
Nevertheless, we do not think of smartphones when we tackle the pandemic of physical inactivity. For me, the smartphone is the elephant in the room.
Understand what makes us move
Nothing indicates that we would be back at the time without these devices, so why not tap the smartphones held by citizens to solve one of the most urgent health problems of our lives?
Active citizenship is not limited to physically active populations. In fact, I am not interested in making active people more active (I am one of those people) and thus widen the gap between active and inactive people. I am interested in making active people more engaged and inactive people more active – using the same device that is currently a barrier to working life.
I am not sure that we can use the screen time to reduce the screen time, which we are trying to understand. But it is not radical to use a device that almost everyone has to understand what makes us move.
The SMART platform is one of these initiatives. We involve citizens via their smartphones to understand the amount of physical activity that they accumulate and how, why, where, when and with whom they are traveling.
S engaging with people is key
By taking pictures, recording audio and video recordings, among many other innovative approaches, the people we talk to help us create complex pathways not only to understand active lifestyles, but also to develop initiatives for cope with urgent health crises.
For example, through the SMART platform, we are running many projects such as SMART Indigenous Youth, which involves young people and indigenous educators from rural and remote areas via smartphones to understand how an active life based on the land. can improve mental health.
Smartphones belonging to young people and educators play an important role in remote participation in this project, which is essentially an integrated community intervention in school curricula.
Each reserve school participating in this community trial implements its own land-based active living intervention that is culturally sensitive and takes into account traditional knowledge, language, and community preferences. Land-based activities include plant identification, hunting, trapping and fishing, among other activities depending on the season. Essentially, educators and youth use their smart phones to provide their perspective as citizen citizens to help explain how the intervention changes the patterns of youth behavior.
Thus, the effective use of this device goes well beyond narrow discussions on the time spent in front of a screen or even on the active life. This device can give voice to people and promote active citizenship.
If you wish to launch a worldwide movement, please contact us at [email protected].
Tarun Katapally, Associate Professor, University of Regina
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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