[ad_1]
Little or no exercise increases the risk of contracting noncommunicable diseases such as depression and dementia, according to the study’s analysis of data from 168 countries. The study published Monday in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
Physical inactivity is defined as not “doing at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity, or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity per week, or any equivalent combination of the two,” according to the report.
If you don’t get enough exercise, your chances of getting hypertension could increase by 1.6% and dementia could increase by 8.1%, according to the researchers.
The study also took note of each county’s income levels (ranked as low, medium, or high) and found that as income increases, so does physical inactivity.
This could be attributed to the increase in equipment that people have access to, said study author Peter Katzmarzyk, professor and associate executive director for population and public health sciences at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge.
“Access to vehicles is increasing, active transportation is decreasing, and access and use of devices is increasing,” Katzmarzyk said.
Governments need to invest in infrastructure, she said, such as walking and cycling areas as well as open public spaces for people to enjoy the outdoors.
Ways to increase your activity level
Staying active is important for your body to continue to function at its optimum capacity, said Dana Santas, CNN fitness contributor. She compared long periods of physical inactivity to a car idling for months and then unable to start.
“Just like this car, your body needs maintenance, which includes regularly revving your engine,” said Santas, professional sports mobility trainer and best-selling author.
It’s also a good idea to try and stay active throughout the day, said Stephanie Mansour, CNN fitness contributor, who is the host of “Step It Up With Steph” on PBS. She suggested setting alarms on your phone every hour, or three times a day to start, to remind you to get up and stretch.
While brushing your teeth or waiting for the water to boil on the stove, Mansour said you can easily exercise by doing 10 squats. A morning and night stretching routine can also help people increase their activity levels, she said.
“Being active and doing things like standing, stretching, walking, strengthening and using our muscles, and pumping our heart through cardio exercises, all of these help our bodies to function optimally,” Mansour said.
[ad_2]
Source link