Those staying home must be sure to do this
It is well known that life begins with movement, and life is defined by movement.
With modernization, automation and mechanization technology has become part of human life. Every new day brings us a new technological invention, and these inventions enter our lives without restraint. The convenience these technological innovations bring to human life is undoubtedly beyond dispute, but we must also be aware that, just as things not used properly and that push us toward laziness make our lives easier, they also place limits on our physical activity. In other words, we should try, as much as possible, to keep doing the daily tasks that won't overly tire our bodies but will instead keep us physically fit.
While people living in the 19th century had a physical activity rate of 92% in their daily lives, today this rate has dropped to as low as 28%, particularly in developed Western countries. It is clearly evident that as civilization advances, people move less and less, and no longer even perform their natural bodily activities. A sedentary lifestyle has become a public health problem, both individually and for society as a whole.
Now let's try to explain the negative effects of inactivity on the human body...
IT HAS GIVEN RISE TO A NEW GROUP OF DISEASES
The human body completed its evolution amid the harsh conditions of the earliest ages. The people of those eras had to be strong in order to survive, fight wild animals, withstand difficult natural conditions, and find food. In that era, life was almost an endless battle for humans.
All these struggles, over time, helped strengthen the human anatomical structure and push physical endurance to its peak. All human muscles developed enormously. Stronger, faster, and more resilient, people were constantly in motion.
Now let's picture today's human being... Let's see how we have rendered ineffective and dysfunctional that powerful anatomical structure and resilience we inherited from centuries of human evolution!
Today, humans no longer need to move much to sustain their lives. This inactivity in people's daily lives has given rise to a new group of diseases.
This group of diseases is called "Hypokinetic Diseases" (diseases of insufficient movement). It's hard to believe, but these diseases are today among the leading causes of death. Cardiovascular diseases, resulting from insufficient movement and poor nutrition, are among the most notable diseases in this group.
THE RISK OF DISEASE IS INCREASING DAY BY DAY...
During the coronavirus period, all of us were confined to our homes and began living a sedentary (inactive) life. In these days confined to home life, all our movements were inevitably restricted. During this period, patients with heart and vascular disease, musculoskeletal problems, and chronic illness in particular were affected more by this inactivity.
In patients with chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, thyroid disorders, and high cholesterol, it is inevitable that these conditions will progress due to inactivity.
Studies have observed that prolonged inactivity increases the risk of anxiety, fibromyalgia, obesity, hemorrhoids, osteoporosis, deep vein thrombosis, aging, and cancer in individuals.
Recently, the risk of disease has been increasing day by day among people who have adopted a sedentary lifestyle.
It is precisely to combat this lack of movement, to improve people's quality of life, and to make it easier for people to physically perform their daily activities that the concept of "lifelong sport" was born.
This concept has been referred to by various names in different periods and different countries. Sometimes "sport for all", sometimes "sport for health", and sometimes "mass sport" and so on...
In my next article, I will address the topic of "the advantages of regular sport and physical activity."
Hüseyin Nazlıkul
Odatv.com
* If you would like more extensive information about physical activity and exercise, you can refer to my book "Discover Life."