The evolution of technology has paved the way for convenience and work efficiency but unfortunately to many, it has also led to a culture of poor sedentary lifestyle behavior. In my several years of experience as a rehab professional, there is one common denominator I see among people with functional limitations or problems with mobility, and that is the lack of physical activity.
According to the World Health Organization, the proportion of the world's population over 60 years old will nearly double from 12% to 22% between 2015 and 2050. That is expected to total 2 billion. By this year, the number of people aged 60 years and older will outnumber children younger than 5 years.
Those statistics are very concerning if we don’t change our lifestyle behavior sooner than later. We will all be at some point headed down that road and who wants to live their retirement age going back and forth from the doctor’s office to the hospital ? I have seen many cases where people have invested so much for their future financially, worked so hard when they were younger in anticipation of a perfect retirement. However, when health is not prioritized, the outcome may not be as promising as perceived. Chronic illnesses can easily surface and become very limiting. About 1 in 2 adults live with a chronic disease. About half of this group have two or more. Only 1/2 of adults engage in physical activity to prevent chronic diseases. This quote from Dr. Ruth Petersen says a lot, “If you could package physical activity into a pill, it would be the most effective drug on the market.”
So my advice is to spend less time in sitting, Netflix can be broken down in time segments😊 The general recommended amount of physical activity is at least 150 min of moderate aerobic activity per week and muscle strengthening activity of at least 2 days per week. Everyone’s baseline is different and some may struggle to meet that recommendation but keep in mind that some physical activity is better than none! I encourage you to be physically active, move more and sit less! Let me know if you have any questions.
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