Sedentary lifestyle is a medical term used to denote a type of lifestyle with a lack of physical exercise. It is commonly found in both the developed and developing world and characterized by sitting, reading, watching television and computer use for much of the day with little or no vigorous physical exercise. It is known to contribute to obesity[citation needed] and cardiovascular disease.
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Effects
A lack of physical exercise is one of the leading causes of preventable death worldwide.[1]
One response that has been adopted by many organizations concerned with health and environment is the promotion of Active travel, which seeks to promote walking and cycling as safe and attractive alternatives to motorized transport. Given that many journeys are for relatively short distances, there is considerable scope to replace car use with walking or cycling, though in many settings this may require some infrastructure modification.
History
It is characterized by sitting or remaining inactive for most of the day with little or no exercise. It is believed to be a factor in obesity, and, as such, may contribute to other diseases, such as type II diabetes, heart disease, depression and even hemorrhoids.
Lack of exercise causes muscle atrophy, i.e. shrinking and weakening of the muscles and accordingly increases susceptibility to physical injury. Additionally, Physical fitness is correlated with immune system function[citation needed]; a reduction in physical fitness is generally accompanied by a weakening of the immune system.
Despite the well-known benefits of physical activity, many adults and many children lead a relatively sedentary lifestyle[citation needed] and are not active enough to achieve these health benefits. A sedentary lifestyle is defined as engaging in no leisure-time physical activity (exercises, sports, physically active hobbies) in a 5-week period.[citation needed]
Data from the US American National Health Interview Survey shows that in 1997-98 nearly four in 10 (38.3 percent) adults reported no participation in leisure-time physical activity.[citation needed] This study does not include any measure of physical activity that is performed as a job related duty so does not encompass the full range of possible exercise that adults may be getting.
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References
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