A little over a month ago, the LA Times posted an article titled, Research shows sedentary behavior is a risk for disability. The article was written by Mary MacVean, and based on the a study published by the Journal of Physical Activity & Health. I believe this article is a true public service announcement, and should be read by everyone. It does a great job outlining the dangers of a sedentary lifestyle. And, I might be extrapolating the premise out too far, but I think MacVean does a tremendous job of starting the conversation about sedentary culture, and how our children are being raised, as well as what kind of far reaching implications that might have for the future of healthcare. I think each of us need to be candid with ourselves, our families, and our friends about the implications of having a sedentary lifestyle. This information concerns our young, our old, and everyone in between. Please take a moment to read the full article by following the link above.
Here are a couple stark points from the article:
- A sedentary lifestyle is associated with a variety of poor health outcomes, including increased incidence for diabetes, cardiovascular disease and mortality.
- People who replace even half an hour of sedentary time with 30 minutes of light activity can improve their health, researchers said.
- Even a large daily dose of moderate-vigorous activity may not be sufficient to offset the adverse effects of a sedentary lifestyle.