Being physically inactive is terrible for one’s health. The major problem with living a sedentary lifestyle is many individuals fail to realize it affects much more than just their waistline and the number on a scale.
Those who live an inactive lifestyle but maintain a good metabolism might not think they need to be active. Those who don’t like to work out think they’ll just eat better and hope that helps. Others aren’t sure they have time. They don’t know they can work out and still feel good about what they are doing.
Being physically inactive often comes from a place of fear and complacency, as well as a feeling of being overwhelmed and the perceived inability to find time to get active.
Health Risks of Being Physically Inactive
It’s time for everyone to understand what they are doing to their body when they don’t live an active lifestyle.
1. Obesity
Being obese is the most common health issue associated with being inactive. If individuals don’t move their bodies, they run the risk of gaining weight, and when one gains weight, they don’t feel good about their body.
However, individuals might not realize they have some serious health problems to deal with, such as if they are unsure about what obesity is, they may not realize they suffer from it.
Being obese means there is a build-up of excess body fat under the skin and around the organs. It is important to note individuals don’t need to be excessively overweight to be considered obese. All it takes to receive this diagnosis is for a person to have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more.
If someone suffers from weight problems, they should speak to their doctor about getting active and fit. All it takes is an additional twenty-five pounds for someone to fall into the obese category.
2. High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure is a common health problem associated with being physically inactive, but the good news is it’s treatable. It’s essentially an issue in the arteries.
There is too much pressure in the arteries, which is the ‘highway’ that carries blood from the heart to the organs in the body that need it to work properly. It’s dangerous when blood pressure is high because it can increase an individual’s risk of heart disease and heart attack.
A person is more likely to feel overwhelmed and stressed, and their body is not in a good place if they live with high blood pressure.
Eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly can help everyone lower their blood pressure and live a healthier life.
3. High Cholesterol
If someone is inactive, they might have high cholesterol, which is a significant issue when the cholesterol in the body is low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, the bad type.
Everyone needs cholesterol to go through the cycle of building healthy cells, but it’s not good when there is too much LDL cholesterol and not enough high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (the good kind).
High cholesterol causes individuals to develop other health issues, and it’s something they can control before it gets out of hand. The best way to combat unhealthy cholesterol is by eating a healthy diet and working out.
Unfortunately, if high LDL cholesterol runs in the family, an individual might be more likely to suffer from it even if they do work out and eat well, in which case the best thing they can do is continue doing both of these things.
It’s how individuals combat this kind of health problem. It wreaks havoc on internal organs, and it’s one of the most dangerous health issues many are unaware they live with.
4. Heart Disease
Heart disease is caused by many issues, but inactivity is perhaps one of the biggest. If someone is not getting the recommended daily dose of exercise, they’re not doing their heart any favors.
Cardiovascular disease is dangerous, and it’s going to cause more problems than many imagine, such as a heart attack, stroke, and clogged arteries. To help prevent cardiovascular disease from becoming a health issue, individuals need to live an active lifestyle. This means getting at least 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise.
Anyone can do this by taking a walk, jogging, going to the gym, dancing, playing sports, or doing anything else they love to do that allows them to get the kind of exercise they need.
If someone has cardiovascular disease, they also increase their risk of developing diabetes, high blood pressure, and dying young.
5. Colon, Breast, And Uterine Cancer
Many individuals don’t know they can live longer and healthier if they are physically active, specifically because an active lifestyle can help minimize the risk of colon, breast, and uterine cancer.
The National Cancer Institute states women who are physically active on a regular basis are less likely to develop breast cancer during their lifetime. It’s especially important for women to get active when they’re done menopause, as this is often when women are the most at risk of developing cancer.
Colon cancer is another common form of cancer, but everyone can decrease their risk of being diagnosed if they work out. In fact, a person is twenty-four percent less likely to develop colon cancer if they are physically active. The same applies to uterine cancer.
An active lifestyle can also decrease a person’s risk of being diagnosed with other health problems that might lead to cancer. All they need is 150 minutes of moderate exercise every week, and they can break that down into just over twenty minutes per day for the best results.
Via: MedicalNewsToday | WebMD
