Why Everyday Physical Activity Is Important According To Harvard Research?
This post was last updated on July 5th, 2023
Researching about the important causes for rise in obesity across the world population, Harvard research has revealed that it is lack of physical activity even in kids, that is the major reason for the surging percentage of obese people. Obesity arises from calorie imbalance in the body, such as consuming more calories than required or burning less calories and the process of utilising the calories also depends upon age, genes and body size. In fact, one of the easiest ways to ensure optimum burning of calories is by modifying the amount of physical activity.
If you are physically active, then it can be easier for you to maintain or lose weight and can protect yourself from the risk of suffering heart diseases, diabetes, stroke, osteoporosis, arthritis, high blood pressure, etc. People today are following sedentary lifestyles, not only in developed countries but also in developing countries.
Sedentary lifestyle is generally related to inactive lifestyle as people have sitting jobs, commute using vehicles and have gadgets at home to help in household tasks. Harvard research has therefore stated that this decline in physical activity is the major determinant for the widely spread disorder that is expanding its reach at the light’s speed. The US department of Health & Human Services and other authorities at the World Health Organization suggest that adults must have at least two and half hours of physical activity apart from their daily routine in a week while children must get at least an hour’s physical activity on daily basis.
What Actually Is ‘Physical Activity’?
People seldom use the terms physical activity and exercise as synonyms but researchers use this terms in different contexts. Researchers define physical activity as any task where body movements burn calories, be it for work, play, following routine tasks or commuting. Exercise on the other hand, has been viewed as a subsection of physical activity that involves intentional, structured and repetitive movements that are aimed to be carried out for attaining physical fitness and wellness.
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The Harvard research revealed that as per studies the physical activity worldwide has drastically declined and the major reason for this sloping percentage of physical activity is due to technological advancements, economic growth and social changes. A survey was conducted to show this decline in major countries as given below:
1. United States
During the period 1950 to 2000, the percentage decline of Americans working in high activity occupations was measured at 8 percent only while the percentage of people working in low activity occupations catapulted from 23 percent to 41 percent. People commuting to work in cars rose from 67 percent to 88 percent during the period 1960 to 2000. Also, in 1969, around 40 percent of school students walked or rode their bikes to school, but in 2001 only 13 percent did this.
2. United Kingdom
In the last few decades, it has been noted the people in UK have become more dependent on appliances that require minimum physical effort and more and more people are purchasing second hand cars. The work structure has also become labour saving as dependence on technology has surged. It has also been recorded that in comparison to 1991-92, the percentage of men working in active jobs has declined by 4 percent till 2004.
3. China
Technological hub like China has also discovered a decline in physical activities. In the period of 1991-2006, physical activity of people has dropped by 35 percent in case of men and 46 percent in case of women. The physical activity of women managing household work witnessed a drastic fall of 66 percent. With car sales being on the rise, it is evident that the physically activity in commuting too has remarkably declined.
Owing to this lessened physical activity, people have unknowingly adopted the sedentary lifestyle by watching more television, using the computer, etc. Children too prefer to play games on smartphones and video games in comparison to games that require them to make physical movements.
Coming back to the topic of obesity, let us know how physical activity helps in preventing obesity:
- Physical activity is great for targeting the fat accumulation around the waist area and overall body fat and helps in slowing down the abdominal obesity.
- Physical activity not only helps in keeping your body active, but it also works in keeping your mind active. An active mind is free from depression and anxiety issues. It helps in improving the production of happy hormones in the body that keeps you motivated to work hard and enjoy the active feeling.
- Physical activity ensures proper burning of calories consumed so that the energy combustion and the energy required gets balanced and you can even lose weight by indulging in physical activities. Simple habits such as taking the stairs, walking for short distances, using less appliances at home, etc can improve your physical activity, making you highly active. However, care must be taken that you don’t think of compensating for the burnt calories by dumping in high calorie foodstuffs.
- Simple physical activities such as push ups, crunches, weight lifting, etc strengthens the muscles and builds muscle mass while improving the metabolism rate of the body and enabling you to burn calories. Maintaining and losing weight becomes easier when you indulge in strenuous activities.
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How Much Physical Activity Do You Need To Prevent Weight Gain?
Preventing weight gain is equivalent to preventing heart diseases, diabetes, high cholesterol issues among other lifestyle disorders. People find it hard to lose weight but physical activity during the early stages of weight gain can definitely prevent obesity. Following the sedentary lifestyle but including some extra physical activity is the only way to get rid of obesity. If you are bit overweight, then physical activity of two and half hours per week is not sufficient as per latest studies.
A Women’s Health Study noted the changes in weight of 34,000 middle age women for 13 years to see how much physical activity they require to maintain their weight within 5 pounds of their weight during the start of the study. After the study completion, the researchers found that middle age women require an hour of physical activity from moderate to vigorous intensity each day to maintain stable weight.
It has also been studied that slow walking for years did not help in maintaining weight. In fact, vigorous activities with steady rise in intensity helps in attaining healthy weight.
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How Much Physical Activity Do You Require To Lose Extra Pounds?
Though working out is the best way to attain weight loss but it has wonderful results when combined with proper nutritive food that is low in calories. As per a study, researchers randomly assigned 175 overweight and inactive adults into different groups as per the intensity of exercise. While all the volunteers were following their same diet for a period of six months, the results at the end of the stipulated period showed that those volunteers who performed high intensity exercise lost high proportion of abdominal fat as compared to volunteers who performed low and medium intensity workouts and lost negligible fat.
Since the sedentary or rather inactive lifestyle is taking a toll on our long term health, it is better to indulge in 30 minutes of physical activity daily in addition to our routine tasks. Make full use of your nearby parks, playgrounds, side walks or bike paths and if your work destination is nearby, try to go by walk sometimes when you don’t feel like working out. Such changes must be consistent in your life so that you don’t become prey to chronic diseases at an early age.
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Snehashree Bhat
A young writer who loves to pen words from creative perspective. Passionate internet surfer, a versatile homemaker and a person who finds pleasure in adopting healthier and positive changes in her persona. An enthusiastic feminist who wishes to make serious changes in the stereotypical thought process of the society via the voice of her words.
