Lack Of Physical Activity Essay

Influence of Physical Activity
Do people ever feel tired and sleepy at school, or at work? Have body aches that worsen with time? Have problems trying to fall sleep at night, feel sad, or depressed? Have any difficulty remembering things, or memorizing important information at school or work? Do people feel socially pressured, or have problems socializing with others? These are very important questions that people need to ask themselves in order to be aware of their well-being, but most importantly, they should ask themselves: are they living a sedentary or active life? Are they having enough physical activity and exercise to live a healthy life? As Plato states: “Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while

The best known result of lack of physical activity and exercise is overweight and obesity. According to James McKinney, studies have discovered that having an active life and exercising at least 150 minutes per week, alternatively, 15 minutes a day, not only can help avoid obesity, but also improve health reducing the chances of developing a chronic disease (McKinney. 132,133). He also states that, “High levels of physical activity and cardio respiratory fitness are associated with lower all-cause and cardiovascular mortality”. Furthermore, “more physical activity can reduce the development of chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, stroke and cancer.” (McKinney,134). In addition, having an active life can reduce the chances of getting cancer by 45% (McKinney,134), and also, reduces the symptoms of depression by 30%

As mentioned before, physical activity reduces depression symptoms. It can also delay, and in some cases avoid the presence of Alzheimer’s disease at an older age (McKinney, 135). Since 2007, the American Medical Association and the American College of Sports are trying to implement the Exercise is Medicine initiative to encourage healthcare providers to prescribe nature-based activities as a treatment for their patients with mental illness (Maier and Jette, 796). Maier and Jetter explain how this initiative can improve the mental health of people with mental illnesses by adding moderate physical activity such as hikes, horseback rides, or walks in the countryside to their daily routines (Maier and Jette ,796). They explain how different factors such as race, social status, sexual tendencies, etc. can add stress, as a consequence to develop mental problems (Maier and Jette, 796). Some people who have participated in this program have shown improvement in their mood, sleep and also in the way they interact with others (Maier and Jette,