Why is Physical Activity Important
Are you finding it difficult to get up in the cold, frosty morning to go to the gym?
Have you been out of a good exercise routine for a little while and don’t know where to start again?
Finding it hard to motivate yourself to get moving?
The theme for our recent national podiatry conference was ‘Activate’ and focussed on physical activity on both a global scale and from a podiatry perspective.
I have to admit, I was surprised by some of the findings that were reported, so let’s talk facts about physical activity!
What Does Physical Activity Mean?
Physical activity is defined as any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that requires energy expenditure.
This differs from ‘exercise’, which is a subcategory of physical activity that is planned, structured, repetitive and aims to improve physical fitness.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) reports physical inactivity (insufficient physical activity) as the fourth leading cause of global mortality (6% of deaths worldwide).
This follows high blood pressure (13%), tobacco use (9%) and high blood glucose (6%).
Worldwide, 1 in 4 adults and 3 in 4 adolescents do not currently meet the global recommendations for physical activity.
Physical inactivity is one of the leading risk factors for non-communicable diseases, including cancer, heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.
Physical inactivity can increase the risk of these diseases by 20-30% and shortens lifespan by 3-5years.
The global cost of physical inactivity is estimated to be $54 billion per year in direct health costs, with an additional $14 billion attributable to loss of productivity.
Levels of physical inactivity are higher in those countries with more economic development, owing to the influence of changing patterns of transportation, use of technology, urbanization and cultural values.
Running is a great physical activity
What are the Benefits of Physical Activity?
Physical activity has many major health benefits in multiple areas including:
- Cardiovascular disease prevention and treatment
- Improving mental health
- Cancer prevention, particularly breast and colon cancer
- Injury prevention and rehabilitation
- Maintaining functional status and enabling healthy ageing
- Aid in a healthy pregnancy
- Obesity prevention
- Improving social health and participation
- As well as the many health benefits of physical activity, societies that are more physically active see more social and economic benefits including reduced use of fossil fuels, cleaner air, and less congested, safer roads.
What Activity Should I Be Doing?
Physical activity can be undertaken in many different ways including walking, running and cycling. It also includes sports and active forms of recreation (dance, yoga, tai chi).
Physical activity can be undertaken as part of work including lifting and carrying and as part of domestic duties including cleaning and care duties.
Not all forms of physical activity are vigorous, and all have health benefits if performed regularly and for long enough.
Incidental physical activity such as standing, climbing stairs and short walks can also be a great starting point to incrementally increasing activity levels in those with high levels of sedentary behaviours.
How Much Physical Activity Should I Be Doing?
The WHO has released a series of guidelines detailing how much physical activity is recommended, they are:
Children 5-17 years:
- At least 60 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity daily.
- Vigorous-intensity activities should be incorporated at least 3 times weekly and should include activities that strengthen bone and muscle.
- Physical activity for children includes play, games, sport, transportation, recreation, physical education at school and planned exercise.
Young children also benefit from doing physical activity
Adults 18-64 years:
- At least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity weekly.
- Additional health benefits are seen when increasing moderate-intensity physical activity up to 300 minutes per week.
- Muscle-strengthening activities involving major muscle groups should be done at least twice weekly.
- Physical activity for adults includes recreational or leisure-time physical activity (ie. pilates, yoga), transportation, occupational, household chores, play, games, sports and planned exercise.
Adults 65 and Over:
- At least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity weekly.
- Additional health benefits are seen when increasing moderate-intensity physical activity up to 300minutes per week.
- Muscle-strengthening activities involving major muscle groups should be done at least twice weekly.
- Adults of this age group with poor mobility should perform activity to enhance balance and prevent falls on at least three days of the week.
- Physical activity for older adults includes recreational or leisure-time physical activity, transportation, occupational, household chores, play, games, sports and planned exercise. With this in mind, remember that any form of physical activity is better than none!
With this in mind, remember that any form of physical activity is better than none!
What Changes Can I Make Right Now For a More Physically Active Lifestyle?
There are many small changes we can all make now to increase our physical activity, here are just a few:
- Take the stairs instead of the elevator
- Get off one bus stop early and walk the extra few blocks
- Walk down to the corner store to pick up milk rather than driving
- Get a group of friends together and catch up for a walk and talk together
- Step out of the office at lunchtime and go for a short walk
- Switch from a seated desk to a standing or interchangeable desk
These are just a few easy changes to make, but there are so many more we can all make to increase our activity levels!
How Can My Podiatrist Help Keep Me Active?
We see so many people come into the clinic with ‘sore this’ and ‘painful that’ following a sudden increase in their activity levels - this is where we can help!
Our podiatrists can give you advice on training regimes and set exercise programs to build up your activity levels in a slow, controlled and safe manner to reduce risk of injury.
We can also set strengthening and stretching programs to target any specific muscle groups that may be preventing you from reaching your full potential.
As Podiatrists, we also specialise in treating painful lower limb and foot problems that you may be having through an individualised management program that involves offloading, repairing and strengthening the damaged tissue.
What Should I Do Now?
I know I found this conference topic very interesting and hearing some of those statistics have really had me thinking about small changes I can make to increase my physical activity levels, and I challenge you to do the same!
If you’re ready to make some positive changes towards a more active lifestyle but are struggling due to foot, heel anle or leg pain, come see us at Complete Podiatry! We love helping to build amazing lives, from the feet up!
I'm so confident we can help you that I'd love to chat with you personally about helping you to be more active, it's what I'm passionate about!
Contact us on 8330 0004 or Book Online
Administrator
Complete Podiatry