A Sedentary Lifestyle – Do You Need To Go To The Gym?

According to several studies of physical inactivity, 36.8% of the population lead a sedentary lifestyle and do not move enough. The worst thing about it, though, is that this number continues to rise: the  population continues to live a life that is neither healthy nor active.

On the other hand, it seems that gyms are now the most common form of physical exercise in several countries, according to a recent report on the health and fitness market.

According to the study, however, the gym is not a good solution to get people to live more active lives. This is because despite the theoretical benefits, it is not motivating enough and people usually do not stick to the training program. It is also not enough to take in fitness to combat a sedentary lifestyle:

Should I go to the gym?

In terms of health, it  seems that it is not as healthy for you as you might think to take in fitness because it does not deter you from sitting down for extended periods of time. This activity will also not cover your needs for physical activity because most people do not follow the program.

This lack of perseverance may be due to the fact that it takes personal time to get into fitness and because it is often boring and challenging, especially if one is not already in good shape.

Several studies actually point out that the  majority of people who start an exercise program and stop doing it again do so because they do not have enough time for it, because it is not fun or is too difficult.

A sedentary lifestyle: How to be physically active

As we mentioned above, physical inactivity is a problem in all western countries and it seems that gyms do not offer a solution. To avoid problems from physical inactivity, we need to:

• Follow the recommendations for daily physical activity.
• Do not try to sit down for extended periods.

The World Health Organization recommends a minimum of 20 minutes of moderate physical activity per day (150 minutes per week). However, most studies indicate that the risk of cardiovascular disease decreased significantly when activity exceeded 7,500 steps per day. This is  about 1 hour and 15 minutes of movement. 

Overall, the more active you are, the healthier you can be (without overdoing it, of course!). As a minimum, it is important to reach at least the 150 minutes per week recommended by the World Health Organization.

Here are a few tips to help you do just that:

• Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
• Cycle or walk to and from work.
• Follow your children to school and pick them up again on the go.
• Shop locally. To increase physical activity, one can shop a little at a time and shop more often. If this is not possible due to your daily consumption, then you can at least go to the supermarket and shop the small things and see if you can get the bigger things delivered home.
• Try to avoid vehicles on all trips that will take less than 20 minutes. Instead, one should walk or bike.
• Choose  public transport.
• Do the work yourself at home, such as cleaning.
• End your day with a short walk. This contributes to both your physical health and your psychological well-being.
• Find a fun activity that you can take part in that will get you moving.

Several strategies to prevent a sedentary lifestyle

In addition to all of the above, it is important to implement certain strategies in one’s workplace. This is because you spend a lot of time there and it is part of your sedentary lifestyle. Lack of activity in the workplace makes it difficult to follow the recommendations for physical activity.

Include physical activity in your daily routine:

• Try to schedule meetings far away if you can. They should not all take place in the room next to your office.
• Introduce “standing meetings” in your workplace. If there are less than 3-4 people, you can even have the meeting while going for a walk!
• If you need to talk to someone, go to their desk and limit how much you use your phone.

• Identify the activities that you need to perform in addition to your job that do not have a fixed schedule. Then distribute them throughout the day. Ideally,  you should have a reason to get up from your chair every hour.
• If you exercise every time you can, try to do it when you know you want to be less active.
• As a last resort,  if you can not concentrate, then a walk of 5 minutes goes. It will help activate you and you will be able to regain your intellectual activity and achieve more.

Keep in mind that following the recommendations for daily physical activity is not enough to avoid the risks associated with a sedentary lifestyle. One should also minimize the time one sits down.

So forget about the gym. That is not the best solution. The real solution lies in building an active lifestyle where physical activity is part of one’s daily routine.