Sedentary behavior – A long, slow, sick, slide to early death

Sedentary behavior – A long, slow, sick, slide to early death

Sedentary behavior–inactive lifestyle has great potential for creating a long, slow, sick, slide to early death.  Who wants that?

Spend time on the playground 

When I was a kid in grade school in the 1940s and early 50s I do not remember any fat kids; I do recollect one boy my age who was chubby as a child, he did however lose his baby fat and became muscular in the late 1950s. All through grade school each one of us spent time on the playground before school if we arrived early, had a midmorning recess break, then an hour for lunch (I lived four blocks about 400 yards) from my grade school. Because of PE, gym class, and the playground many of us knew what it meant to be “in shape “. An afternoon recess and then it was home and off with the school clothes and on with the play clothes. I have photos of me with the knees of my jeans completely gone huge holes. The part of my pants covering my ass – like brand-new. I guess that part was not used very much. I had a paper route and began delivering news  papers when I was eight years old. Began working like a man when I was 13. I have stood up most of my adult life; today I have a standup desk. Now soon to have my 73rd birthday I think about all the folks my age who had similar physical experiences to me growing up. How are folks age 69 to 76 fairing  today? How many are still alive? And of those alive what is their overall health? What are their health concerns? What medications do they take? What surgical procedures have they had to date? How is their balance, stability, and coordination and are they, we concerned about falling and being injured? If you want the exact numbers you can get them from the CDC, Council On Aging.

A sedentary lifestyle is death

A sedentary lifestyle is death, so keep moving.  Now let’s look at young folks, six years to 16. What kind of activities are they experiencing? How many of them are fat or obese? I fear a tiny percentage of them will ever know what it means to be in shape. So when their health begins to take a downturn early in years because of a sedentary lifestyle and a knowledgeable health professional recommends getting back in shape, their response will be “what do you mean back in shape?”. The consequences of what is being created here are beyond comprehension.

Warmly,

Stephen