Do We Move Enough?

Summary

• Definitions  
• Recommendations
• Why should you move ?
• Physical hyperactivity

Regular physical activity is essential for good health, regardless of age, weight or state of health. It helps maintain muscle mass, and contributes to good physical and mental health. On the contrary, insufficient physical activity and a sedentary behavior increase the risk of various pathologies such as cardiovascular diseases. In fact, a sedentary lifestyle is one of the main risk factors for mortality from non-communicable diseases. 

In this article, we’re taking a closer look at physical activity and sedentary lifestyles and their effects on health, along with tips on how to be more active.

Definitions  

• Physical activity: The WHO (World Health Organization) defines physical activity as any body movement produced by muscles that requires the consumption of energy. This includes all the movements we make during the day to get around, do housework or run errands…
• Sedentary lifestyle: Opposed to physical activity, it represents the time spent sitting or lying down (excluding sleep and meals) during which body movements are reduced to a minimum.
• Sports activities : Physical exercises, individual or collective, that follow a set of rules and can be practised with or without a structure (tennis, swimming, dance, soccer…).

Recommendations

WHO recommends for adults aged 18 to 64 :

• Atleast 2h30min to 5h of moderate -intensity activities per week or atleast or 1h25 to 2h30min of high intensity activities per week.
• Atleast 2 times per week moderate o high intensity muscle- building activities.
• LIMIT sedentary time with more physical activity of any kind.

Physical activity can be classified as light, moderate or high intensity, depending on the effects it has on the body: 

Why should you move?

Regular physical activity (see recommendations above) is good for everyone! It can even be integrated into the management of many chronic illnesses, as it contributes to better physical and mental health, which in turn can help improve symptoms; it can even be considered as a form of therapy.

Here are some benefits of regular physical activity:

It’s important to point out that a high level of physical inactivity induces the opposite risks. Being sufficiently physically active does not mean being less sedentary.

Studies have identified a direct relationship between sedentary behavior and the incidence of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers such as endometrial, colon and lung cancer. The risk of mortality increases in proportion to the time spent in a sedentary lifestyle.  Hence the importance of not only increasing physical activity, but also reducing sedentary time.

Excessive physical activity

• We speak of excessive physical activity when physical activity is practiced obsessively and excessively, and has an negatif impact on quality of life and daily activities.In this case, physical activity is no longer carried out with the aim of taking care of one’s health or enjoying oneself, but often with the aim of controlling one’s weight and/or modifying one’s figure. In such cases, physical activity is harmful to health.

• Excessive physical activity is problematic and can contribute to the onset or maintenance of eating disorders (ED). It is frequently observed in patients suffering from restrictive or bulimic eating disorders. This excessive activity is associated, for example, with a decrease in self-esteem and, on the contrary, with an increase in body preoccupation, food restriction, depression, anxiety, fatigue… 

Conclusion

• Increasing physical activity and reducing sedentary behaviors are recommended to keep the body in good health and reduce the risk of certain pathologies. However, physical activity should remain a pleasurable way of taking care of yourself and your health. If physical activity falls outside this context and becomes excessive, it becomes problematic, with serious consequences for health.