Practicing regular physical activity is very important at any age. It is not for nothing that it is something that all health professionals recommend.
Increased physical fitness can prevent diseases such as heart problems, obesity, diabetes and cancer, in addition to improving mood and self-esteem and decreasing the chance of developing psychiatric disorders such as depression and anxiety.
Thus, the need to change the sedentary lifestyle is increasingly vital.
Next, we show the importance of regular physical activity and how it is related to improving physical and mental health.
Mental health
There are many emotions present in our daily lives: stress, anxiety, anguish, excessive worries, dissatisfactions, nervousness.
Knowing how to deal with all these feelings is fundamental to mental health.
After all, a mentally healthy person is able to face the challenges and changes of everyday life with balance, recognize what their limits are and seek help when necessary.
How to keep your mental health up to date
To maintain good mental health, you need to take good care of your body, that is, sleep well, eat properly and exercise regularly.
Physical activity: a great ally of mental health
The practice of physical activity, for example, provides a feeling of well-being and relaxation.
When we exercise, our body releases endorphins, a natural substance produced by the brain during and after physical activity. The release of endorphins – also known as the joy hormone – helps you relax, reduces stress and anxiety and improves mood.
Other care
- Stay in touch with nature
- Stay away from your cell phone
- In addition to body care, here are some tips for maintaining good mental health
- Set aside time for leisure and socializing with friends and family
- Spend time with the people who are essential to you
All of this helps to broaden our worldview, to be more firm in the face of life’s challenges, in addition to contributing to the maintenance of a good state of mental health.
Physical health
Physical health, in turn, involves the general condition of the body with regard to disease and physical vigor.
Thus, a physically healthy person has a good functioning of the organism and its vital functions.
To promote physical health, it is necessary to achieve and remain at an appropriate weight, reduce alcohol consumption, stop smoking and, of course, engage in some type of physical activity.
Consequences of sedentary lifestyle
Sedentary lifestyle is nothing more than the lack of sufficient physical activity to maintain health. Adopting a sedentary lifestyle brings many harms to physical and mental health.
It is estimated that approximately 5.3 million deaths are caused by physical inactivity per year worldwide, according to a diagnosis published in the medical journal Lancet.
In Brazil, according to a survey conducted by the Ministry of Sports, sedentary lifestyle reached 45.9% of Brazilians in 2013.
Entitled National Diagnosis of Sport, the research claimed that the problem is more common among women: 50.4% are sedentary.
The study also showed the percentage of sedentary people in other countries in the world.
Argentina had the highest rate: 68.3% of the population does not practice physical activities. In Portugal, the rate reaches 53%; in the United States, 40.5%; and in China, 31%.
The countries with the lowest percentage of sedentary people were India, England and France with 16%, 17% and 22%, respectively.
Get out of sedentary lifestyle: do 150 minutes of physical activity a week
To combat sedentary lifestyle, according to the WHO, World Health Organization, it is recommended that 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity be done per week. Therefore, 30 minutes of physical activity can be done on five or more days a week.
But be careful: sedentary people should start slowly, gradually increasing the intensity and duration of the exercises.
People who are not used to physical exercise may feel discouraged after starting some activity. So that this does not happen, choose a modality with which you have affinity, set possible goals to achieve and adapt the exercise schedules to your routine.
Now that you know the importance of leaving sedentary lifestyle, tell us: did you like our article? So, how about starting to practice physical activity today?