Move, now

Move, Now

Recently there was a well written article in the Canadian Medical Journal which I thought I would summarize. Beyond formal exercise, it emphasizes the importance for all of us to be much more conscientious about simply ‘moving more'. Are you sitting comfortably? Great. I hope that after you have read this article you'll be moving more, even if you are only fidgeting! I hope you'll also think and talk differently about physical activity.
A study published by the Canadian Medical Association journal highlights the correlation between owning modern conveniences and increased rates of diabetes and overweight in low and middle income countries. It seems that expanding global consumerism brings not only benefits such as cars, televisions and computers, but also their unfortunate side effects.
Increasing evidence shows that through the use of modern conveniences, we have dramatically reduced our time spent moving. Now, when we travel, we sit. We sit when we play and we sit when we relax. Our electronic devices allow us to watch movies, see friends and shop without ever leaving the sofa. Many office workers (who make up an ever increasing proportion of the workforce) sit for much of their working day. Add a car commute and a couple of hours in front of a television or personal computer, and many of us are sedentary for well over eight hours a day – even on days when we make the effort to exercise.
A growing body of evidence suggests that too much time spent sitting can lead to ill health and be a risk factor for early death.
But let's not wait for proof from a trial to tell us that movement saves lives. Let's start a loud conversation now about too much sitting and what we need to do about it. Being sedentary for most of our waking hours has become a default setting for many of us. We need to reshape work places so that we don't have to spend all day sitting to get our work done. It will take creative initiatives to solve the problem of sitting while we commute for an hour or more per day. We need to do a lot more than shake our heads at modern children who can't grasp the idea that their legs are made for walking.
The International Society for Physical Activity and Heath's ‘Seen Investments that Work for Physical Activity' focuses on environmental and community approaches that will mobilize large numbers of people. We need to sell these ideas as aggressively as we market televisions and computers.
Keep moving, any kind of movement. Don't ever give up trying. You can do it!
Dr. Doug

Adapted from an article by Kristen Patrick for the March issue of the CMAJ.