Health Risks of an Inactive Lifestyle

What is an inactive lifestyle?

Being a couch potato. Not exercising. A sedentary or inactive lifestyle. These all mean the same thing: a lifestyle with a lot of sitting and lying down, with very little or no exercise.

People are spending more time doing sedentary activities. During our leisure time, we are often sitting while using a computer or other device, watching TV, or playing video games. Many of our jobs have become more sedentary, with long days sitting at a desk or while commuting. And the way most of us get around involves sitting - in cars, on buses, and on trains.

How does an inactive lifestyle affect your body?

When you have an inactive lifestyle:

• You burn fewer calories. This makes you more likely to gain weight
• You may lose muscle strength and endurance, because you are not using your muscles as much
• Your bones may get weaker and lose some mineral content
• Your metabolism may be affected, and your body may have more trouble breaking down fats and sugars
• Your immune system may not work as well
• You may have poorer blood circulation
• Your body may have more inflammation
• You may develop a hormonal imbalance

What are the health risks of an inactive lifestyle?

Having an inactive lifestyle can increase your risk of developing chronic (long-term) diseases. This is sometimes referred to as "sitting disease". By not getting regular exercise, you raise your risk of:

• Obesity
• Heart diseases, including coronary artery disease and heart attack
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Stroke
• Metabolic syndrome
• Type 2 diabetes
• Certain cancers, including colon, breast, and uterine cancers
• Osteoporosis and falls
• Increased feelings of depression and anxiety

Having a sedentary lifestyle can also raise your risk of premature death. And the more sedentary you are, the higher your health risks are.

How can I get started with exercise?

If you have been inactive, you may need to start slowly. Your health care provider can help you choose the best type or amount of activity for you based on your fitness level and health. You can keep adding more exercise gradually. The more you can do, the better. But try not to feel overwhelmed and do what you can. Getting some exercise is always better than getting none. Eventually, your goal can be to get the recommended amount of exercise for your age and health.

There are many ways to get exercise; it is important to find the types that are best for you. You can also try to add activity to your life in smaller ways, such as at home and at work.

How can I be more active around the house?

There are some ways you can be active around your house:

• Housework, gardening, and yard work are all physical work. To increase the intensity, you could try doing them at a more vigorous pace.
• Keep moving while you watch TV. Lift hand weights, do some gentle yoga stretches, or pedal an exercise bike.
• Work out at home with a workout video (on your TV or on the internet).
• Go for a walk in your neighborhood. It can be more fun if you walk your dog, walk your kids to school, or walk with a friend.
• Stand up when talking on the phone.
• Get some exercise equipment for your home. Treadmills and elliptical trainers are great, but not everyone has the money or space for one. Less expensive equipment such as yoga balls, exercise mats, stretch bands, and hand weights can help you get a workout at home too.

How can I be more active at work?

Most of us sit when we are working, often in front of a computer. It can be challenging to fit physical activity into your busy workday, but here are some tips to help you get moving:

• Get up from your chair and move around at least once an hour
• Park at the back of the parking lot
• Stand when you are talking on the phone or during a video conference
• Find out whether your company can get you a stand-up or treadmill desk
• Take the stairs instead of the elevator
• Use your break or part of your lunchtime to walk around the building
• Stand up and walk to a colleague's office instead of sending an email
• Have "walking" or standing meetings with co-workers instead of sitting in a conference room

The good news is that it's never too late to change your exercise habits. You can start slowly and find ways to fit more physical activity into your life. Regular exercise has many benefits and may help prevent or control many diseases.

Impaired Driving

Impaired driving is dangerous. It's the cause of more than half of all car crashes. It means operating a motor vehicle while you are affected by:

• Alcohol
• Legal or illegal drugs
• Sleepiness
• Distractions, such as using a cell phone or texting
• Having a medical condition which affects your driving

For your safety and the safety of others, do not drive while impaired. Have someone else drive you or take public transportation when you cannot drive. If you need to take a call or send a text message, pull over.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Memory

Every day, you have different experiences and you learn new things. Your brain cannot store all of that information, so it has to decide what is worth remembering. Memory is the process of storing and then remembering this information. There are different types of memory. Short-term memory stores information for a few seconds or minutes. Long-term memory stores it for a longer period of time.

Memory doesn't always work perfectly. As you grow older, it may take longer to remember things.

It's normal to forget things once in a while. We've all forgotten a name, where we put our keys, or if we locked the front door. If you are an older adult who forgets things more often than others your age, you may have mild cognitive impairment. Forgetting how to use your phone or find your way home may be signs of a more serious problem, such as:

• Alzheimer's disease
• Other types of dementia
• Stroke
• Depression
• Head injuries
• Blood clots or tumors in the brain
• Kidney, liver, or thyroid problems
• Reactions to certain medicines

If you're worried about your forgetfulness, see your health care provider.

NIH: National Institute on Aging

Mild Cognitive Impairment

Some forgetfulness can be a normal part of aging. However, some people have more memory problems than other people their age. This condition is called mild cognitive impairment, or MCI. People with MCI can take care of themselves and do their normal activities.

MCI memory problems may include:

• Losing things often
• Forgetting to go to events and appointments
• Having more trouble coming up with words than other people of the same age

Memory problems can also have other causes, including certain medicines and diseases that affect the blood vessels that supply the brain. Some of the problems brought on by these conditions can be managed or reversed.

Your health care provider can do thinking, memory, and language tests to see if you have MCI. You may also need to see a specialist for more tests. Because MCI may be an early sign of Alzheimer's disease, it's really important to see your health care provider every 6 to 12 months.

At this time, there is no proven drug treatment for MCI. Your health care provider can check to see if you have any changes in your memory or thinking skills over time.

NIH: National Institute on Aging

Neurologic Diseases

The brain, spinal cord, and nerves make up the nervous system. Together they control all the workings of the body. When something goes wrong with a part of your nervous system, you can have trouble moving, speaking, swallowing, breathing, or learning. You can also have problems with your memory, senses, or mood.

There are more than 600 neurologic diseases. Major types include:

• Diseases caused by faulty genes, such as Huntington's disease and muscular dystrophy
• Problems with the way the nervous system develops, such as spina bifida
• Degenerative diseases, where nerve cells are damaged or die, such as Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease
• Diseases of the blood vessels that supply the brain, such as stroke
• Injuries to the spinal cord and brain
• Seizure disorders, such as epilepsy
• Cancer, such as brain tumors
• infections, such as meningitis