The Lancet recent a study says, India’s adult population is not physically active. Indian adults are not following the activity time recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) at all.
The World Health Organization recommends that young people should do at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate activity and 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous activity per week.
Physical activity decreases the chances of many chronic diseases in the body. It reduces the risk of weight gain, heart disease, diabetes, mental health issues, some types of cancer.
According to most doctors and studies, every person needs 20 to 30 minutes of exercise every day because it maintains the stability of your physical and mental health. According to WHO, 150 minutes of physical activity per week is necessary for a healthy life. That is, if someone does any kind of activity for 30 minutes per day, then by doing it for 5 days, it will be completed in the whole week.
“Physical inactivity is a silent threat to global health, contributing significantly to the burden of chronic diseases. This reflects a worrying trend of increasing physical inactivity among adults” Dr. Rudiger Krech, WHO’s Director of Health Promotion.
In 2023, an ICMR study found that about 101 million people in India are suffering from diabetes. Not only this, about 136 million are in the post-diabetes stage and 315 million are suffering from high blood pressure.
Regular activity makes your muscles and bones strong. It also reduces the chances of diseases like puncture and fracture.
“We as a nation need to create a healthy and fit India. By incorporating physical activities into our lifestyle, we are not only taking care of our health but also reducing the burden on the healthcare system.” This is what Dr. Amit Chaudhary, Senior Consultant, Orthopaedic Surgery, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram, says.
According to a Lancet study, about 1.8 billion people worldwide do not follow the recommended physical activities, and this figure is increasing every year.
Physical activity is not just physical, it also affects your mental health. If exercise is done for a particular time daily, then problems like stress, anxiety and depression can be eliminated.
According to Dr. Bhavesh Dedhia, regular activities not only prevent and manages non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, and mental disorders like stress or anxiety, but also enhance brain health.
When you exercise daily, the brain needs energy and glucose is used for it, due to which low blood sugar level is maintained. Due to this, the chances of getting type 2 diabetes are reduced to a great extent.
“For people at risk for diabetes, exercise is vital. It helps the body use insulin more effectively, lower blood sugar levels, and prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes. I always encourage my patients to find physical activities they enjoy and make them a regular part of their routine,” says Dr Michael Lee, consultant cardiologist and director of the Cardiac Catheterisation Laboratory.
According to some studies, physical activity increases the risk of some types of cancer, such as breast, colon and lung cancer.
Dr Dedhia says to start small, then gradually increase your physical activity and complete your weekly target.
“Rather than doing no activity at all, it’s better to start slowly and do more and more physical activity in small increments, then gradually increase it to reach your weekly goal.” He gave this advice.
Through physical activity, the world can move towards a healthier future. Staying physically fit can keep you and your loved ones healthy. Do activities as per WHO’s recommendations so that you can live a healthy life. Also Read: 5 Dangerous side effects of tattoo: here it is how avoid them
