With the world opening up more daily, we should take this opportunity to invest in ourselves physically. When I mention physically, I mean working on our health. As we already know, when COVID-19 became a severe global conflict, not only did our world go into complete shutdown; however, physical activity/exercise was crucially encouraged since it was shown to boost our immune systems, according to the Michigan Medicine University of Michigan. Sadly, not many people had access to conduct any physical activities. In other words, few people had access to equipment and sufficient spacing; however, on the other hand, others wished they possessed these qualities. Sadly, this discouraged people and had them stop chasing or pursuing their fitness goals, and eventually led to an unhealthy lifestyle.
The CDC clarifies that adults should obtain 150 minutes of physical activity weekly. Furthermore, the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans declare we should also engage in muscle-strengthening activities or exercise. While both are highly beneficial to the human body, combining them in our daily/weekly lives can manage and prevent type 2 diabetes, stroke, heart disease, and cancer. I am not stating that exercise and physical activity will completely isolate or remove you from these health conflicts; however, the chances of getting them are low since you are engaging in beneficial health activities. But what happens when we don't exercise or stop pursuing a healthy lifestyle?
Effects of Not Physically Pursuing a Healthy Lifestyle
When we live an inactive lifestyle, the chances of chronic diseases increase. In other words, obesity, heart diseases/heart attack or coronary artery disease, high blood cholesterol or pressure, increased feelings/emotion of stress and anxiety, and many more are highly able to affect those living a sedentary life. Obesity is one of the leading health deaths in the United States. According to the World Health Organization, a minimum of 2.8 million individuals globally die yearly due to being overweight or obese, and sadly, it is predicted that the numbers will increase. Sadly, being overweight or obese, as we already know, leads to heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and even cancer, but that is when exercise/working out comes in and helps aid us to fight these common and severe conditions. In other words, apart from the medical treatment individuals receive while having a chronic disease, an article named "Health Benefits of Physical Activity" declared physical activities could prevent a stroke or heart disease. However, on the other hand, as we are learning, not only does exercising or physical activities reduce our chances of developing chronic diseases, but it reduces our chances/risk of mortality.
Healthy Diets
Having a healthy diet is crucial in everyone's life. We all have the decision to engage in this particular habit, but at the end of the day, everyone makes their own decision. I see many people going to the doctors daily only to learn that they have cancer, type 2 diabetes, health problems, or simply that they are overweight. These people must take immediate treatment to prevent the condition from increasing/affecting the body; however, they are too encouraged to change their eating habits. You see, there is nothing wrong with eating. In other words, one of the things I say to people is that it doesn't matter what you eat; it is about how much you eat. Research has shown that adults should consume around 2000 calories daily, whether they are active or if they live a sedentary life. This is not a standardized or one-size-fits-all statement, but it is essential to remember.
A lot of the time, professionals educate individuals to consume healthy/rich foods (whole foods); these can be lean meats, fruits, vegetables, fish, etc. One of the things I learned throughout my four years of exercising and dieting is sticking to the 80/20 method. This is when you consume healthy/rich foods while still having space for those desired sweet snacks. To paraphrase, the majority of the meals you consume daily will be from nutritious/whole foods, and the remaining calories (the 20%) can be from your favorite treats, such as ice cream, cookies, chocolate, cake, etc. In general, sticking to a healthy diet reduces your chances of developing a chronic disease/condition; however, it decreases your chances of receiving the mentioned conditions (type 2 diabetes, cancer, etc.)
Final Words
One of the things I learned in life is that we are responsible for our lives, including how we take care of our bodies/health. I also learned that each one of us has within the grasp of our hands the food and necessary physical and exercise resources to keep us healthy. We can go outside and take a walk in our neighborhood, go to the park, a track field, the gym, or the beach. These locations can be areas where we can engage in physical activities. In addition, with the benefit of emerging technology, we are able to look for healthy diet meals/plans. If that isn't enough, apps to help track the calories we put in our mouths are simply in our hands or pockets. With these advanced technological resources, we can change how we feel, eat, look, and live; it is simply up to us (including me) to decide if we will make that particular decision.
