Memo to couch potatoes and desk jockeys: Your lazy lifestyle is putting you at risk as much as smoking.
That’s the upshot of a landmark report by Public Health England (PHE) that concludes lack of exercise is as dangerous as smoking tobacco and directly contributes to one in six deaths,
The Telegraph reports.
The report, published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, notes that modern sedentary lifestyles have many people spending long hours at desk jobs, driving cars, and in front of computer screens and TVs.
“Social, cultural and economic trends have removed physical activity from daily life,” the report says. “Fewer of us have manual jobs. Technology dominates at home and work, the two places where we spend most of our time. It encourages us to sit for long periods — watching TV, at the computer, playing games, or using mobile phones and tablets. Over-reliance on cars and other motorized transport is also a factor.”
Federal guidelines recommend getting 30 minutes of moderate aerobic activity most days of the week. But few people meet those guidelines.
“Physical activity does not need to be strenuous to be effective,” the report stresses. “Thirty minutes a day of moderate aerobic activity can be a brisk walk, a swim, or even a spell of gardening. Each 10-minute bout that gets the heart rate up has a health benefit. Although sport can be part of the picture, activity can also be more informal.”
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