Hadiza Ibrahim
More Nigerians are adopting sedentary lifestyles due to new trends such as remote work, online shopping, addiction to social media and mobile devices, thereby putting themselves at risk of obesity, diabetes, depression and mental illness, heart ailments and even stroke, research has shown.
A 2017 paper by the Sedentary Behaviour Research Network (SBRN) defines “sedentary behavior as any activity involving sitting, reclining, or lying down that has a very low energy expenditure.”
They require little to no movement such as driving to places that are of walking distance, children not engaging in physical activities as they are mostly fixated on the screens of their televisions, phones, tablets and laptops.
In 2002, the World Health Organisation (WHO) chose physical activity as the theme for World Health Day to raise awareness about diseases and disabilities that cold arise from unhealthy and sedentary living.
“60 to 85% of people in the world—from both developed and developing countries—lead sedentary lifestyles, making it one of the more serious yet insufficiently addressed public health problems of our time. It is estimated that nearly two-thirds of children are also insufficiently active, with serious implications for their future health,” WHO said.
A study from the American Cancer Society found that prolonged sitting time (six or more hours a day) was associated with a higher rate of death, 19%, from all causes combined, compared to sitting less than 3 hours per day.
In order to prevent sedentary lifestyles, the WHO recommends light exercise for at least 10mins daily, walking or using a bicycle instead of driving if the destination is about 5-10mins away, taking the stairs instead of elevator and engaging in one or two house chores daily.
