When It Comes To Exercising, We’re All Starting Behind The Start Line

Is it more difficult to exercise now? Well, we have thousands of gyms all over the place, so it can’t be. Can it? Access to gyms is easier, but putting in enough exercise to combat our newly acquired sitting time, is difficult.

The History of Exercising

It starts with the fact that exercising didn’t really become popular until recently. Let’s think back in time. How many people in the 1940’s, were heading to the gym? Not many, right? In the 90’s it began to pick up, but still not many people. Even today, only 5% of our population exercises 30 minutes a day. And you’d think with the gram and all of its “fitness influencers” or the vast amount of information on the internet, you’d think that there’d be more people who exercise. But there’s not. In fact, researchers claim that by 2030, 53% of our population will be obese.

Another reason that people may not know the benefits of exercising is because, in the beginning, people didn’t have much research to go off of. And this continued for many years. In that time, people began to be doubtful or skeptical of people who were preaching about the gym. And people began to think of it as only a vanity pursuit…for dumb people. Which brings me to the reason for this article, times have changed and as I said earlier, we have countless bits of information at our fingertips. But first, we must understand where we as human beings find ourselves today.

We Live In A Sedentary World

“Compared with our parents or grandparents, we are spending increasing amounts of time in environments that not only limit physical activity but require prolonged sitting — at work, at home, and in our cars and communities.” From the 1950s to now, we have increased sedentary jobs by 83%. Think of it, many people sit for 8 hours a day, with a 30-minute lunch where they continue to sit and eat. Only to go home, to sit. But before they get home, they’re spending 60 minutes in traffic. Once they get home they sit on their phones or watch TV. Once that’s done they lay down to sleep for 8 hours. Get the picture?

I’m trying to show you that from the jump, we’re in the hole. Look, the people who say they’re “fit and healthy” but never do cardio, also, need to hear this. And let’s be clear if you sit for work and you never do cardio… you live a sedentary life. And here’s what a sedentary life will give you. “sedentary behavior is closely linked to obesity… the most sedentary people had a 22–49% greater risk of early death… Sedentary behavior is consistently linked to more than 30 chronic diseases and conditions, including a 112% increase in your risk of type 2 diabetes and a 147% increase in heart disease risk.” The only way to combat a sedentary lifestyle is… an active lifestyle (ie: exercising) People are walking around like we have a choice. We don’t have a choice. “30 chronic diseases…49% greater risk of early death” There’s no choice with those statistics. We need to walk, jog, and run. We need to strain our bodies with weights. Why? Well, here’s why.

Benefits of Exercising

“As scientists explore exactly what it is that exercise does, they’re finding a surprising list of physical effects that go far beyond weight loss and muscle building. These include increased insulin sensitivity (meaning a lower risk of type 2 diabetes), lower cholesterol levels, a better ratio of saturated to unsaturated fats, and biochemical markers of lowered cardiovascular risk. People who exercise regularly also have blood amino-acid profiles linked to good heart health.” And everything just listed is just some of the proven benefits for your body. Take note of the, “far beyond weight loss” line. And the benefits don’t stop at our bodies, what about our minds? “ Some benefits of physical activity…reduced short-term feelings of anxiety for adults…can help keep your thinking, learning, and judgment skills sharp as you age. It can also reduce your risk of depression and anxiety and help you sleep better.”

Summary

In short, with exercise, our bodies and minds run and work better. It really isn’t too much of a surprise that people don’t believe in the benefits of exercising. When you hear them, they sound like the exact thing a snake-oil salesman would say. It’s as if they were concocted out of Glengarry Glenn Ross. And up until recently, it was somewhat reasonable to believe this. But not today. Because belief plays no part in this discussion anymore. We don’t need to believe in gravity and we don’t need to believe in the benefits of exercising. It is what it is. Just google any of the above. “Does exercising help with depression? research”, “Will I lose weight by exercising? research”. You don’t have to believe anything. Now, if you don’t want to look it up and you just don’t want to believe. You can always try it out for 90 days. It is free.

“And let’s be clear if you sit for work and you never do cardio… you live a sedentary life.”