According to a survey released by the Physical Activity Council last week, the number of Americans who were “totally sedentary” last year jumped to its highest level since 2007.
It noted that about 83 million Americans age 6 and over, or about 28 percent of us, reported they did not once participate in any of 104 specific physical activities in the last calendar year. The result is the worst level of inactivity found by the survey since the council readjusted its parameters for physical activity to exclude things like darts and billiards.
“We feel confident, in a sad way, that this is the largest number we’ve ever seen,” said Tom Cove, chief executive of the Sports and Fitness Industry Association, which is one of the members of the council. Cove said the number of inactive Americans is the highest he has seen in his more than 24 years involved with the survey.
The number of totally sedentary Americans has risen 18 percent since 2007, while the percentage of the total inactive population age 6 and over has grown by three percentage points over the same period.
This is sad. It means that one out of three Americans sit on their butts and do nothing.
One doesn’t have to become a gym rat to become more active. In fact, there are small things you can do that can have a big impact.
1. Park Far. Park further from the store. We waste so much time looking for a closer stop. If we had just taken the far spot to begin with, we’d get inside the store faster and burn more calories at the same time.
2. Walk Up the Stairs. Instead of using the elevator, walk up the stairs. If one is walking up a very tall building don’t do it all at once. Set goals. Try for 10 flights the first week and move up from there.
3. Walk and Talk. Walk and talk at the same time. In an age where cell phones are ubiquitous, there is no longer a reason to sit in front of the TV and talk on the phone. Get up and walk around the house or the neighborhood.
4. Exercise With TV. Do sit ups and pushups in front of the TV. If you have to sit in front of the TV, make your time productive. One can get almost 10 minutes of exercise in a 30 minute show if you work during the commercial breaks. Its not like you watch them.
5. Ride a Bike. Bike to the store if only getting a few things. With the price of gas soaring, one doesn’t need any other reasons to drive less.
We have ample facilities in our area f