Do You Have Inactivity Disease? Heres How to Treat It I am in big trouble. I may have to add another diagnosis to my already too-long list of medical conditions. Move over, reflux; make room, thyroid disease; and get in the back seat, allergies. Lack of exercise is considered by some to be a medical condition! In the Journal of Physiology a couple of years ago, Mayo Clinic physiologist Michael Joyner, MD , argued that “a sedentary lifestyle is a common cause of obesity, which in turn is a catalyst for diabetes, heart disease, joint diseases, and other serious medical problems. Thus, he opined, we should simply consider physical inactivity as a disease all by itself. Overweight sedentary people are not the only ones whose health could be affected by inactivity. Anyone who is physically inactive could be in for trouble. People with desk jobs, or those immobilized after injuries or on bed rest during pregnancy, are also at risk. According to an article reviewed by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), we spend too much time staring at the computer (but I’ve got a blog and a newspaper column to write), driving the car (but I do home care), or collapsed in a heap in front of the TV (I have to catch up on my shows). James Levine, MD, PhD, author of Move a Little, Lose a Lot, notes that the internet has made it possible to accomplish most of our daily tasks, such as shopping, paying bills, talking with friends, even doing our job, “without so much as standing up. We were evolved to stand up, and for thousands of generations we needed to partake in constant physical activity just to survive. Now Siri does it all for us, and we sit way too much. Many of us give it the old college try. But once we’re deconditioned and then attempt to exercise, we may tire easily or get dizzy and give up too quickly. Dr. Joyner proposed that we “medicalize inactivity so we can treat it through public health initiatives like we have for smoking cessation or drug addiction. This would make physicians more likely to prescribe cognitive and behavioral therapies and formal exercise plans.” To that end, a recent article in the Wall Street Journal , Doctors Dole Out Prescriptions for Exercise, highlighted research showing that “doctors are working exercise counselling into office visits and calling exercise a vital sign to be measured along with pulse and blood pressure. This stems from a program called “ Exercise Is Medicine ” that encourages doctors to include exercise in their treatment plans for patients. January is official “name your new year’s resolution and drop it shortly thereafter month. To make them last longer, the experts tell us not to call them resolutions , but rather lifestyle changes. And instead of making overwhelming declarations about unreachable goals, they suggest picking a few doable things. I requested a Fitbit for Hanukkah, and since this pedometer has enveloped my wrist I’ve become totally obsessed with achieving 10,000 daily steps. The visual reminder on my wrist has motivated me to walk more. Caregivers need to care for themselves and those in their charge. Adding more activity (don’t call it exercise) to our lives may be just the ticket. Here are some tips for doing just that: Trade in that Godiva basket you got over the holidays for a pedometer. Knowing the number of steps you take in a day is enlightening, and just by increasing it you are making a positive change. Bypass the elevators and take the stairs. If you have a desk job, walk around the office every couple of hours. Walk to the farthest bathroom for breaks, maybe even to a different floor. Walk laps around your house in between TV programs. March in place as you peruse Facebook. Walk the dog. Borrow someone else’s if you don’t have one. Mine is always available.
Posted on: Thu, 22 Jan 2015 23:57:51 +0000
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