Sitting is the New Smoking

Inactive lifestyle may lead to poor bone health, families encouraged to be active

Manila, Philippines — Do you realize how much time you spend sitting? A recent survey among Filipinos revealed that 39% of Filipinos sit for more than 8 hours a day but only 27% of us exercise daily! Such negligence may negatively impact bone health.

“We could call [an inactive] lifestyle as a sitting disease.... Bones need motion to take out old bone and renew it,” says Dr. Miles Dela Rosa, president of the Osteoporosis Society of the Philippines Foundation Inc. (OSPFI).

“Progress in technology and urban living have changed lifestyles. Children [don’t play] sports and they just play computers,” says Dela Rosa. A study by Nielsen in 2011 showed that Filipinos spend an average of 21.5 hours online per week—and this may be doing more harm than good.

The good news is that most Filipinos believe they should have a more active lifestyle. The International Osteoporosis Foundation recommends at least 30 minutes of moderate to intensive exercise five times per week to maintain strong and healthy bones.

According to Dela Rosa, an inactive lifestyle can make bones brittle. And when bones are brittle, one is very susceptible to fractures. “You can have a fracture even without any trauma. If you have such weak bones, even simple bending or sneezing can cause a fracture,” he says.

Bone health relies on the density of bones, and hours spent sitting may lead to the deterioration of bone tissue that leads to an increased risk in fracture. At its worst, a simple bump or fall may result in broken bones, which may lead to severe pain, disability, and even mortality. In the Philippines, it is estimated that over four million Filipinos will be at risk for osteoporosis by 2020.

Dr. Dela Rosa further states that there is a need to prevent fractures because the financial, physical, and emotional stresses affect the entire family when someone in the family experiences a fracture. Hence, it is important to get regular exercise to keep bones strong and healthy. Apart from building muscle and endurance, exercise also maintains bone mass and density, allowing one to live a life of unhampered mobility.

 

Although you can exercise alone, the experience can be more fun when your family can join you. The joys of group exercise reminds us of childhood days spent playing with friends and gives us the opportunity to bond while keeping fit. The social atmosphere of a group exercise makes it more fun, motivating everyone to join the physical activity.

Involving the family in exercise can be a great alternative to having an unhealthy meal or just watching a movie and sitting for hours. Promoting exercise within the family can also influence a child’s positive attitude about fitness and love for the family. A family that exercises together provides them the opportunity to bond at a time when social media has taken over most Filipinos’ lives.

“Group exercise as a family is one way of bonding with each other. Apart from this, by example, parents can instill in the minds of their younger loved ones the importance of physical exercise in maintaining one’s health,” says child and adolescent psychiatrist Dr. Angela Halili-Jao.

The benefits of exercise are many: Not only does it keep the weight in check, prevent heart disease and a host of other illnesses, but exercise promotes camaraderie and support when done with family and friends. The team spirit and the strong bond formed when exercising together makes life more fulfilling — and more fun. Because stronger bones mean stronger bonds.

So get out of your seat, invite your family, and get those bones moving!

Thanks for sharing this article with us, Miss Janessa Tek-ing!