Sedentary lifestyle

The Germans are getting bigger and bigger. One reason for this is the sometimes completely unhealthy diet, another decisive reason is the increasingly widespread one Sedentary lifestyle in the population. The body urgently needs sufficient exercise to function optimally and healthily.

What is sedentary lifestyle?

Sedentary lifestyle is understood as the physical condition of moving less than the body needs to maintain its health and functionality.

A lack of exercise can manifest itself in various ways, for example in obesity with the associated diseases such as joint damage, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes (diabetes mellitus), osteoarthritis or gout.However, lack of exercise does not necessarily mean being overweight.

Even slim people can suffer from a lack of stamina, develop sleep disorders and fatigue or suffer from diseases of the musculoskeletal system. The general immune system is also burdened by a lack of exercise.

causes

The causes of a sedentary lifestyle can be diverse. Sedentary lifestyle is not a result of comfort alone, although it may be widespread.

Long-term illnesses, chronic illnesses and disabilities can also lead to a lack of exercise. An old, frail person may want to go for a walk more often, but is unsure to walk or is confined to a wheelchair.

A complicated fracture or multiple injuries after an accident can lead to a sedentary lifestyle. So it is not necessarily "laziness" that leads to it.

Diseases with this symptom

• high blood pressure
• Heart attack
• arteriosclerosis
• Gallstones
• osteoporosis
• Cardiovascular diseases

• stroke
• arthrosis
• Coronary heart disease
• Circulatory disorders
• Obesity
• thrombosis

• Diabetes mellitus
• Sciatic pain
• disc prolapse
• Vertebral joint arthrosis
• ISG syndrome
• Posture damage

Diagnosis & course

The diagnosis is of course always made by the doctor, but a sports trainer can also identify a lack of exercise and state what needs to be improved.

The doctor can also perform an exercise ECG. If the lack of exercise is not remedied, which means that the patient does not begin to exercise any more (walks etc.) or to do sports, initially there is a noticeably poorer endurance. This will not bother most people much. In the long term, however, there are real disorders of the cardiovascular system, metabolism and digestion, which has an impact on overall health and subjective well-being.

The blood circulation deteriorates, detoxification and metabolism processes in the body slow down, weight gain can occur, the skin is not supplied with blood as well, the lack of movement can lead to constipation (constipation) because the bowel movement is not stimulated etc., the list of Progressive restriction extends across the entire human body.

But the psyche can also suffer from the lack of movement, which is especially the case with patients who want to move more but cannot, for example stroke patients, paraplegics or elderly people with restricted mobility. In the long run, a sedentary lifestyle can be a cause of life-threatening diseases such as pulmonary embolism, heart attacks or strokes.

Complications

A lack of exercise can have various consequences, which in a broader sense can definitely be seen as complications. A lack of exercise reduces the daily need for calories. Since the person with a lack of exercise does not, in most cases, adapt his or her eating behavior to the changed energy requirement, obesity often develops as a result of a prolonged lack of exercise. If the sedentary lifestyle only lasts for a short, defined period of time, there is normally no risk.

Furthermore, a lack of exercise can lead to thrombosis. If the person concerned moves little and seldom, there is a risk of a sometimes fatal thrombosis. In thrombosis, a blood clot (thrombus) forms, which lodges in the vessel and, to a certain extent, blocks it. A pulmonary embolism can result from a thrombosis.

Almost all diseases of civilization are caused by a lack of exercise. These include above all diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure and coronary heart disease. Chronic back pain can also be the result of a lack of exercise. In addition, a study showed that lack of exercise is a risk factor in the development of Alzheimer's disease.

If there is a prolonged lack of exercise, the muscle mass is reduced as it is no longer used sufficiently. This can have serious consequences for physical performance. Overall, it can be said that various diseases can be traced back to a lack of exercise.

When should you go to the doctor?

A lack of exercise is considered a so-called phenomenon of civilization. Today's living conditions no longer demand as much physical work from people as in the past. Many also exercise too little in their free time. Sedentary lifestyle is widespread in the German population and is one of the factors behind obesity. In addition to favoring weight gain, sedentary lifestyle affects many important body functions. However, lack of exercise should not only be seen as a bad habit, but is often a symptom of an existing underlying disease.

Typical consequences of a lack of exercise and the associated obesity are diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, joint damage, constipation and gout. Those who do not gain weight despite a lack of exercise are usually spared these secondary diseases, but often suffer from sleep disorders, muscle weakness or a weakened immune system. Elderly, frail people, the chronically ill and people with disabilities usually do not move enough due to their physical impairments.

The ability of those affected to self-criticize plays a significant role in medical therapy against a lack of exercise and the diseases it causes. Ideally, you seek a discussion with your family doctor on your own initiative. Another positive aspect is the patient's openness to treating their lack of exercise, including the consequences, when they speak to their doctor about it. Specialists such as internists, cardiologists, gastroenterologists, orthopedists, neurologists and possibly psychologists or psychotherapists are helpful in making a diagnosis and therapy.

Doctors & therapists in your area

Treatment & Therapy

In the ideal case, i.e. in healthy people, treating a sedentary lifestyle is very simple. You start to do sports and thus strengthen your health and well-being.

If you suffer from physical inactivity due to illness, you should definitely consult a doctor in order to find the right therapy. If, for example, there are musculoskeletal disorders, swimming may be preferable to jogging; in the case of disorders of the cardiovascular system, walking is more suitable than aerobics. In the event of illness, the decision must be made individually and under medical supervision.

Physiotherapeutic measures are also conceivable. If you are also overweight, you should consider changing your diet. It is important to be motivated to exercise; if you don't feel like aerobics, you should probably go cycling. Because motivation is of crucial importance for the treatment of sedentary lifestyle.

Outlook & forecast

Many people suffer from a sedentary lifestyle - but not all of them are aware of how this affects their health. Humans are made to run long distances, which they usually don't do in today's world. There is a lack of exercise. But this is not a problem in itself. The prognosis worsens depending on the type of diet and the stress level of the person.

Often we don't even need the amount of calories and energy that we get with food. Depending on their genetic disposition, some people convert the excess energy into fat cells more quickly than others. However, the prognosis of a slim-looking person with a sedentary lifestyle does not necessarily look better than that of a patient who is overweight as a result. Supposedly slim people could suffer from the "skinny fat" problem, in which the fat cells accumulate mainly in the internal organs or in the form of small, barely visible "bacon rolls" on the legs, hips, buttocks and breasts. Their body fat content is also disproportionate and they too can suffer the same consequential damage to health as people who are visibly overweight, which can be measured by their BMI.

A lack of exercise is therefore not a phenomenon to be taken lightly in modern civilization, but actually a serious problem with long-term health consequences. The good news, however, is that the lack of exercise and the associated discomfort can be remedied very easily: through more exercise.

prevention

In principle, the lack of exercise can be prevented quite easily by consciously taking the stairs instead of the elevator, regularly walking short distances instead of driving them and generally doing sports 2-3 times a week. Jogging is the best method here, as humans are still endurance runners through their evolution.

However, today it is often prevented that children are raised in this way. As an adult, it's all the more difficult to change your habits. The chronically ill should also take prophylactic measures at an early stage, here health insurance companies offer a wide range of programs and self-help groups can also offer good suggestions.

Those who exercise enough regularly are already going in the right direction. In other words: if you rest, you rust!

You can do that yourself

In the case of restricted mobility, overweight, increasing age or restricted mobility, lack of exercise is often one of the defining characteristics. The lack of exercise is dangerous. Everyone should prevent this in good time. Even small training units, which are carried out according to age and with an eye on the individual disease situation, help build muscle.

Stool gymnastics, Qi Gong while sitting, senior fitness gymnastics or rollator dance represent moderate exercise units for elderly people with restricted mobility. They increase mobility and serve to maintain or build up muscle mass. Wheelchair users can take part in wheelchair-accessible sports courses in sports clubs for the disabled. Overweight people should begin their exercise training with longer walks. As the level of training increases, the person concerned increases the length of the route. The pace can also be increased gradually. The next step might lead to a Nordic walking course.

If you are very overweight, it is important to consult a doctor before exercising to request a health check. The best remedy for a chronic lack of exercise is to increase motivation. Those affected should look for types of exercise that bring joy. For some, hiking is the most beautiful form of exercise, for others swimming or cycling. Exercise bikes, sports clubs or (online) fitness studios now offer a variety of courses that take exercise units into account for all age groups. In a group, many people who don't like exercise are usually more fun.