The cost of physical inactivity
According to a study published on July 28, 2016, in the scientific journal « The Lancet, » the cost of physical inactivity is $67.5 billion worldwide.
The study was conducted in 142 countries (93% of the global population). The $67.5 billion is split between $53.8 billion in health costs and $13.7 billion in lost productivity. This evaluation was established by including only 5 major diseases related to physical inactivity: stroke, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, breast and colon cancer. It is therefore likely that the real cost is higher. According to this study, physical inactivity is associated with 5 million deaths per year.
Still on the same theme, The Lancet published a 2nd study showing that the increased risk of death associated with sitting for 8 hours can be reversed by doing at least 1 hour of sport/day (e.g. brisk walking at 5.6 km/h or cycling for pleasure at 16 km/hour). This figure of 60 minutes/day is clearly higher than the current WHO recommendations which recommend at least 150 minutes/week of moderate activity or 75 minutes/week of sustained activity in periods of at least 10 minutes to stay in shape and to obtain additional health benefits 300 minutes/week of moderate activity or 150 minutes/week of sustained activity.
Currently only 25% of people practice one hour of sport per day. If the ideal is 1 hour/day, at least think about moving as much as possible: forget the stairs, take your bike for short trips, take the stairs, walk (at least 6,000 steps/day), this will have a positive impact on your health and will decrease the risk.
As Jean Giraudoux (French writer and diplomat) said so well: « There are epidemics of all kinds, sport is an epidemic of health ».
Think about it and most importantly, get your sneakers on!