Introduction Physical activity and limiting Sedentary behaviour is virtuous for people’s health and wellbeing. However, as children move through school and become more independent, being physically active and limiting Sedentary behaviour every day is not always easy though it is both possible and vigorous.
Physical activity can help achieve health-enhancing benefits, social interaction with family or friends. Physical activity is obliged and doing a diversity of moderate to vigorous intensity exercises for Sixty minutes every day has many health benefits. I believe that I do meet the Australian Government’s Guidelines for Physical Activity for numerous reasons such as cycling every day and doing physical activities at school every week. Healthy lifestyle initiatives that target sedentary behaviour in children, particularly small screen recreation, have the potential to make a positive impact on health issues associated with being overweight or obese (heart Foundation, 2018). Body According to my weekly-long physical activity log, I do meet the Australian Government’s Guidelines to Physical Activity. Intended for health benefits, young people (13-17 years old) should accumulate at least 60 min of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity every day.
Moderate to Vigorous intensity exercises are defined as six or more Metabolic equivalents. These activities require medium to highest amount of oxygen consumption to complete the activity. Examples of these physical activities includes running, swimming, soccer, skipping, tennis, cycling and carrying heavy loads (Prosch, 2018). I had had a huge amount of sedentary behaviour shown in Appendix 1. Although I had 4 hr of less Sedentary behaviour revealed in Appendix 2.
I had 12 hours and 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity for a week shown in Appendix 1 (week 1) however Appendix 2 (week 2) portrays that I had 4 hr and 35 minutes of more physical activities than week 1. This suggests, on average, I had more than 60 minutes of physical activity daily. The Australian Guidelines to physical activity also suggests that young people’s physical activity should include a variety of aerobic activities, including some vigorous intensity activity (Australian Government, 2018). It should also include activities that help strengthen bone and muscle (Queensland Government, 2018). According to my weekly-long physical activity log, I did some activities which helps strengthen bones and muscles such high intensity fast cycling, squats and jogging. I also did a variety of aerobic activities, including some vigorous intensity activity such as cycling, tennis, cricket, swimming and jogging.
The Guidelines to sedentary behaviour suggests reducing health risks, young people should minimise the time they spend being sedentary daily. Sedentary behaviour is any waking behaviour characterized by an energy expenditure less than or equal to 1.5 metabolic equivalents, while in a sitting, reclining or lying posture. In general, this means that any time a person is sitting or lying down, they are engaging in sedentary behaviour (SBRN, 2017). Sedentary behaviour is considered to be disadvantageous and adverse as it can affect our health in a profoundly negative way. Sedentary behaviour can cause numerous short and long-term effects.
Some examples of long-term effects of the Sedentary behaviour are cardiovascular diseases, diabetes (type 2) and muscle degeneration. Larger sedentary behaviour has an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases among adults, school-children and youth. Intensifications in sedentary behaviour have been associated with increases in blood pressure among children, teenagers and adults (Active working, 2018). Superfluous of Sedentary behaviour can lead to type 2 diabetes (long-term metabolic disorder that is characterized by high blood sugar, insulin resistance, and relative lack of insulin).
Light-intensity physical activity breaks is associated with significant reductions in postprandial blood glucose and insulin levels (Active working, 2018). There can be many barriers that can stop us from doing physical activities. A major barrier that can influence me from not doing physical activity is technology.
Technology can influence us severely. It can make us lazy from doing physical activities. Inactive children are the consequences of technology.
Fewer than a third of kids engage in minimal daily physical activity due to technology. Unfortunately, this lack of activity can affect your health in a profoundly negative way. There could be many strategies implemented to ensure lifelong participation in health-enhancing physical activities. Some examples of a strategy could be exchanging screen time with physical activities.
I had an average of two hours of screen time per day. Instead of two hours of screen time per day, I could do one hour of physical activity and one hour of screen time per day. This would result in increase of physical activities and decrease of Sedentary behaviour. I could also turn off the TV during the day and head outside. I could make my bedroom a computer and TV free zone and I could set an alarm on my computer to remind me to stand up often (Australian Government, 2018). This would help me by exchanging my screen time (Sedentary behaviour) with energising physical activities as a way to maintain lifelong health-enhancing physical activity levels.Conclusion Physical activity or exercise can improve your health and reduce the risk of developing several diseases like type 2 diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. Physical activity and exercise can have instantaneous long-term health benefits such as reducing the risk of a heart attack, manages weight better, lower blood cholesterol level, lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes and cancer and stronger bones (Fitness Australia, 2018).
Encouraging children and young people to give up even 30 minutes of daily small screen recreation in exchange for physical activity can make a genuine difference to their health and well-being (heart Foundation, 2018)
