How active are you? If you’re like most people, it probably depends on the day of the week. But there’s a lot of other folks that don’t even know how to define it or how different activity lifestyles affect their health.
There are four levels of activity:
Sedentary Physical Activity Level – A sedentary lifestyle means you get little to no exercise on a daily basis. This typically means you spend a lot of time sitting at a desk, working on a computer or watching TV. Coupling this with little to no exercise tends to lead to weight gain, obesity and a lot of health problems, both now and in the future.
Light Physical Activity Level – A light physical lifestyle is when you get some exercise during your day. People who spend most of their day on their feet, like salespeople or nurses, or who make it a point to walk their dog everyday or work in their yard a few times a week fall into this category. Health benefits include better blood cholesterol levels and an improved metabolic health.
Moderate Physical Activity Level – People that spend a lot of time moving with very few sedentary moments in their day, like carpenters or gardeners, have a moderate physical lifestyle. However, you can also achieve this if you exercise enough to break into a sweat a couple of times a week. Folks that fall into this category benefit from increased heart health, improved muscular strength and endurance and greater flexibility.
High Physical Activity Level – Construction workers, farmers and movers have a highly physical or vigorous lifestyle as they are constantly on the move. People that go to the gym for weight training multiple times a week or who run for at least 45 minutes several times a week can also claim this lifestyle. In addition to the benefits seen from both light and moderate physical activity levels, they also improve their chances of avoiding chronic health issues in their lifetime.
If you’re looking to improve your personal activity level, it’s important to determine your current level, plus your current level of health and well-being. While the healthiest option is to operate at the highest physical activity level, that’s not something that everyone can do, especially not right away. Starting out at a lower level and slowly building up is the best plan of action.
To determine your level activity and what you can do to lose weight and improve your overall health, call or email us for an appointment.
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