Decline of Physical Activity

It has been proven time and time again that physical exercise has both physical and mental health benefits.  Given that, why do people continue to resist the idea of exercise?

It would be super easy to blame laziness and lack of education.  But, the truth is that I don't believe these are to blame.  People are more aware of health and the importance of being at a healthy weight than ever before.  There are thousands of exercise and diet books published in the world today along with shows like Biggest Loser.  Most Americans are aware that poor health can lead to catastrophic health effects.  So, why do people continue to put off exercising?  I believe the reasons have their roots in youth activity and grow into the problems of adults.

Childhood obesity is such an epidemic in the United States that it is Michelle Obama's pet project.  The National Football League has their Play 60 program.  And there are sports camps for children at almost every recreation center or YMCA.  So, why does obesity continue to be a problem?  First, these programs are all well and great for the children who can afford them or for the families who have the ability to have someone home in the early afternoon to take their kids to them.  But, for the vast majority of two income households, physical activity such as these are difficult to make happen.  And, in the wake of No Child Left Behind, our children's physical well being has been left in the wake of decreasing test scores.  With the increased importance on "the test," physical education has been dropped from many school curricula.  The emphasis on reading and writing seems to have forgotten the fact that without physical health, emotional and mental health are hard to come by.  Even Maslow's hierarchy of needs puts physical health at the bottom of the hierarchy.  You can't even begin to think about learning at school until those needs are met.  I'm sure that Maslow didn't intend for his hierarchy to be used that way but it's true.  A student who is obese and hungry throughout the day because of a glucose intolerance and a lack of a way to burn off the excess energy is going to have difficulty focusing in class.

As for youth sports, I'm almost afraid to touch the subject!  Youth sports are an amazing way to get kids active.  But, children are starting them earlier and earlier as a way to prepare for both middle school (if it's offered) and varsity level sports.  And sports are a great way not only to build up physical activity, but to learn teamwork and social skills.  But, the percentage of students that successfully make the leap from a varsity high school sport to college is very slim.  Only 4.95% according to the NCAA.  And from there to a professional sport?  Even slimmer.  So, what then, should be the focus of youth sports?  Instilling a love of sport, physical activity, and teamwork.  So what happens to the other 95% of youth who play high school sports?  Some will play sports for fun in college or in recreational leagues as adults.  But most will go on to a sedentary lifestyle of spectatorship.  As these young adults graduate from high school to adulthood, there ensues a new problem.

For adults, I see the main contributor of physical inactivity as lack of priority.  Many adults do not see activity as an essential activity such as a job or picking the kids up from school.  It is a to-do item to be checked off on their list.  They may maintain a gym membership (if cost allows) but actually going is a matter of "finding the time."  And, for many of them, the habit of activity broke down after they finished school.  And, once that habit is lost, it is incredibly difficult to wrestle yourself back into it.  Even time for a rec sports league must be weighed against the time needed to prepare dinner, get the kids bathed, and have quality time for your significant other.  Unfortunately, this physical activity is not seen as a necessity, but as a luxury.  And, as such, it is the first item that is dropped when time or money rears it's ugly head.

For those adults who are motivated to continue their activity, going back can be overwhelming enough to stave off even the best intentions.  A quick internet search of "what should I do at the gym to get started," yields so many varying results that lots of people just go with what they see others doing -- namely cardio and weight machines.  These are easily learned and easily accomplished.  Most gyms even provide a television for you to watch while you wile away your time on the hamster wheel.  But, this can get boring and lead to a lack of results if you don't know how to program a routine to achieve the results you want.  So, when they see a lack of results (because your body doesn't care if you spend an hour on the elliptical if you eat half a cheese pizza for dinner), they give up and go back to their unhealthy ways.

So, if Americans know about healthy exercising habits and have a variety of reasons to not follow them, how do we fix that as a country?  First, bring back physical education for youth.  Make physical activity FUN!  Get rid of anything but recreational sports at a youth level.  The expectation of a middle schooler should not be excellence, but focused on the other wonderful things you can learn from sport.  As adults?  Hire a qualified trainer.  Join Fitocracy.  Do all sorts of things that will get you back into activity.  Can't afford a trainer?  Don't know where to start?  Start with a walk.  If that's easy, increase the pace or the distance.  Once you start, it gets easier to make physical activity a priority -- not just something to do when it's convenient.  After all, health is the basis of life.