Sitting at home and minding your own business just may be
hazardous to your health. One in three adults across the globe
doesn’t get enough exercise, and it’s killing us—five million of
us a year. Experts call it like it is: a pandemic. Inactivity
Linked to Chronic Disease According to studies featured in the
medical journal The Lancet, physical inactivity—not achieving
150 minutes of moderate exercise a week—is a major contributor
to major diseases like heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, and
breast and colon cancer. Getting insufficient exercise causes as
much harm to our bodies as smoking or obesity, according to the
study. In example, the researchers compared the number of deaths
caused in 2008 by physical inactivity and smoking. Lack of
exercise was at the heart of 5.3 million deaths. Smoking caused
fewer deaths at 5 million. “In most countries, inactivity rises
with age and is higher in women than in men (34 percent vs. 28
percent). Inactivity is also increased in high-income
countries,” the researchers dec