As per World Health Organization, Up to 5 million deaths a year could be averted if the global population was more active. Exercise can improve our energy levels and our mood. Researchers suggests “A potent way that we can improve quality of life and duration of life is exercise”. People with low levels of physical activity are at higher risk for many kinds of cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease and early death by any cause. Inactivity can worsen arthritis symptoms, increase lower-back pain and lead to depression and anxiety.
Exercise helps in weight control, improves mood and well-being, reduce risk of chronic diseases, improves sleep. Scientists have found that exercise improve the flow of blood to the brain, increases BDNF resulting in improved cognitive improvement and decreasing anxiety. The benefits are manifold.
Schools should enforce PE for students from elementary schools at least three days a week for the school year. Exercise could be a combination of cardio, strength training and flexibility training. Right now majority of kids have what we can call “exercise-deficit disorder”. This should be made part of the daily life style to make improvements in cognitive, social, and emotional domains.
WHO has started Global action plan on physical activity 2018–2030: more active people for a healthier world, which provides guideline on physical activity and sedentary behavior. The U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) is on the bandwagon too. They have launched MoTrPAC (The Molecular Transducers of Physical Activity Consortium)a massive new study with the aim of documenting in unprecedented detail exactly what happens inside a body in motion. Its hope: to prove that exercise is medicine.
Let us pledge to make exercise in one form or another a part of our day.
My References:
Journey into the World of Life Science 