What is sedentary?

The first thing that comes to most people’s mind is “couch potato”. This is not wrong.

The next thing to come to mind might be secretary who sits in a chair all day at work.

Again, not wrong.

If you look up the definition you’ll actually find reference to the fact that “little to no exercise” means sedentary as well.

What I find interesting is the definition “not migratory”. Such as birds that do not migrate. They are settled.

In my 16 years I can attest to the fact that I have watched people of both genders work in a physically active to semi active job and yet gain lots of weight while being active as well as gain major health issues such as type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure.

So if this can happen to active and semi active people, maybe the definition of sedentary should be revised.

I’d like to suggest that anyone who does the same thing in and out daily on a regular basis, even if it is active, is sedentary.

What keeps us humans from chronic disease such as type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol and high blood pressure?

Managing energy in and out, eating healthier choices for the cells of our body, getting movement that keeps the body surprised. Progressing movement to challenge the muscles and heart and lungs. And most of all, managing chronic stress.

I’d like to suggest that chronic stress probably plays a bigger role than anything else in our lives. We’re a “gotta have it now” society with zero delayed gratification.

So let’s avoid being “sedentary” and begin to challenge our body with varied movement at varied times.