Almost 50 per cent of Indians were engaged in “insufficient levels of physical activity in 2022″, according to a recent Lancet report. The study, which included World Health Organization (WHO) experts, noted that far more women in India (57 percent) were found to be insufficiently physically active compared to men (42 per cent) such that the disparity was reported to be 14 per cent higher among women.
It further stated that the South Asian region ranked second highest globally for adults not meeting recommended physical activity levels, following the high-income Asia Pacific region.
What denotes “insufficient levels of physical activity”?
Neurologist Dr Sudhir Kumar, Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad, shared that insufficient physical activity is defined as not doing 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity, 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity, or an equivalent combination per week, according to WHO.
“Some examples of moderate physical activities include sweeping the floor, walking briskly, slow dancing, vacuuming, washing windows, or shooting a basketball. Examples of vigorous physical activities include running (faster than 8 km per hour), swimming, playing soccer, jumping rope, cycling, and carrying heavy loads (for example, bricks),” Dr Kumar told indianexpress.com.
Staying physically active can help you improve muscle strength and also boost your endurance, said Dr Anup Khatri, senior consultant, orthopedics, Gleneagles Hospital, Parel, Mumbai. According to Dr Khatri, high-intense activities like sprinting can help build muscle, increase stamina, and also improve your cardiovascular health. “Sprinting can also help in burning calories and easily lose weight especially fat from the body,” said Dr Khatri.
Dr Khatri also mentioned that it’s important to maintain a consistent workout regime for better results “as taking frequent breaks can disrupt the entire process making your muscles shrink back to their natural form”.
Tips to spread your physical activity requirement throughout the day
This physical activity requirement can be spread out over 7 days; or if the person doesn’t get adequate time during weekdays, he/she can complete the recommended physical activity during weekends (they are referred to as weekend warriors).
“Another point to note is that on the same day too, the physical activity can be done in parts. For example, 20 minutes of brisk walk in the morning, and another session of 30 minutes brisk walk in the evening can be counted as 50 minutes of moderate physical activity for the day,” said Dr Kumar.
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First uploaded on: 27-06-2024 at 18:31 IST