4 Signs You Need to Get Up & Move!

What attracts you the most – a treadmill or a comfy couch with a warm blanket and a soft pillow? If you opt for the couch, you’re one out of four American adults who sit for more than eight hours a day, according to a 2018 JAMA report. 

Graham Holtshausen/Unsplash | While it may feel tempting to leisurely lie in bed all day, doctors say being a couch potato is harmful in the long run

Well, we don’t blame you. After all, who wants to opt for a sweaty afternoon run if you can just grab a tub of your favorite popcorn, a glass of chilled drink, and sit in front of your TV screen! But while it may feel like an attractive choice, you should know that it isn’t great in the long run. It can cause serious mental and physical damage to your health, and at times, even lead to premature death. So if you don’t want to hasten your demise, you better get moving!

If you feel you’re facing some of the issues listed below, it’s time for you to ditch that couch and make friends with your running shoes.

Feeling lethargic

Often, even after having a good night’s sleep, we feel sluggish in the morning. That’s because we’ve stopped exercising according to our body’s needs. A specialist in sports medicine at Lenox Hill Hospital, Robert Gotlin, says that regular exercises keep our body’s endorphins level in check. They boost cardiovascular health and increase concentration levels. So if you want to be sharp and active, start exercising regularly.

Witnessing frequent changes in weight and metabolism

If you notice that your pants have become tighter and your cheeks have become puffier, it’s a clear sign that you’ve put on more weight. Now there’s nothing bad about putting on weight until it exceeds your BMI level. If your weight is more than that though, you might face health issues like joint pains, backaches, etc. Why not try to eat healthier things and take out some time for daily workouts?

i yunmai/Unsplash | A sedentary lifestyle often leads to weight gain, which in turn brings along a lot of health issues

Struggling to sleep

After a tiring day, when we lie down on our beds, all we want is to have a comfortable sleep. But sometimes, we just keep tossing and turning and end up getting frustrated.

A major reason behind this could be the lack of physical activity. M.D. of Johns Hopkins Center for Sleep at Howard County General Hospital, Charlene Gamaldo, says various studies have proved that exercising helps in falling asleep more quickly. She points out that physical activity stabilizes mood and decompresses the mind. So the next time you wish to sleep like a rock, start your day with some heavy workout. 

Facing skin problems more often

We all want to have healthy and radiant skin, but sometimes our laziness takes a toll on that wish. We keep complaining about our skin aging faster or getting dull, but we don’t focus on the main reason. Dermatologist Ellen Marmur says most skin problems occur due to less or no physical activity. She suggests people follow an active lifestyle to get rid of these problems.

Septian Simon/Unsplash | Renowned dermatologists say most skin problems occur due to little or no physical activity

Now that you know the risks of a sedentary lifestyle, we’re hoping that you won’t be a couch potato anymore (*wink).