Most waking hours are spent not moving
Rita Matraia
Americans are more sedentary than ever before – even though we’re working out more than ever before.
Globally, fitness centers are now an $87.2 billion industry, serving 174 million members, according to the 2018 IHRSA State of the Industry Report. U.S. membership in fitness centers has nearly doubled since 2000, from 32.8 million to more than 60.9 million.
The U.S. has 36,000 fitness centers, and millions of Americans work out at home or in workplace gyms.
Exercise has truly caught on.
Sitting it out
Yet, a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found Americans are spending an hour more sitting each day than they did a decade ago, because they are spending more time using computers at home.
Researchers found from 2007 to 2016 the number of hours a day spent sitting increased from an average of 7.0 to 8.2 for adolescents and from 5.5 to 6.4 for adults. Yet the study may be under-reporting the trend because survey information was self-reported. In addition, the survey does not take cellphone use into consideration.
Time spent watching TV and videos remained constant throughout the survey period, but high. The study found 62% of children age five to 11 and 84% of people 65+ watch more than two hours of TV a day.
Why it’s so
So if we’re all working out more, how is it that we’re also sitting more?
Many people think they’ve earned it. Those who work out may feel entitled to sit and relax when they’re not working out. They have a point, but too much sitting is counterproductive.
There are plenty of exercises you can do while watching TV, including exercising with bands or a Bosu. If you’d rather sit, sit on a stability ball.
Many gym members are not gym users. Being a member of a fitness center doesn’t guarantee you are getting your money’s worth. One study found only about 18% of people who buy memberships use them consistently.
People who join a gym in January after making a New Year’s resolution to get in shape typically fail quickly. Fitness requires a consistent effort, and those who are not motivated usually give it up before January ends.
Try setting goals for yourself. Once you meet your first goal, set a more difficult goal and keep going.
Many gym users aren’t frequent users. People are busy. Work schedules often go beyond 40 hours, then there needs to be time for commuting, family and friends, household chores, volunteer work, and hobbies.
Finding time to work out consistently is difficult. Those who do so often take classes starting at the same time every week. Once they are part of a weekly routine, chances of success improve.
Start with a few classes a week, then add on. Ideally, you should exercise every day.
Not all gym users work out hard enough. Go to a gym and look around. You’ll notice that in many cases the muscles getting the most work are jaw muscles. Talking enables a person to postpone hard work.
Because they spend too much time talking, 30% of gym members admit they never break a sweat at the gym.
That’s another reason classes can be more effective than working out independently. Everyone in a class follows the instructor, which typically means a full hour-long workout.
The trend will continue
As technology continues to develop, the trend toward a more sedentary lifestyle is likely to continue. We are using technology to do physical work we used to do ourselves. As technology evolves, it is increasingly a source of entertainment requiring no movement other than chewing.
I’m reminded of the movie “WALL-E,” in which Earth’s former inhabitants evolved into muscle-less blobs moving on hovering chair-like vehicles while they drank their meals through straws, and watched a constant feed of TV and video chatting.
That’s not a future any of us want, but maybe thinking of “WALL-E” can help motivate you to be less sedentary.
Rita Matraia is owner of Northborough fitness studio The Core Connection. Reach her at rita@thecoreconnection.com.
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