Losing Movement- How Technology is Affecting Our Health

Losing Movement

Starting a new year and going into a new decade is exciting. Every year more and more ideas are coming to life, apps are being created, and new ways of doing basic things are coming into our lives. As the years progress, employees, parents, and students are pushed harder and harder every day, working longer hours and staying up later to take care of their responsibilities. Their stress levels keep rising and their free time for important life tasks are diminishing. Technology companies witness this. They are trying to make necessary tasks like grocery shop, go to the mall, or get lunch quicker and easier. Innovators are making it so we can sit in one chair all day long at work and not move. Then, we go home and sit on the couch for the rest of the night. Apps like Shipt are making our lives simpler but they are also skipping key steps that helps us stay in shape. These types of apps are making it so we do not have to move our bodies to get what we need. Our bodies are MADE to move and NEED to move to properly function. We eat to fuel our body so it has energy to move. If we stay still all day, all the calories and nutrients that go into our body is barely used and is stored as fat in the body. This is causing even more people who are overweight.

Think about it. People used to go grocery shopping themselves. I know crazy right? Obviously, some people still do. People would make a list, drive to the store and walk from their car to the store. Then they would physically push a cart full of items up and down every aisle, wait in long lines to pay and then push that full cart all the way back to the car. After all of that, they would have to load every single item into the car and then when they get home they have put all of those groceries where they belong in their kitchen. Depending on the person, that could be one or more hours of physical movement. Now people can use apps such as Shipt. They now can sit on the couch or in there office chair and put in their phone what they want. While they sit and work or watch TV, some shopper out there is doing all of the work for them and either delivering their groceries to their front door, or getting them ready to deliver to the customer’s car. The customer has about five minutes of physical activity while they put away their groceries.

Another way, we are losing movement in our daily lives is through entertainment. Because of technology, people no longer have to leave their houses when they are bored. Instead of going to the library or the bookstore they can just rent books on their kindles or tablets. They can also download games, and stream TV shows. Video rental stores are no longer sticking around because people can rent movies off their from their Smart TVs. Instead of going to the local video game store people can purchase the game right off their gaming console. People never have to leave the house. It even goes as far as gifts, buying new work clothes, buying school supplies, etc. People can buy anything they could possibly want online. This is eliminating physical activity from almost every task humans have.

Why we need to movement

Movement and physical activity is so important for the body and walking is one of the easiest ways to make this happen. By using technology for everything people do or to buy anything they need, they are missing out on easy ways to increase their physical activity. This is allowing their body to store more fat because the food they ate throughout the day is not being used and is being stored for later. Simply walking at the grocery store for 30 minutes can do so much for the human body. It can improve your mood, strengthen your bones and your heart, and so much more. By not moving people are becoming more and more unhealthy and the amount of diseases is increasing. So, going into 2020 lets increase our everyday movement together. Below are 10 easy and simply ways anyone can start moving!

10 WAYS TO INCREASE YOUR MOVEMENT

Stop ordering everything online

Make your own meals

Instead of sitting on your couch scrolling through social media go walk on the treadmill and do your scrolling

Go out and get dinner with a friend

Go to the bookstore or library and walk every aisle until you find what you want

Everywhere you go, park as far away as possible

Take the stairs instead of the elevator

Instead of texting loved one, call them while you take a walk

Wake up 10 minutes earlier to stretch

Get a fitness tracker, to see how much you are really moving