By Laura Behavioural determinant of Health– PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), physical activity is defined as any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that requires energy expenditure. Physical activity is considered to be a behavioural determinant of health because you choose if you are physically active or not, and your choice determines if you are healthy or not.

The recommended amount of physical activity for adults is 30 minutes of regular, moderate intensity per day. The 30 minutes does not have to all be done in one go, it can be broken up to make it easier for the individual to manage their time. The recommended amount for school-aged youth is 60 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity each day. There are heaps of different types of physical activity. Physical activity can include walking, cycling, playing basketball, dancing, swimming, pilates and many more! It is a positive thing to find a type of physical activity that you enjoy and that you do not see as a chore. This will in turn benefit all dimensions of your health.

PHYSICAL HEALTH Some of the positive effects of physical activity on a person’s health include; Decrease of osteoporosis and falls risk Good body weight and composition Decrease of musculoskeletal conditions such as osteoarthritis and low back pain Decrease of all the risks of physical inactivity (shown on next slide).

There are many risk factors of physical inactivity on an individual’s physical health including; Increased risk of cardiovascular disease High blood pressure Increased chance of cancer (including breast cancer & colon) Overweight and obesity Increased chance of Type 2 Diabetes Increased risk of stroke

SOCIAL HEALTH Social health is also benefited by physical activity. Many forms of physical activity incorporate social interaction, such as sporting games. Through physical health, new and different social groups can be exposed and different social skills can also be learned. It has also been shown that physical activity has a positive effect on the control of risky behaviours among youth, such as substance use and violence.

MENTAL HEALTH Physical activity also positively impacts mental health. Many studies have found that exercise relieves stress, anxiety and depression. Exercise also releases hormones in the body that can promote feelings of well-being and therefore positive mental health. For example; - adults aged 18 years and over who were sedentary or exercised at a low level were more likely to be classified as having a high or very high level of psychological distress (18%) than those who had moderate to high exercise (9%).

For a lot of people it is a challenging thing to be able to balance everything in their lives, as well as incorporating 30 minutes of physical activity each day. There are many factors that affect people’s physical activity such as; Money – costs of gyms and other recreational facilities can be expensive, as well as the price of memberships to sporting clubs. Work – people who work a lot may find it difficult to find the time to exercise. Family – parents of young children may find it demanding to look after their children as well as exercise. However, these problems can be easily fixed. Something as simple as walking to work or taking the stairs instead of the lift can help. Not all types of exercise are expensive, you don’t have to pay to go for a walk or run. And it has been proven that children in families that exercise a lot, are more likely to continue to exercise as they get older.

STATISTICS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY In , 70% of Australians aged 15 years and over were categorized as sedentary or having low exercise levels. As expected, sedentary or low levels of exercise were most common among people aged 75 years and over (83%) and least common by young people aged years (62%). However, in all age groups (of people 15 years and over) about two thirds or more had sedentary or low exercise levels. It was found that women were more likely to be sedentary or have low levels of physical activity than men. 73% of females, aged 15 years and over, reported sedentary or low exercise levels compared to 66% of males. Most people who were sedentary or exercised at a low level considered they had excellent or very good health (52%), more people with moderate to high exercise levels reported excellent or very good health (67%). Globally, physical inactivity is estimated to cause two million deaths per year, representing an estimated 10-16% of cases each of breast cancer, colon cancers, and diabetes, and about 22% of ischaemic heart disease cases. In Australia, physical inactivity contributes to the risk of 6,400 deaths per annum from coronary heart disease, non-insulin dependant diabetes mellitus and colon cancer, and up to 2,200 more from other conditions, such as breast cancer and stroke.

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