Modern living has facilitated a more sedentary
lifestyle for many Americans. Contributing factors have included the increase in
labor-saving devices at work, home, transit and play, while leisure time activities
increasingly involve passive entertainment.
Sustained physical activity helps protect against weight increase, overweight and
obesity, as well as enhancing fitness. In addition, inadequate physical activity can
itself be an independent health risk factor. When men and women were hunters
and farmers, physical activity was a fact of life; in fact, it was life. Now most
Americans not only do not rely on physical activity at work and have not for
several decades, but they also have a relatively sedentary lifestyle outside work.
Technology has been harnessed to make life easier through such gadgets as
remote controls, microwaves, garage door openers, electric lawn mowers and
snowblowers, but, as an intended or unintended consequence, has decreased the
total amount of personal resources involved in physical activity. Social
networking and surfing the Internet cannot help either.