Quit Making Excuses, WHO Tells Why Staying Fit Is A Must, With Or Without Pandemic

Regular exercise can help you be fit and disease-free

Time and again, we have stressed on the importance of exercising regularly and being physically active for your overall health and well-being. Regular physical activity is the gateway to being fit and disease-free. Now, the World Health Organization has said that living a sedentary behaviour can have serious repercussions, and exercising is important for both physical and mental health. "WHO urges everyone to continue to stay active through the Covid-19 pandemic," said Ruediger Krech, head of health promotion of WHO. "If we do not remain active, we run the risk of creating another pandemic of ill-health as a result of sedentary behaviour," he added, reported AFP.

Movement restrictions, lockdowns and gym closures have compelled people to stay home. It has disrupted their regular activities and exercise routines, which can increase risk of weight gain and several other health concerns.

Regular exercise is important for your physical and mental health
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Weight loss: The many ways how being physically active can help

• Being physically active can add years to life and life to years, said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in a statement.
• It is the key to preventing and managing type-2 diabetes, cancer and heart disease.
• Exercising can reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety. It can reduce cognitive decline, boost overall brain health and improve memory.

In order to reap these benefits from exercise, adults need to do two and a half hours of moderate to vigorous aerobic activity per week. Young kids and adolescents should move for at least an hour every day, WHO recommended.

Moving or exercising for longer than this is definitely going to be more beneficial. In order to increase your physical activity, you can do some jogging, walking, cycling or running. You can choose the activity of your choice. These kind of activities come in the category of cardio exercise, which can help you weight loss. They are also beneficial for reducing stress and anxiety.

Also read: Yoga Health Benefits: Weight Loss And 5 Other Reasons To Try Yoga Today

Apart from this, there are several kinds of workouts that you can do at the comfort of your home, without going to the gym. These workouts require no equipment and can be completed in a span of half an hour and even less. You can also include body weight training exercises in your routine like push-up, pull-up, planks and much more.

You can take out the time for exercising by waking up half an hour early in the morning, or by squeezing in a short 15-minute workout in your lunch hour. Here's one such workout that you can do by taking a 10-minute break in your lunch hour at work or work-from-home.

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All in all, it is important to understand that not exercising will do you more harm than you can imagine, especially when we are going through a pandemic.

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.