Less than 1 in 4 Canadian men get enough physical exercise. Let’s define that as at least 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous activity each week, tying that in with 2 sessions of muscle building / weight training. These numbers may come across as socially scolding – easily ignored over the holidays it has huge ramifications for Canadian lives and the economy.
Asking Why It’s simple: Exercise may be the most potent and easily accessible tool Men have for improving their lives and mental health.
If the countless benefits of pure exercise could be sold as a drug, it would be rightfully hailed as a miracle treatment. Physical activity has many health benefits, from suppressing inflammation, to weight control ,strengthening the heart ,bones ,muscles and boosts the immune system, shortening the duration of syndromes like the common cold, influenza, and COVID-19 as well as reducing their severity. There’s more: exercise improves your sex life, prevents / alleviates depression, helps you sleep, reduces chronic pain, and makes you less injury prone.
Getting Motivated during the cold months makes it harder mentally .Unfortunately, millions of Canadian men are unable or unwilling to take advantage of these real and tangible advantages. This has consequences. According to recent studies show 8 % of yearly deaths in non-disabled adults 25 or older can be attributed to inadequate physical activity. Translated ,these preventable deaths into terms of life expectancy estimate that men’s lack of exercise cost them about 6 years.
Regular physical activity gives you longer to live, and as an added bonus, puts more money in your pocket. Yes you will save money on future medical bills and that put less of a burden on our country’s Medical services. That’s at least an extra percent of economic growth per year. These gains would be realized through reduced mortality and improved productivity. Government efforts to encourage exercise, perhaps in the form of community messaging, improving access to exercise facilities and parks, and promoting participation in physical activities, can pay dividends.
But creating change in physical activity is hard as there are significant barriers to change.
While gyms may be closing for a second time, that doesn’t mean that we can’t tackle our NYE resolutions directly. Having a plan or exercise buddy to keep you accountable is a great way to stay on track and keep a momentum going. Unfortunately, due to restrictions set in place by the Covid pandemic, it’s more difficult to get together as we used to. So nect time you’re thinking of working out, ask your friend if they’ll join you on a video / Zoom call while following the same workout video or routine. Take your pet out for a walk with a family member or practice your breathing on a yoga mat. However if this can be achieved, evidence shows that we can create a healthier and more prosperous society.There’s no doubt about it: if everybody exercised, Canada would be a healthier, wealthier, and even happier place to live. Come on Guys , lets get a head start on the new year.