Sedentary Lifestyle
Physical Education: AQA GCSE, topic 8.2.1
Sedentary Lifestyle and Health
A sedentary lifestyle is a lifestyle that is not active. Living this way can damage physical, mental and social well-being.
Physical ill health
- A sedentary lifestyle can:
- Lead to cancer.
- Cause heart disease/heart attacks.
- Increase blood pressure.
- Lead to diabetes.
- Cause high cholesterol levels.
- Lead to an injury.
- Make a person feel as though they can't enjoy an activity.
Mental ill health
- A sedentary lifestyle can:
- Lead to depression.
- Cause a loss of confidence.
- Make a person feel worthless and like they can’t contribute to society.
Social ill health
- A sedentary lifestyle can:
- Lead to someone not wanting to socialise.
- Make a person feel as though they can't leave their home.
- Make a person feel self-conscious about how they look. This can make them feel uncomfortable in social situations.
Consequences of a Sedentary Lifestyle
A sedentary lifestyle can have negative consequences on a person's health, such as:
Weight gain
- If a person has an unbalanced diet (takes in more calories than they burn), they will gain weight and can eventually become obese.
Heart disease
- A person is more likely to suffer from heart disease if they smoke or have a poor diet.
Hypertension (high blood pressure)
- This can cause strokes and heart attacks.
- Hypertension is caused by smoking, drinking alcohol, lack of exercise and a poor diet.
Diabetes
- Diabetes is a disease that makes the body struggle to regulate blood sugar levels.
- Type 1 diabetes is when a person's immune system attacks and destroys the cells that produce insulin (a hormone that regulates the amount of sugar in the blood).
- Type 2 diabetes is when a person’s body doesn't respond to the insulin produced by the pancreas.
Consequences of a Sedentary Lifestyle 2
There are more negative consequences of leading a sedentary lifestyle for a person's health.
Insomnia (poor sleep)
- Insomnia is difficulty in getting to sleep or not sleeping for long enough.
- Insomnia or excessive (very great) tiredness can affect a person’s day-to-day ability to function.
- An individual can develop this when they are stressed, not exercising or following a poor diet.
Poor confidence
- Low confidence is when a person’s opinion of their life is negative.
- They feel as though they cannot achieve anything.
Tiredness
- Tiredness can be because of an unbalanced diet or a lack of fitness.
Lack of communication skills
- By not doing regular exercise, a person misses out on the opportunity to develop communication skills and socialise with others.
Test yourself on Sedentary Lifestyle
Which of the following is not a sign of physical ill health?
Effects of a sedentary lifestyle on mental well-being
Which of the following is a potential consequence of a sedentary lifestyle?
What is the technical term for high blood pressure?
Select the consequences of a sedentary lifestyle