"The Lancet" calls for: through the Olympic atmosphere, the sports into daily life!

The Lancet calls for:

Integrate physical activity into daily life

Reporter Chu Chao

On the eve of last year's Tokyo Olympics, The Lancet released a "PhysicalActivity 2021 album" that called for greater physical activity around the world. It's the Beijing Winter Olympics, and The Lancet is once again pushing this album, calling for physical activity to be integrated into everyday life.

The so-called physical activity refers to the activities of energy consumption caused by the contraction of the skeletal muscles of the body, including various types, various intensities, and various categories of activities; they can be divided into four categories: occupational activities, transportation, housework and leisure activities.

Globally, 80% of adolescents in school are physically inactive

The album contains multiple reviews and studies in which it is noted that the total number of deaths caused by insufficient physical activity each year still exceeds 5 million. In particular, the physical activity status of adolescents is not optimistic.

Global analysis shows that 80% of adolescents in school have not met the 60-minute daily physical activity level recommended by the World Health Organization's physical activity guidelines and have made little progress since 2012. In addition, 40% of teenagers never walk to school, and 25% of teenagers spend more than 3 hours a day sitting in addition to sitting in class and doing homework.

The researchers also surveyed how much time teens spend watching screens in 38 European countries and found that 60 percent of boys and 56 percent of girls spend two or more hours a day watching TV; 51 percent of boys and 33 percent of girls spend two or more hours a day playing video games.

For people with disabilities, movement is beneficial

The album notes that there are about 1.5 billion people with physical, mental, sensory or intellectual disabilities worldwide, and that physical activity can have a range of positive effects on their physical and mental health.

However, studies have found that people with disabilities are 16 to 62 percent less likely to meet the physical activity guidelines recommended than the general population, and they are at higher risk of being trapped in serious health problems associated with physical inactivity, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity.

In fact, any amount of physical activity, even less than the 150 minutes per week recommended by the World Health Organization, is beneficial for people with disabilities. Benefits include improved cardiovascular health, muscle strength, functional skills, and mental health.

Call for more activities in the Olympic atmosphere

Ideally, the Olympics should be enough to motivate people to engage in physical activity. However, the fact is that the impact of the Olympic Games on the physical activity of the residents of the host city is not as expected. Studies have pointed out that there has been no significant change in people's participation in physical activity, either before or after the Olympic Games.

The study's lead author, Professor Adrian Bowman of the University of Sydney in Australia, said: "The Olympic Games provide a global stage to spark interest and enthusiasm for physical activity. The challenge is to translate this enthusiasm into sustainable public health projects that allow the public to participate and enjoy them widely. ”

During the epidemic, we should pay more attention to physical activity

Pam Das, senior executive editor of The Lancet, wrote in an editorial: "This COVID-19 pandemic is undoubtedly a powerful catalyst for physical activity. Exercise is considered by many countries to be an important activity, equal to food, shelter and access to medical care. It is necessary to integrate physical activity into people's daily lives, such as making good use of school physical education classes and after-school activities, and increasing the time spent walking every day. Set a reasonable goal so that people can put it into action. ”

China Guide: There is a reference amount for physical activity in all populations

Specific to China, the "Guide to Physical Activity of Chinese Groups (2021)" was released at the end of last year, which gives reference to the physical activity of various groups.

Children aged 2 and under

Various forms of interactive play with caregivers every day; toddlers who can walk independently engage in physical activity for at least 3 hours a day; restricted time (being held and bound) for no more than 1 hour at a time; and it is not recommended to look at various screens.

Children 3-5 years of age

At least 3 hours of physical activity per day, including 1 hour of active play, encourage more outdoor activities; each static behavior should not exceed 1 hour; and the cumulative screen time should not exceed 1 hour per day.

Children and adolescents aged 6-17 years

Engage in at least 1 hour of moderate to high-intensity physical activity per day, with a focus on outdoor activities; at least 3 days of muscle strength exercises and bone strengthening exercises per week; reduce static behaviors, each static behavior lasting no more than 1 hour, and the cumulative video screen time per day is less than two hours.

Adults aged 18-64 years

Cumulative 2.5 to 5 hours of moderate-intensity or 75-150 minutes of high-intensity aerobic activity per week, or an equivalent combination of moderate-intensity and high-intensity aerobic activity; at least two days of muscle strength exercises per week; maintain daily physical activity and increase activity.

Elderly people 65 years and older

The physical activity recommendations for adults also apply to the elderly; practice balance, flexibility, and flexibility should be adhered to; and if the body does not allow it, increase as much physical activity as possible within its capacity.

Chronically ill patients

Chronic diseases should be initiated with a doctor before physical activity and under the guidance of a professional; if the body permits, refer to the physical activity recommendations of peers; if the body does not allow it, encourage regular physical activity according to their own circumstances. No emphasis on intensity, but emphasis on regularity.

The pictures in this article are from the Internet

Edit || Chu Chao Wan Tao

The duty director || Fan Hongbo