7 signs to know we are not exercising enough
Exercises are supplementary activities we do to our body for maintenance or progression of our humanly possibe functions and capacities. We do this because most modern activities of daily living are insufficient to provide our musculoskeletal, cardiopulmonary and neurological systems sufficient stimulus to maintain their function well into old age. We may attribute this to modern conveniences which is both a blessing and a curse. With lift-landings at every floor in most residential and commercial buildings, escalators so we don’t need to climb stairs, food delivery services even though food centres are within walking distances, it would take extra willpower to resist taking the easy way. With our physical abilities it's either “use it or lose it”. Hence, it is more important now than ever that we exercise so that we can maintain our function even when we grow older. Below are 7 signs to know we are not exercising enough.
We do not hit the minimum recommended dose
The Health Promotion Board together with Sport Singapore revised the physical activity guidelines in 2022. The new guidelines include recommendations for age 0 onwards, recommendation for pregnant mothers and people with disability. You may click on the link under references for details on the guidelines. This first sign you are not exercising enough may seem obvious but I just have to say it. If you are not hitting the minimum recommendations, you are clearly leading a dangerously sedentary life. These guidelines were not plugged from the air but made after going through tons of research to find the minimal effective dose for healthy living. Hitting the minimum recommended dose is the first step in getting away from a sedentary lifestyle.
2 . We are experiencing pain associated with inactivity
The human body was never designed to sit behind a desk for hours on end. Our bodies were made to experience the full variety of humanly possible movements like running, jumping, climbing, going over obstacles, going under obstacles, carrying, lifting and squatting. When our bodies are devoid of these movements on a regular basis, not only do we start to lose the ability to do them, but we start to develop pain in the joints and muscles. Strain in muscles may set in as little as 30 mins if we are put in an awkward or bad posture. In a study by Lee et al in 2019, they found a correlation between those who were more sedentary (spending > 10 hrs of waking hours sitting or lying) and chronic knee pain in adults over 50 years of age. This study disproves the myth that we should not be so active as we age, which is the mindset that a lot of elderly have. How do we know that the pain is caused by inactivity? Usually pain caused by inactivity gets better or goes away after we start moving. So if you get pain with prolonged inactivity but improves after you move, it may be a sign you are not exercising enough.
3. We are experiencing lifestyle diseases
There was a joint statement published way back in 2010 by the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Diabetes Association stating that it is well established that participation in regular physical activity improves blood glucose control and can prevent or delay type 2 diabetes, along with positively affecting lipids, blood pressure, cardiovascular events, mortality, and quality of life. Lifestyle diseases are named that way because it is caused by lifestyle choices and hence can be prevented. Getting diagnosed with any of these lifestyle diseases is not a death sentence but more of a wake up call. A call to examine habits in your life, a call to make positive changes because lifestyle diseases can be improved if not reversed if addressed early and impactfully enough. This is the third way we know we are not exercising enough. Speak to a healthcare professional to see how you can reverse lifestyle diseases through exercise.
4. We are experiencing functional decline
Functional decline is a decrement in physical and/or cognitive functioning and occurs when a person is unable to engage in activities of daily living. It can occur with periods of hospitalisation or it can creep up on you slowly, bit by bit until it becomes too severe to ignore. You might hear statements like “ I used to be able to squat fully. These days I can’t” or, “ I used to be able to climb up overhead bridges with no problems. Now I walk further to cross at the traffic light”. Such statements demonstrate a decline in strength and power. With the principle of Specific Adaptations to Imposed Demands, we know that we will improve on whatever we work on. Chronic functional decline occurs because we have not exposed our bodies to sufficient stimulus or training to maintain or improve that particular function. If we keep avoiding stairs, we will lose the strength to climb stairs. If we avoid squatting, we will eventually experience difficulty in using a squatting toilet because our joints have adapted to become tight beyond a certain range of motion and our muscles have become weakened to help us get up into standing from the full squat position. The good news is with training, you will improve your function. Hence if you are beginning to realise some functional decline, speak to a physiotherapist or a trainer to get you back on the path of health.
5. We get injured easily
This sign is closely related to the previous sign of functional decline. Once we have declined functionally, we have reduced our work capacity, causing a reduced threshold before overloading occurs. By building a large work capacity, our bodies would have more leeway before injuries occur. For instance, if you regularly lift a 20kg load and one day, you are tasked to carry a 10kg load, it would be a walk in the park for you. However, someone who is inactive and doesn’t strength train, may get a strain whilst carrying that 10kg load. The same is true when it comes to balance training. Someone who is exposed to balance training would be at a lower risk of falls and injuries compared to someone who does not train. If you start to realise that you are getting injured easily, speak to a physiotherapist or a trainer/coach to see if you need training in any particular area.
6. We experience huge inertia to exercise
“The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.”(Matthew 26:41). This statement best describes the sixth sign to know we are not exercising enough. A little bit of a physics lesson here which is taken from Newton’s first law : if a body is at rest or moving at a constant speed in a straight line, it will remain at rest or keep moving in a straight line at constant speed unless it is acted upon by a force. Inertia is present because we do not have momentum. But once you gather momentum, it’s easy to continue going. Inertia is present because we have not embedded exercise as part of our lifestyle, hence it is going to be tough in the beginning. Once it is part of our lifestyle, it would be second nature to us and we do not require any motivation because it is simply a habit. There may be multiple factors that contribute to this phenomenon. The first and most common factor is poor motivation. This factor is more prevalent especially in the beginning when people are trying to start exercising. Some may not be able to see the reason nor the value of exercises and hence may not appreciate the benefits it may bring. Secondly, poor time management may cause us to be less efficient with our time, leaving exercise to hours of the day when we are less energetic. Thirdly, if we are nutritionally in a deficit, we may not have enough energy nor the motivation to exercise. Sometimes all it takes is a little snack to get the engine started. There are many more factors that may cause us to have inertia to exercise which will be explored in future blogs.
7. We feel lethargic or irritable often
When we exercise, besides stimulating our cardiovascular system and musculoskeletal system, our endocrine system gets stimulated too. Hormones like cortisol and epinephrine which are the flight and flight hormones. They are also released when we are excited or stressed. We become more alert and energised, ready to react. Lethargy may be experienced when our endocrine system is under stimulated caused by lack of exercise. Conversely, there may be another group of people who may feel irritable, impatient and angry most of the time. Exercise may be the answer because with exercise, hormones such as dopamine, endorphins and serotonin are also released into our bloodstream. Dopamine keeps us motivated when we achieve a goal, for example a target to do 5 pull ups. Endorphins help relieve pain and stress. Serotonin makes us happy, satisfied and optimistic. With exercise, such mood disturbances may be kept at bay and we become more pleasant to get along with.
Tips on increasing your exercise
If you are diagnosed with any diseases, please check with your medical or healthcare professional before increasing your exercise volume
Start with an intensity and volume that is within your comfort zone
Progress gradually. Increasing too much and too fast may increase your risk of injuries
Seek medical or healthcare professional’s advise if you are experiencing any pain
Get a coach/trainer that is able to guide you on more complex movements and come up with a suitable training program that is challenging yet achievable
Stay tuned for the next blog to find out about signs your are exercising too much!
References
Lee SH, Son C, Yeo S, Ha IH. Cross-sectional analysis of self-reported sedentary behaviors and chronic knee pain among South Korean adults over 50 years of age in KNHANES 2013-2015. BMC Public Health. 2019 Oct 26;19(1):1375. doi: 10.1186/s12889-019-7653-9. PMID: 31655569; PMCID: PMC6815384.
Colberg SR, Sigal RJ, Fernhall B, Regensteiner JG, Blissmer BJ, Rubin RR, Chasan-Taber L, Albright AL, Braun B; American College of Sports Medicine; American Diabetes Association. Exercise and type 2 diabetes: the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Diabetes Association: joint position statement. Diabetes Care. 2010 Dec;33(12):e147-67. doi: 10.2337/dc10-9990. PMID: 21115758; PMCID: PMC2992225