Activate Your Body, Improve Your Health This Summer Holiday

During the year, we are usually very conscious about looking after ourselves, both through diet and physical activity. But once summer arrives, we tend to forget both: we put our lives on hold, relax and leave our healthy habits behind. In this post, we explain why it is important to keep them going and not give in to a sedentary lifestyle. So get your body moving and say goodbye to inactivity and hello to healthy living!

Tips to improve your health in summer

Rest and holidays should not be a synonym for inactivity. Just because we are taking a few days off does not mean we have to live in an unhealthy way or stop moving altogether. In fact, the body rests and recovers much better when it stays active. And when better to return to those activities we had put aside because of lack of time than during the holidays? So there are no excuses.

During the year, we spend many hours sitting down, especially people who work in an office or spend long hours standing or driving. That is why now is the perfect time to get the body moving.

There are many studies linking a sedentary lifestyle to a large number of diseases (1, 3, 4, 5), including cardiovascular problems, type 2 diabetes and cancer. It can also influence mood disorders and even sleep cycles. That is why exercise is known as a “multi-pill” because of all the benefits it brings to the body (2).

The good news is that you do not need to spend long hours training in a gym or sign up for sophisticated sports. A brisk walk, a bike ride or a swim is enough to make a difference. What matters most is staying active and leaving sedentary habits behind.

How to get your body and health moving on holiday

When it comes to exercises to activate the body, simple activities such as these are enough:

• Walk every day, for example during the cooler hours, early in the morning or later in the evening.
• Go for a walk with your pet.
• Play with your children, grandchildren or pets.
• Explore hiking routes in your local area.

• If you live in a block of flats, use the stairs instead of the lift.

Benefits of daily exercise

The benefits of moving more and exercising are not only physical, but also emotional and mental. Supported by multiple studies, exercise is linked to positive effects on mental health (6), helping to reduce anxiety and stress while improving sleep cycles and sleep quality. That is why you should see exercise and movement as a way of listening to your body from within.

So look after your health in summer and move for pleasure. Find the exercise that activates the whole body and is easiest for you to stick to and bring into your routine, both on holiday and in everyday life. Remember that you can ask any questions through the FarmaciasDirect pharmaceutical advice service.

References:

1. Biswas, A., et al. (2015).Sedentary Time and Its Association With Risk for Disease Incidence, Mortality, and Hospitalization in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.Annals of Internal Medicine, 162(2), 123–132.
2. Ekelund, U., et al. (2016).Does physical activity attenuate, or even eliminate, the detrimental association of sitting time with mortality? A harmonised meta-analysis of data from more than 1 million men and women.The Lancet, 388(10051), 1302–1310.
3. Booth, F. W., Roberts, C. K., & Laye, M. J. (2012).Lack of exercise is a major cause of chronic diseases.Comprehensive Physiology, 2(2), 1143–1211.
4. Patterson, R., et al. (2018).Sedentary behaviour and risk of all-cause, cardiovascular and cancer mortality, and incident type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and dose response meta-analysis.European Journal of Epidemiology, 33(9), 811–829.
5. Owen, N., et al. (2010).Too much sitting: the population-health science of sedentary behavior.Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews, 38(3), 105–113.
6. Schuch, F. B., et al. (2016). Exercise as a treatment for depression: A meta-analysis adjusting for publication bias.Journal of Psychiatric Research, 77, 42–51.