“But you, lazybones, how long will you sleep? When will you wake up? A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest: then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit:” NLT (Proverbs 6:9-11a)
Sleep and rest are components of a healthy lifestyle. As young or older adults, you can sleep for 7-9 hours in 24 hours, and then rest after you complete your professional, vocational, college, or any other work you do in a day. But you cannot habitually sleep excessively, sit, recline, lie down, or avoid work; such actions constitute physical inactivity and will increase the risk of becoming obese, diabetic, and having heart disease.
Avoiding physical inactivity is a deliberate action you must adopt and maintain: engage in the recommended physical activity to live a healthy lifestyle. Avoiding physical inactivity requires behavioral change. According to the Institute of Medicine (IOM,2001), “Behavior can be changed, and those changes can influence health. However, “Initiating and maintaining behavior change is complex and difficult” (Pellmar, Brandt, and Baird, 2002). According to DiClemente et al (2019), “Before behaviors can change, the determinant(s) of behavior, the nature of the behavior, and motivation for the behavior must be understood.” There are several behaviors change theories and models that can be applied at multiple levels of influence on human behavior, using a socioecological approach: which states that “human behavior shapes and is shaped by multiple levels of influences.”
WLT provides the fundamental truth, rooted in God’s word, for behavior change that promises benefits in this life and in the life to come. This truth brings profound change to individuals’ hearts and minds, transforming their character, behavior, attitudes, beliefs, and knowledge, enabling them to readily adopt, sustain, and consistently engage in physical activity. When individuals adopt a healthy lifestyle that includes physical activity, they serve as role models for other family members, including children, and for the broader community. Many diseases, injuries, disabilities, and premature deaths from heart diseases, strokes, cancers, and diabetes can be prevented or reduced by engaging in moderate to vigorous intensity aerobic physical activity.
The following physical inactivities are identified from the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans (PAGA 2nd edition)
Follow us on our website, blog, and social media platforms, and at conferences, seminars, workshops, community spiritual well-being events, as we use truths rooted in the Word of God totransform your heart and mind and equip you with evidence-based health education and health promotion interventions to provide equitable opportunities to acquire the knowledge, attitudes, skills, and insights needed to avoid physical inactivity, adopt and sustain healthy lifestyles and lead purpose-driven, transformative lives.