caspersen 1984 physical activity definition

Caspersen 1984 physical activity definition update#

Caspersen 1984 physical activity definition update#

The aim of this brief review is to (a) provide an update on the definitions of physical activity, inactivity and sedentariness (b) examine their roles in occupational health and (c) suggest simple modifications in the workplace in order to decrease sedentary behaviors.ĭefinitions of physical activity and sedentary behaviors Both recommendations and public health strategies that promote physical activity and discourage sedentariness must rest on clear and universal definitions of these concepts to avoid any equivocal and misinterpreted messages. Interestingly, new pharmacologic drugs for treating non-communicable chronic diseases are being sold with the message to move more and decrease the time spent sedentary, emphasizing the importance of an active lifestyle that cannot be replaced by any pharmacologic strategies. Moreover, we are currently living in a paradoxical time where our society has become more “technophilic,” favoring strategies to avoid and/or minimize physical effort (and per se human motion) with more time devoted to sedentary behaviors while on the other hand, there is a growing interest and concern for healthy lifestyles. This general trend to avoid energy expenditure may explain why people do not exercise regularly despite the known negative effects of physical inactivity on health ( 14– 16).

Our societal changes, favoring the minimization of physical effort, are particularly problematic based on the assumption that individuals possess an innate tendency to conserve energy and avoid unnecessary physical exertion. These statistics are part of a large body of evidence associating occupational activities with health issues, clearly urging for appropriate worksite interventions to improve tertiary employees' health. According to some studies, the mortality rate is increased by 2% for every seated hour and can reach up to 8% per hour when the total consecutive time spent seated is above 8 h per day ( 13). Recent research including meta-analyses have clearly underlined the negative impact of seated occupational activities on overall mortality ( 11, 12). To date, while few data are available regarding employees' physical activity, their sedentary time and health-related consequences have been particularly studied. In their research, Church and colleagues reported a decrease of about 100 calories in the daily occupation-related energy expenditure over the last 50 years in the United States, which plays a significant role in the body weight of both men and women ( 10).

This sedentariness has lately been described as a major mortality risk factor ( 7), independent of physical activity ( 8), and ~5.3 million of deaths are attributed to physical inactivity ( 9).Ī worker's activity has evolved throughout the last century, clearly shifting to more sedentary occupational tasks, and this “tertiarization” results in workplaces that are of particular concern. The last century has been the cradle of our societies' modernization and automation favoring the occurrence and development of sedentary opportunities and behaviors. In addition to reducing the risk of mortality, regular physical activity favors healthy growth and aging and prevents the occurrence of many chronic diseases ( 6). The beneficial effects of physical activity have been clearly described in the literature with recent meta-analyses providing a high level of evidence regarding its impact on overall mortality ( 1, 2), cardiovascular disease-related mortality ( 3), or cancer-relate mortality ( 3– 5).