POSTED: Wednesday, July 18, 2012 - 10:09pm
UPDATED: Wednesday, July 18, 2012 - 10:10pm
LINDALE — 5.3 million deaths a year due to physical inactivity...
The shocking statistic is from a series of recent studies on what "not exercising" actually does to us.
KETK spoke with Craig Williams, a personal trainer at Trinity Mother Frances Health and Fitness in Lindale...he thinks the results are pretty spot on.
"It's like any form of machine...you leave an engine sitting still for a long time outside, it's gonna freeze up...it's not gonna work. And the human body is the same way, if you sit still...it's not gonna function, it's just gonna decay and fall apart," Williams said.
Joyce Page and her husband just moved to Lindale. They try to work out at least 3 times a week. She's definitely not fond of sitting still.
"I agree, I fully agree...cause I know that when I'm inactive, I can hardly move around...and when I stay active, then you know...you can tell! It just makes sense," Page said.
Williams tells KETK many folks think exercising means you have to go out, get a gym membership and lift weights every day...but that's not the only way to battle inactivity.
"They think all exercise is is spending hours and hours in a gym. Exercise is doing as little as 5 minutes at home, get up and walk around...take the stairs instead of the elevator," Williams said.
Prime example -- Jennifer Hardesty. She's been exercising regularly for the past 30 years...and at 67 years old...she still feels great.
"You seniors out there, stay active...there's hope for all of you. All you've got to do is get up off your butt and do it," Hardesty said.
And the study says the results require a new way of thinking...suggesting instead of educating the public on the benefits of exercise...we really should be talking about the dangers of not doing it.