Prior to the Industrial Revolution, people maintained their physical activity by doing their own farmwork and domestic chores, much like my grandmother.  They had to rely on sheer muscle strength for their livelihood and transportation.  But with the invention of machines and cars, we started moving less and less.  For the first time in human history, physical activity became optional for both survival and recreation.  Today the term “work” can mean any number of different things; for many of us, it defines the mental activity we perform while sitting in an office chair in front of a computer for eight to ten hours per day.  For an increasing number of people, work has little to do with physical labor.

            Our lives may feel more “on the go” than ever before, but it’s not because we’re moving.  After tallying the miles traveled in a day, we may be surprised at the distance we’ve covered, but it’s not by foot or bicycle, which means we’re spending a large majority of our lives sitting in a vehicle or on some other form of public transportation.  For the first time in our history, “busy” and “active” are not synonymous. 

            Not only is much of our “work” motionless, so is our leisure.  Television remains a primary form of entertainment for many us.  As a matter of fact, “we spend nine times as many minutes watching TV or movies as we do on sports, exercise and all other leisure-time physical activities combined.” And with the reign of the remote control, it’s a rare day that we’ll get up to change the channel—at least not without tearing up the couch cushions first in an effort to find it!  With our “lifestyle conveniences” our muscles have shrunk and our waistlines expanded.  We’re sedentary.

By Dr. Monica Reed, author of CREATION BREAKTHROUGH

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