Couch potatoes treasure their remote control gadgets. For some, it must be the best invention ever. Life without one (or a few) would be difficult.
This technology has made lives much easier and perhaps some wish there was a remote control for many other things in life. On the other hand, this invention has taken away the minimal physical activity some were exposed to - getting out of the couch to, for instance, switch channels on the TV set or radio.
WHAT IT MEANS
 Besides medical benefits, regular exercises have psychological payoffs
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The bad effects of physical inactivity include high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes and obesity, which comes with its own list of other diseases. Regular exercising has many advantages and one that stands out is reducing the risk of premature death.
There are also psychological benefits to regular exercise such as workouts reduce anxiety, depression and emotional swings.
"It has been predicted that by the year 2020, the most common reason for South Africans visiting their doctors will be due to depression, and yet only an estimated 20% of individuals who meet the criteria for depression are actually treated by someone trained in the field," wrote Kathleen McQuaide, sports scientist & health promotions manager for Sports Science Institute of SA, in an article entitled Exercise - a tool for mental wellness last year.
Often there's an intention to exercise, but the lack of time is the problem for working urbanites.
But, says Mark Senring, a physiotherapist at the Centre for Sports Medicine & Orthopaedics, it's easier to be physically active than most people imagine and feels that awareness on wellness issues is improving in SA. Fitness consultant Andries Kekana agrees.
"First ask yourself what you enjoy doing then go for it - whether it's walking, cycling or something else as long as you enjoy and do it regularly (a few times a week). There's no point in choosing swimming if you're not comfortable in a bathing costume or doing push-ups if you don't like them," says Senring.
"People can destress during the day by simply taking a break every hour to stretch for two minutes or so."
Senring cites an example of a Japanese company where the workforce takes 30-40 minute stretch breaks every day. "The morbidity is down, productivity levels are up and the people's moods have generally improved."
Kekana advises people to engage in a combination of cardiac and stretching exercises for optimal results. Many gyms, he says, are usually open till late and with more gyms opening up in all major areas, access is becoming broader.
But even with broader access, it's unclear how many "join" these gyms (at the beginning of the year), only to give up weeks later after the euphoria of a New Year's resolution has fizzled out.
Before you continue slaving away, just remember how rewarding being physi-cally active can be.
