WE’VE COME A long way from the time a man would begin his day by cutting firewood, completing his chores at home and then walking miles to work.
Today, the average forty-five -years-old man lives a “sedentary” life. After a quick shower he sits at the breakfast table, then rides in a comfortable car to his job – parking as close to the building as possible. He takes an elevator to his office where he sits in an executive chair until noon. That’s when he gets back in his car and heads for a local cafe or to the drive-through window of a fast food restaurant for a hamburger and fries to eat at his desk back at the office. The rest of the afternoon he’s secure in his chair – on the phone, dictacting or starting at a computer screen.
At day’s end, he drives home, heads for the sofa and begins flicking through the television channels until his wife serves dinner – often delivered to the TV room. Then it’s back to channel – surfing until the 10 o’ clock news and bedtime.
How many steps has this man walked in the everage day? What has he done to elevate his heart rate? Where is the exercise?
A similar saga can be written about working women. And what about the “soccer moms “? They spend their day driving the kids ro activities, arriving home exhausted – but not from exercise.
