Laziness is Addictive: Do you feel too tired to be healthy? You are not alone

There’s one popular Jamaican saying, “Tired feet always say that the path is long.” We all want to eat healthier, exercise regularly, and lead healthy lifestyles, however, they can all be exhausting. It turns out that’s literally the reason. A British study found that exhaustion and a lack of motivation are the main barriers to adopting a healthy lifestyle. Let’s take a closer look. Also read: Added sugars are injurious to health: What are these sweetners? ‘Too tired’ to be healthy YouGov conducted an online survey of 2,086 persons on behalf of the World Cancer Research Fund, and the results were released on Wednesday. It enquired as to what kept respondents from increasing their physical activity and adopting a healthy diet. 38 per cent of respondents said they lacked “motivation,” while 35 per cent said they were “too tired.”

Over 40 per cent of women cited “exhaustion” as their reason, in comparison to 29 per cent of the men. Even among age groupings, the gap was glaring. Nearly 50 per cent of the younger respondents (ages 25 to 34) indicated tiredness as a contributing cause, compared to 23 per cent of respondents aged 55 and beyond. (Respondents had the option of choosing multiple answers.) According to the poll, respondents were discouraged from being or eating healthier due to a lack of time, expensive gym memberships, and food costs. Also read: American Heart Association endorses DASH diet for a healthy heart: What is it? The ‘modern’ lifestyle Matt Lambert, health information and promotion manager of the cancer fund said, “People have busy schedules, and we know that for many, the last thing they might feel like doing when they are tired or lacking in motivation, is to start cooking from scratch or going to the gym," adding that taking small achievable steps can help without the pressure of overhauling your life. It is crucial that people choose healthier ways of living because, on the other hand, diseases like dementia, strokes, and diabetes are also steadily on the rise as a result of bad lifestyles in modern society. According to US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, adults in the United States make up a third of those who don’t get enough sleep. Routines have been interrupted, and stress levels have increased. It’s not just a show of weakness, according to one expert’s theory. Physical laziness is “natural and normal,” according to a 2015 research by Daniel Lieberman, a Harvard professor of human evolutionary biology. He believes, given the struggle our ancestors faced to survive, our tendency to rest comes from their need to preserve energy. Others presented different explanations for low motivation, such as adverse childhood experiences with physical activity. Also read: Explained: How healthy is your keto diet? Benefits of a healthy lifestyle According to the World Cancer Research Fund and Cancer Research UK, adopting a healthy lifestyle can help prevent close to 40 per cent of cancer cases. Through physiological changes including enhancing oxygen circulation and creating more mitochondria, movement can increase energy levels. As per Harvard Health researchers, mitochondria are referred to as the “powerhouses of cells” because they produce energy from glucose from the food you consume and oxygen from the air you breathe. Your body produces more energy when you have more of them. Additionally, a regular exercise routine might help enhance or encourage sleep. The Washington Post quoted Charlene Gamaldo, a neurology professor at the Johns Hopkins Center for Sleep at Howard County General Hospital, as saying, “We have solid evidence that exercise does, in fact, help you fall asleep more quickly and improves sleep quality.” Moreover, a healthier diet can also be beneficial. A healthy gut microbiome helps improve sleep, and fruits, vegetables, and legumes are particularly effective for doing this. According to several research, a healthy gut may also affect motivation. Despite the obvious advantages of a balanced diet and regular exercise, the fight is still present for many. Also read: Digest This: What’s the Mediterranean diet named the healthiest way to eat in 2023? Eight-week healthy living plan The WCRF is introducing an eight-week healthy living programme in the hopes that it would help people incorporate better habits into their daily lives. According to the article, eating healthily and exercising regularly are significant to lower one’s risk of contracting cancer and other ailments. Cancer affects one in two people at some point in their lives. The “better health - every mind matters” campaign, which was just launched, is one example of how the Department of Health and Social Care said it was supporting healthier lives to improve both physical and mental health. It encourages people to increase their exercise levels by using free apps like Active 10 and Couch to 5k. With inputs from agencies Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News , India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.