Is Modern Technology Killing Us Here in Phoenixville?

Should technology be considered another risk factor for heart disease, cancer, diabetes and stroke? Or should we look closer at the habits we have developed with the help of modern technology?

When looking at modern technology, consider the convenience factor, making it so easy to get through your life without really having to lift more than a finger or two.

In this day of modern convenience I can’t deny that it is quite easy to get away with not walking any further than from your couch to your bathroom, especially if you work on a computer at home.  Maybe you throw in an extra jaunt to the kitchen for a snack or jump in your car to the nearest quick eats restaurant, not even breaking a sweat.

Think about it: with all the conveniences, who needs to exercise? Why do you need to exercise?

We no longer have to hunt for our food for survival or even defend ourselves from something that may want to eat us for dinner, so why exercise? You can hire someone to clean the house, someone to take care of your lawn and even someone to walk your dog.

So where is that person to do your exercise for you? Where is that little pill that is going to give you the same effects as actually moving your body?

Based on research done by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), inactivity or a sedentary lifestyle is a higher risk factor than tobacco for heart disease and stroke. And the rates of heart disease, stroke and diabetes have a direct correlation to obesity and inactivity.

So, why does the American population continue to be sedentary? If given the ability to predict the future and know that if you started exercising today you could prevent or reduce your risk of getting heart disease, diabetes, even cancer, would you start exercising today?

Let's look at one of the oldest habits we have, brushing our teeth. Except when we were children learning from our parents, we never question the importance of brushing our teeth, and the majority of U.S. residents brush their teeth on a regular basis. Whether we like to or not we brush our teeth. It is a habit we have made a part of our lives. They have even created battery-operated toothbrushes so we can brush our teeth faster and more thoroughly.  

We have created a habit of brushing our teeth with the help of modern technology. Why can’t we create another healthy habit of exercise with the help of modern technology?

You wouldn’t be reading this article without the help of modern technology. Did you know that you can access workouts, personal trainers, nutrition and diet help sites via your computer, either at a cost or even for free? You may even be able to access workouts through your cable provider, whenever you'd like. If you have a Wii or XBox Kinect you can purchase games that actually require physical activity to score points.  

This information is old news, right? If you are one of the many who can’t seem to get started, find some time today to put exercise into your schedule. Schedule your exercise on your smartphone or Google calendar and make it a habit.  

Make it a necessary habit you may or may not like to do. If you keep exercising everyday, it will eventually become as automatic as brushing your teeth.  

Instead of sitting at the computer or watching many hours of TV, take some of my suggestions, grab your iPod, find a workout online and take it to Reeves Park or do your own workout in Reeves Park (after the Dogwood Festival wraps up, of course).

Another option is to dig your bike out from under all the clutter in your garage, which will take some exercise, or and ride like the wind!

Take the time today to use your technology to get back a better habit of staying healthy. Modern technology is not the enemy and doesn't have to be another risk factor. Like anything else it is what you make of it.