Welcome research from 5-5 regarding the general health benefits of “muscle strengthening activity” provides a clear link between regular use of our bodies in ways that are effortful and reduced risks from diseases. [https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/bjsports/56/13/755.full.pdf]
For years, exercise therapy research has focused on the ways in which exercise affects muscles, joints etc. But this study provides us with an evidence basis for allowing people the freedom and opportunity to take part in an active lifestyle to protect against heart disease, generalised cancer and other life-threatening and life-limiting conditions.
Gym tho?
What is “muscle strengthening activity”? Yes, of course you can bust a gut in the gym or race up and down hills to create a “strengthening” effect on your muscles, but the joy of these findings is that the benefits can be achieved by any activity that has an effect on your muscles. Housework, walking, playing with children, gardening, yoga … the benefit comes from using your muscles in ways that are hard, there’s no rules about what you do.
Generally it’s best to work under gravity and use some kind of resistance (so pull or push something).
Tech tho?
So, what does this mean for our future society? How can we use this information to help design heathy communities? One thing that seems clear is that reducing all physical labour to a finger press or voice command might have consequences for public health. Homeworking, a delivery economy, urban living, app-based everything – from switching on a light to feeding the parking meter – has the potential to limit the intrinsic opportunities for “muscle strengthening activity” for future citizens [https://www.gr0wing.com/howto-work-from-your-bed/].
The future elderly facing increased risks of health problems due to removal of the necessity of movement and exertion will increase the load on an already strained health and social care system.
Design for life
Maybe one way out is to design for humanity – a future full of tech that perpetuates movement while increasing opportunity. Tech has great potential to generate inclusive societies and to enable those currently disabled by the physical demands of activities such as work.
Let’s be creative and find solutions that merge tech and movement for all at appropriate levels. Let’s bring back buttons, levers, locations, lifting, pulling, pushing! Perhaps the hipsters have the right idea after all … [https://www.usbtypewriter.com]