Physical Activity: Barriers amongst Younger and Older Adults - Literature review Example

According to the Health and Human Service Report (2012), physical activities play a vital role in an individual’s life to maintain healthier life through controlling weight, stronger muscles, and bones and reduce mental stress (US Department of Health and Human Services, 2012). The decrease in physical activity has been associated with a low life expectancy and an increase in chronic diseases. Mariselle Mckeon (2008) states, ‘Physical activity produces a beneficial change in CVD risk factors, such as increase HDL cholesterol, reductions in blood pressure and weight normalization’ (McKeon, 2008). However, a great decline in physical activities has been observed in contemporary times. Several factors have been highlighted associated with the declining rate of physical activity and increase in health risk factors. Several barriers, such as socio-economical aspects are determined to be the major cause.
Lack of the physical activity and poor dietary intake is considered to be the leading factor that has lead millions of people suffering from severe disease and increase in mortality rate. Even though physical activities increase lifespan and healthier life still, a major proportion of adults do not participate in physical activities (Hunter, & Felson, 2006). The development of advanced technologies, households, vehicles, and attractive food chains have eliminated physical activities from people’s life, this is one of the major reasons that the obesity rate in developed countries like the United States is higher than the other countries. Physical exercise is bounded by lifestyle, routine, physical, personal, and environmental factors (Patay, 2007). These factors vary from society to society. Individual who are too busy and stressed in their lives indicates that they have lack of time to not to participate in physical activities.