Identifying the True Cost of Lack of Exercise

Current exercise guidelines by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend adults get 2.5 hours of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise or one hour and 15 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise per week. Unfortunately, though, recent studies have found that only 1 in 5 adults meet these guidelines.

Skipping the gym may seem harmless enough, but it can take a serious toll, not only on your health but your wallet as well. A new study has found that health problems attributed to lack of exercise cost the world approximately $67.5 billion in 2013. To put that number into perspective, that's more than the total growth domestic product (GDP) for many countries.

For the study, researchers analyzed population and health data from 142 countries, which represent some 93% of the world's population. Researchers discovered that the total cost of healthcare services associated with lack of exercise was around $53.8 billion, while the total cost of lost productivity stemming from lack of exercise was $13.7 billion. When combined, this amounts to a staggering $67.5 billion.

What's even more alarming, however, is that researchers believe the total cost could actually be higher than $67.5 billion. This is because researchers based the cost of healthcare services associated with lack of exercise to five specific diseases: heart disease, stroke, diabetes, breast cancer and colon cancer. Of course, there are dozens of other diseases and illnesses that are caused, or at least linked to, sedentary lifestyles.

"We defined physical activity as activity of at least moderate intensity," study lead author Ulf Ekelund of the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences told AFP. "Examples are brisk walking at five kilometres per hour (3.1 miles per hour) or bicycling at 16 km/h."

The bottom line is that we need to spend more time exercising to ward off disease and illness; otherwise, you can expect to pay a hefty fee for healthcare services.

But exercising isn't always easy, especially if you lack the time to do it. Maybe you're busy with work, or perhaps you have a family to care for. In any case, exercise should be a priority. Taking the stairs instead of the elevator, for instance, is a simple and effective way to increase your physical activity levels. Another idea is to wake up 30 minutes earlier in the morning to exercise. Little things like this can quickly add up.