Want to be healthier? Try limiting your TV time to 2 hours (or less) a day
Now that social distancing, business closures, and limited building occupancy for some public locations, has become the norm, it can be difficult to be as active as we once were.
You are probably staying home more and indulging in more sedentary activities, like watching TV or playing video games. More than ever, though, it is important to stay active and live a healthy lifestyle. One way we can do this, according to research, is to cut back on our time watching TV. Researchers say that cutting back to 2 hours a day may be a good way to prevent poor health.
One study used data from people who were recruited between 2006 and 2010 to participate in the UK Biobank, a large, long-term study aimed at studying how genetics and environment impact the development of disease. In the study, the researchers looked at data regarding the lifestyle and demographics of 490,966 people between the ages of 37 and 73. The study participants were followed from 2006 to 2018, with their data being linked to national routine death and disease registries.
To rule out the possibility that poor health was causing the participants to be more sedentary and watch more TV, the researchers excluded those who had cancer and cardiovascular disease from their study.
When they analyzed the data, the team found that those who had the lowest overall health risks were those who viewed TV for 2 hours or less per day. They estimated that 6% of all deaths and 8% of cardiovascular deaths were associated with TV-viewing time.
Body and mind
The pandemic has been stressful for everyone. Fear and anxiety about a new disease and what could happen can be overwhelming and cause strong emotions in adults and children. Not to mention that social distancing and isolation can make you feel, well, isolated and lonely. While these actions are necessary to reduce the spread of COVID-19, coping with stress in a healthy way will make you and the people you care about, stronger.
The CDC says that stress during an infectious disease outbreak can cause the following:
- Fear and worry about your own health and the health of your loved ones, your financial situation or job, or loss of support services you rely on.
- Changes in sleep or eating patterns.
- Difficulty sleeping or concentrating.
Mental health is an important part of overall health and wellbeing. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also has an effect on how well we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices during an emergency.
People with pre-existing mental health conditions or substance use disorders may be particularly vulnerable in an emergency. Mental health conditions affect a person’s thinking, feeling, mood or behavior in a way that influences their ability to relate to others and function each day. These conditions may be situational (short-term) or long-lasting (chronic). People with preexisting mental health conditions should continue with their treatment and be aware of new or worsening symptoms. The CDC has compiled a long list of mental health resources and advice on its website at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/managing-stress-anxiety.html.