Stairs, sports can lead to long life
by Brian Wainstein, Editor-In-Chief

   One-third of Americans are overweight and one-quarter obese, according to the American Medical Association.
   Unsurprisingly, heart disease is ranked as the top killer of the U.S. population, according to the National Center for Health Statistics.
   Medical science believes a significant number of heart-related mortalities are caused by excess fat, which can build up and clog major arteries, leading to clot formation or decreased circulation.
   This may be partly caused by the lack of physical activity in American lives. According to the NCHS, only three in every 10 people perform regular physical activity.
   With the advent of technology, many physical jobs performed by humans are now done by machines, leaving flesh-and-blood beings to sit at a desk all day.
   When at home though, many of the pastimes we used to enjoy have been sucked up by the technological black hole as well:    America’s favorite pastime these days is television.
   Instead of tennis, swimming, racquetball, baseball, football or any of the myriads of sports activities, Americans tune in to TV and out from the world.
  In a 2000 survey, households with cable television spent more than 60 hours a week on average watching TV instead of performing health-related activities.
  According to a survey of 300 households by Barbara Brock, Eastern Washington University, 80 percent of children in households without television play sports.
   The children showed above-average reading abilities, and families had more “quality time” together, she reported.
   Maybe it is time to turn our backs on technology for a while.
   TCC’s HPE departments recommend we perform cardiovascular activities, such as running, cycling or swimming, at least three times a week to improve our cardiovascular performance.
   Of course, we can incorporate healthy activities into our daily routines: Instead of taking the elevator at work, we can use the stairs.   Instead of driving to the 7-11 for a Slurpee, we can walk. Instead of watching a game and drinking beers, we can go out and play sports ourselves. Instead of dinner and a movie, we can take dates for a walk in the park.
  Not only would the populace be healthier, Americans would live longer.
  And who doesn’t want to live forever?