Marching on sedentary behaviours

For the next 100 days Australians will be urged to march against sedentary behaviour as part of an initiative launched by Tasmanian nurse, exercise physiologist and aged care professional Peter Bradley.

Bradley, who is also service manager at RDNS Home Care, hopes to help combat the increasing time people spend sitting at desks, in front of computers, travelling in cars by asking participants to march at least 10,000 steps each day.

The ultimate goal of Bradley’s campaign is to promote healthy exercise, improve overall health and reducing risk factors for diseases such as diabetes by bolstering lung capacity and helping to stabilise blood sugars.

“Our lifestyle has become extremely sedentary - now, we get to the stage now where people don't even go down to the local shop to buy their milk, they jump into the car, go to the supermarket and everything is about convenience,” Bradley told Nursing Review.

“Unfortunately, that makes us very lazy, we're not doing anything and we lose all our physical condition so I was looking to something that is going to get people doing something.

“As soon as you start being active - and I'm talking about incidental activity… not physically going out and doing exercises but just involving that you move around during the day - then you will find that you get those steps and you become better and you're able to cope with things and you prevent the burgeoning diseases that come with inactivity.”

The campaign kicks off today with the 100^th day falling on ANZAC day.

“If we can get people moving and a march of 10,000 steps a day for 100 days will get the equivalent of the Tasmanian Victorian Cross recipients to Gallipoli for the 25th of April in 2015,” Bradley explained.

“That would mean that we have a symbolic gesture towards improving our own lifestyle and our own well-being.”

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