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A sedentary lifestyle is one involving little or no physical activity. In the UK, sedentary behaviour is increasing due to technology, desk-based jobs and screen time. For Edexcel GCSE PE, you must understand the full range of health consequences — physical, emotional and social — and be able to explain how inactivity leads to each one.
Sedentary means sitting or lying down for extended periods with minimal energy expenditure. Examples include:
The Chief Medical Officer recommends that adults do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week (or 75 minutes of vigorous activity). Many people in the UK do not meet this target.
| Mechanism | Detail |
|---|---|
| Positive energy balance | Energy intake (food) exceeds energy expenditure (activity), so excess energy is stored as fat |
| Reduced metabolic rate | Less muscle mass means the body burns fewer calories at rest |
| Cycle of inactivity | Being overweight makes activity more difficult, leading to even less exercise |
Obesity increases the risk of many other conditions listed below.
A sedentary lifestyle increases the risk of CHD because:
| How Inactivity Causes Type 2 Diabetes | Detail |
|---|---|
| Insulin resistance | Without exercise, cells become less responsive to insulin |
| Weight gain | Excess body fat (especially around the abdomen) worsens insulin resistance |
| Blood sugar rises | The body cannot regulate blood glucose effectively |
Inactivity leads to:
| How Inactivity Affects Mental Health | Detail |
|---|---|
| No serotonin boost | Without exercise, the body produces less serotonin, increasing the risk of depression |
| Social isolation | Sedentary people miss out on the social benefits of sport and exercise |
| Poor self-image | Weight gain and reduced fitness lower self-esteem |
| Poor sleep | Inactivity is linked to insomnia and poor sleep quality |
Sitting for long periods causes:
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