Open AccessA Pandemic We Continue to Ignore: South Africa’s Disease Burden of Physical Inactivity
Author(s) -
Jon Patricios,
Robin Saggers,
Georgia Torres
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
wits journal of clinical medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2618-0197
pISSN - 2618-0189
DOI - 10.18772/26180197.2022.v4n1a7
Subject(s) - pandemic , covid-19 , physical activity , disease , psychological intervention , non communicable disease , medicine , burden of disease , environmental health , development economics , pathology , physical therapy , infectious disease (medical specialty) , economics , nursing
The benefits of regular physical activity (PA) in mitigating the effects of non-communicable diseases have been well described.More recently, highlighted by a global need to protect large populations against the COVID-19 pandemic, the immunoprotectivebenefits of PA have come to the fore. This commentary explains the biological reasons for PA being an effective preventativetool against a range of diseases and expands upon its physiological effects at an organelle and molecular level. Moreover, theconcept of skeletal muscle as an endocrine organ is explained. Available data on the levels of activity in South African adultsand children are explored and interventions for improvement recommended.