PHYSICAL ACTIVITY HAS not gotten the attention it deserves on this island.
Lecturer at the Chronic Disease Research Centre, Christina Howitt, said that a low level of fitness caused more deaths than hypertension, smoking, diabetes, high cholesterol and obesity.
“Leading an active lifestyle can reduce the risk of a whole range of diseases starting with stroke. We see more than 500 strokes each year in Barbados. Being active can reduce the risk by almost 30 per cent. Next, hypertension and Alzheimer’s disease – a reduction for both of these by about 40 per cent,” she said.
Though walking was identified as the most popular exercise for men and women, the lecturer said she was worried that only one in every ten Barbadian women got enough physical activity, while the figure stood at four for every ten men. (WILLCOMM)
Please read the full story in today’s Saturday Sun, or in the eNATION edition.