Sedentary lifestyle is a reality of the current world. This term generally indicates irregular or minimum physical activity and is a commonly found habit in majority of the people. There is no dearth of people amongst us who neglect physical activity and are involved in several desk related jobs that rarely require any amount of physical stress. Even activities like reading, sitting, watching television, use of computers and any activity where you don't use your body very much can be categorized as inactive lifestyle. Now, this doesn't mean we should give up our daily work or stop reading. In essence, a lifestyle that lacks physical exercises, in the broader sense means that the body and its muscles are not utilized effectively and hence it leads to poor blood circulation thereby leading to the possibility of a host of other diseases. That's why sports and recreational activities must be given priority in schools and colleges. Effects of an Unhealthy Lifestyle While medical experts claim that with aging, we tend to lose our vitality, there is no less truth in the statement that poor physical activity in the age group 20 - 35 years, leads to improper health in the later years of life. Physical activity is like an accelerator that moves everything in the body. Proper oxygen passage, blood flow, nutrients and the cellular processes are carried out efficiently with lots of physical activity. When you workout, you sweat a lot and hence, body toxins are released from the body. Physical exercises in sunlight and natural environment gives a natural healing to the body and it leads to holistic health. Causes and Effects Laziness is generally regarded as the most important cause of a sedentary lifestyle. There can be innumerable excuses for not getting involved in physical exercises. However, an individual has to understand that poor exercising habits can lead to poor health. Some of the most common risks associated with physical inactivity are obesity/overweight, heart diseases and muscle atrophy etc. Obesity Obesity is generally defined as the excess body fat that has resulted due to poor eating habits and an unhealthy lifestyle. It generally occurs when calorie intake of a person is more than it is required by the body. One of the most evident side effects is obesity. Although genetic make up and some medical conditions can result in obesity, generally, poor lifestyle is one of the greatest contributors to obesity. Risk of Heart Diseases For the body to function efficiently, the heart must get a proper supply of blood. Complete lack of physical activity leads to poor blood circulation. It becomes slow and blood vessels can get stiff and blocked. Therefore, it is indeed logical to connect heart diseases in most of the cases to a lifestyle of decades where health was neglected and there was minimum physical activity. Indeed, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that ignoring health in the younger ages is bound to create problems as you get older. Osteoporosis, diabetes, cancer, sleep apnea and Alzheimer's disease are some other threats of a poor lifestyle lacking in exercises. Adopting a healthy exercise routine (even simple exercises like walking, running and jogging) can go a long way in avoiding dangers of overexercising.