National Physical Fitness and Sports Month highlights the importance of physical activity to achieve and maintain a balanced well-being. While good health is a standard goal for all, health statistics show that African Americans suffer alarming disparities of several chronic conditions, underscoring the importance of educational resources and access to physical fitness and training in Black communities.
Black Americans have some of the highest risks of developing several chronic diseases in comparison to their white counterparts, specifically regarding heart disease, stroke, asthma, and various types of cancer.
Further, Black women represent a disproportionate percentage of health diagnoses including obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
“Notwithstanding the enormous benefits of physical activity, Black/African-American women are more likely to be less physically active than their white counterparts,” according to the National Library of Medicine. “About 38% of non-Hispanic Black women against 23% of non-Hispanic white women had reported little or no participation in leisure-time physical activity. As a consequence, this population is burdened with high risk and prevalence of chronic diseases.”
The adverse pattern of inactivity has even affected today’s youth as experts show young people are more occupied with technology than exercise and playing outside.
“Due to the increasing rate of industrialization and the emergence of sophisticated technology, there is a relative decrease in physical activity and an overwhelming increase in sedentary lifestyle, chronic disease morbidity, and mortality,” the National Library of Medicine reported.
In addition, childhood obesity has become a more common concern among Black American youth, with juvenile obesity rates nearly doubling that of their white counterparts at 24.8%, compared to 16.6% of non-Hispanic white children.
Barriers to Physical Activity
While popularized sports like basketball or football are a significant part of physical leisure and entertainment in many Black communities, rates of inactivity often rises among adults as they age out of high school or college leagues.
Often, barriers to physical activity prevent many people from exercise.
“Today, less than half of all Americans live within a half-mile of a park. Tens of millions of children do not have access to a playground within a 10-minute walk of their home. Cash-strapped schools are too often cutting physical education programs. Youth sports leagues can be expensive, leaving too many kids with few options. The United States of America can do better,” said President Joe Biden in a declaration for National Physical Fitness and Sports Month.
In addition some of the unique barriers for African Americans include family responsibilities, body image perception, and even hair care concerns, particularly for Black women, when working out. Moreover, environmental and public-safety challenges facing some Black communities, such as pollution and violence make it difficult for some people to even walk or run in their neighborhoods.
These social and intrapersonal barriers can hamper attempts at implementing behavioral changes and encouraging health and fitness progress.
Physical Activity Key to Life
Whether aiming to lose weight, reduce anxiety, or improve one’s physique, a successful fitness program requires consistency and proper knowledge to achieve our physical fitness goals.
Outside of the gym, moderate to high-intensity activities including running, walking, weight lifting, aerobic exercises, and yoga are commonly associated with improved body weight, cardiovascular health, body mass index (BMI), and overall well-being.
The physical benefits of exercise are a true healing modality to bolstering health outcomes and strengthening the livelihood of the Black community.
While proper nutrition and diet lead as the foundation of sustainable health, physical fitness is a principal component of positive outcomes when considering healthy blood pressure levels, a balanced BMI, muscle density, and cardiovascular health, respiratory and mental health.
In 1894, Mary P. Evans, wrote in a Black women’s magazine called “Woman’s Era,” that exercise: “enables you to keep in the best condition for work with the hands or with the brain… It prepares you to meet disappointment, sorrow, ill treatment, and great suffering as the strong, courageous and splendid woman meets them.”
