UNDIRA friends have certainly experienced the impact of sedentary lifestyle, commonly known for its minimal physical activity patterns. Modernity brings convenience in access and mobility through technological developments across various industries.

Additionally, time allocation has become one of the undeniable issues. With economic and social challenges, Generation Z now tends to struggle with finding time for regular exercise. These two factors increasingly push Generation Z further toward sedentary lifestyle patterns.

Moreover, combined with irregular eating patterns that often fail to meet nutritional requirements, this has become another problem for Generation Z. It is not surprising that life expectancy and health conditions continue to decline over time for Generation Z.

Therefore, coinciding with September 9, 2025, we are all reminded of the importance of sports through National Sports Day. Sports fundamentally serve various functions in combating sedentary lifestyles.

Exercise is one of the essential parts of human life. Sports activities, whether intensive or light, actively involve overall body mobility. Not only does body mobility help blood circulation (which also assists oxygen distribution to various body cells), but exercise can also train endurance through improved body functions such as lungs and heart.

Indeed, sports do not only involve intensive activities or time-consuming ones such as weight lifting, football, basketball, swimming, and badminton. With busy schedules and limited time, we can also engage in 'light exercise.' Light exercise functions to train body functions consistently, without requiring significant time or energy, such as stretching, push-ups, sit-ups, and jogging. We can perform light exercise anywhere and anytime according to our individual health conditions and mood.

Besides providing physical health benefits, exercising can also develop focus abilities. According to a research publication on 'Mental Aspects in Sports,' sports activities can serve as motivation in achieving true health. Referring to research developed by Taylor and Wilson (2005: 1), besides playing a role in improving physical fitness, sports are also considered capable of providing motivation through mental visualization toward goals or achievements that a person wants to attain. These achievements can be based on external or internal desires.

Furthermore, sports also function as a form of mental training through patience. Athletes are documented to have mental resilience created from regular sports training, in their journey toward competitive matches. This mental resilience created from sports plays a role in maintaining their psyche in prime condition.

UNDIRA friends, from this article, we hope that we can all realize that sports, besides bringing physical fitness, also function as self-motivation builders. Through intensive and regular physical training, we can maintain our life rhythm, in pursuit of a healthy mind and body.

Source of Reference:

Festiawan, Rifqi. 2020. Latihan Mental Dalam Olahraga. Universitas Jendral Sudirman.