Tag: exercise

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How can we stay healthy and live longer?

Valentine’s Day is over. Family Day is over. We are now into seventh week of 2010. February is also heart month. It is time to reflect on what we have done for our mental and physical health to survive the rest of the year. What have we done to keep our heart strong? What people in general think about their health? What are the things they do stay healthy?

I was looking at a survey the Newsweek magazine had done few years ago. The poll of Americans 45 to 65 years old says that people in this age group feel good about their health and their future. They are positive about their physical appearance, sex life, and even the way they manage stress. Seventy two percent believe they will live to be 80 years old, 11 percent believe they will make it to 100.

In 1900, only the lucky few made it to 50, says the Newsweek. Today there are more 50-year-olds than ever before in history, and they can anticipate a full 30 years more, and maybe even longer. To live longer, we have to do many things in life. Misfortune may spoil our plans but life is about planning and hoping for the best. Otherwise how can we live and have fun at the same time.

To some extent, we have control over our own health. Few simple measures like eating right, exercising moderately, quitting smoking and staying involved in our communities can yield enormous benefits.

In the Newsweek poll, 55 percent say they work at being fit at least three times a week; 20 percent say they have a daily fitness routine. Here is a list of what they do:

– 56 percent walk
– 16 percent workout with exercise machine
– 15 percent do strength training and weight lifting
– 15 percent go bike riding
– 10 percent go swimming
– 7 percent go running or jogging.

But we do not live in a perfect world. Many people have no will power or strength to work toward good health. And these people really struggle with some of the barriers. What are the common barriers to good health?

– 48 percent say getting enough exercise is the hardest thing
– 21 percent say giving up cigarettes or tobacco is difficult
– 38 percent have trouble limiting sweets
– 32 percent have trouble cutting down on red meat and other fatty foods
– 31 percent have trouble eating enough fruit and vegetables
– 22 percent have trouble restricting sodium.

What is the worst thing about aging?

Thirty three percent say the worst thing about aging is having more health problems; and 18 percent say it’s having less energy. Middle-aged Americans worry most about cancer, heart disease and stroke. And 35 percent feel more stress in their lives today than they did 10 or 20 years ago.

This poll was taken before we were hit by the severe recession. Some people may have changed their views
since then. But there is always hope. Hope for a better future. Hope for better health. And hope that our elected
leaders will make the right kind of decisions to take us where we can revive our fighting spirit.

But nothing can substitute what we can do for ourselves. So, let us think and work towards a strong mind, strong heart and strong body.

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Exercise Should be Part of our Daily Routine

There is ample evidence to show that your body needs regular exercise to stay fit and healthy. Just like you need to floss and brush to keep your teeth and gums healthy. Just like you need food and water to survive. So, why is it so difficult to incorporate half-an-hour or an hour of exercise in our daily routine?

We all have our own excuses and reasons. Mostly, well intentioned people just find it difficult to set aside that kind of time to exercise. There are just too many other things to do in life like work and taking care of the family. I have been through that process myself. As I get older I find more time to go for a walk and do fairly regular exercise. Each evening I plan my next day to fit in 30 to 60 minutes of exercise time in my schedule. Most days I am able to keep my commitment.

How much exercise do we need each day?

It all depends what you are trying to achieve. Are you exercising for your heart? Are you trying to lose weight? Are you exercising to stay fit and healthy and maintain your good health? Are you exercising to find mental peace and happiness?

A study from Scotland has shown that a mere 20 minutes of physical activity a week can provide you with mental health benefit. The study also found that more physical activity in the week provided more benefits for mental health. But this is not enough for cardiovascular fitness, for losing weight and it is not enough to lessen your risks for a multitude of diseases like obesity, diabetes, cancer, depression and premature death.

The study found that 150 minutes a week (two and a half hours) of a moderate exercise such as walking and 75 minutes per week (an hour and 15 minutes) of activity like easy jogging provides good health benefits. It is also important to remember that people who are the least active to start with get the most health benefit from starting to exercise. It has been estimated that people who are physically active for approximately seven hours a week have a 40 percent lower risk of dying early than those who are active for less than 30 minutes a week.

If you are trying to lose weight then you have to remember the good old dictum: eat less and spend more calories. There is nothing like a perfect weight loss diet and there is nothing like a perfect exercise to lose weight. You have to find a program which meets with your needs. For that you have to speak to somebody who specialises in this area.

The type and amount of exercise required to be fit and healthy depends on your age, your health and your current state of physical fitness. There are three types of exercises: aerobic, weight lifting (resistance training) and stretching. A good exercise program should benefit all three aspects of fitness: stamina, flexibility and strength.

Aerobic exercise such as swimming, brisk walking, running, bicycling involves continuous activity. It increases endurance and helps body use oxygen more effectively. It makes the lungs, heart and muscles strong. It is good for cardiovascular fitness. Aerobic exercise should be combined with weight lifting and stretching. This helps improve muscle strength and flexibility. These exercises also help endurance and balance.

To retain muscle mass and strength, you should do resistance training for 20 minutes three times a week. Harvard runners study has shown that men who trained with weights for 30 minutes or more per week cut their risk of heart disease by 23 percent.

Whatever you do, make sure it is safe and you are having fun! Do it before you floss and brush your teeth – early morning, lunch hour or in the evening. Make it part of your daily routine.

Start reading the preview of my book A Doctor's Journey for free on Amazon. Available on Kindle for $2.99!

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Dehydration Can Be A Serious Problem

It is only mid-April and I can feel the heat. I feel dry and thirsty most days. My urine is dark and concentrated. That means I am losing more water than I take in. Most of the water I am losing is during exercise and walking 18 holes on a golf course on a hot day.

Where am losing my water from?

A healthy individual loses water from exposure to high environmental temperature or from strenuous exercise. If you are not well then you may lose water because you are on a diuretic, you may have diarrhea or fever and you may be a diabetic or have kidney problems.

Earliest symptoms of dehydration are thirst and decreased output of concentrated urine. Thirst is not always a reliable indicator of dehydration. Urinary output and concentration is more reliable. Dark coloured or amber urine indicates our body needs more water.

Skin has an important role to play in water and electrolyte balance. Skin is the largest organ of our body and protects us from environment. Skin is constantly exposed to sun, wind and other injuries.

Skin has a capacity to excrete fluid and electrolytes. It plays an important role in maintaining body temperature. When a person feels hot the blood vessels in the skin dilate and sweat secretion increases. The body loses heat by radiation from the large amount of blood circulating through the dilated blood vessels in the skin and by evaporation of sweat.

Sweat glands are found in almost every part of the skin. They normally release a little fluid all the time, and as this fluid evaporates, our body cools off. If we need to cool off then these glands can get stimulated to be more active. They secrete even more fluid and help us cool off more thanks to skin temperature nerve endings.

Oil glands (sebaceous glands) produce oil secretion known as sebum. The sebum spreads on the skin. It prevents excess water loss, lubricates and softens the skin and hair.

Mild dehydration can cause symptoms such as weakness, dizziness and fatigue. Severe dehydration is a life-threatening medical emergency. Mild to moderate dehydration can be corrected by consuming more fluids. Severe cases of dehydration require immediate medical treatment.

To prevent dehydration one must consume plenty of fluids and foods high in water. It is best to start this the day before strenuous exercise. Producing lots of clear, dilute urine is a good indication that you’re well hydrated. Drink two glasses of water before your exercise. During the physical activity, drink more fluids at regular intervals, and continue drinking water or other fluids after the physical activity is done.

As we get into warmer days, a bottle of water should become your good friend. Again, remember, don’t wait to feel thirsty. Prevent dehydration before it gets to you.

Start reading the preview of my book A Doctor's Journey for free on Amazon. Available on Kindle for $2.99!

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Effect Of Exercise On Weight Loss

Well, is there anyone out there who does not want to lose weight?

May be a few. But the vast majority of the people are overweight. And many of them are trying to lose weight. They jump from diet to diet and get frustrated. They try different kinds of exercises and eventually give up because they cannot sustain the discipline of life long healthy eating and exercising.

For many years there has been a debate about the best diet for weight loss. Any diet will work for you if you stick to the demands of the diet. Variety is the spice of life hence people get tired of eating the same sort of food everyday. They need to go out with family members and friends to try different dishes. Many people find wining and dinning satisfying and socially invigorating. Most diets eventually become boring and monotonous.

Doing regular exercise is essential part of any weight loss program. Once people achieve their weight loss then they lose the enthusiasm and slack off. That is when they start putting on weight.

So, the question is how much exercise do you have to do to maintain the weight loss?

“Effect of Exercise on 24-Month Weight Loss Maintenance in Overweight Women,” is an article which was recently published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. For two years the authors of the article studied 201 overweight and obese women with body mass index of 27 to 40, with age range of 21 to 45 years.

The participants were told to reduce calorie intake to 1200 to 1500 calories per day. They were also randomized to one of four physical activity intervention groups based on energy expenditure (either 1,000 calories or 2,000 calories burned per week) and exercise intensity (high vs. moderate).

The results were interesting.

They found weight loss did not differ among the randomized groups. At six months the weight loss was about 10 per cent of initial body weight. At 24 months the weight loss was five per cent of initial body weight.

They also found that by the end of the 24-month intervention, the women who managed to lose at least 10 per cent of their starting body weight and managed to keep it off were exercising twice as long as and burning more than twice as many calories through exercise as women who had no change in body weight. More they exercised, more they lost weight. Women who lost the most weight exercised 68 minutes a day, five days a week.

One of the conclusions was: exercise was more strongly associated with weight loss than any other factor, including diet. Over an hour of sustained exercise most of the days is required to burn enough calories to maintain weight loss. This should be combined with reduced calorie intake. Conventional advice of half-an-hour of moderate exercise does not help lose weight nor maintain weight loss.

The biggest challenge is to stick to a healthy weight reducing diet and overcome obstacles to regular exercise. One way to avoid slacking off is to join some existing programs or get few friends together and form a group of your own – call it “a happy hour group”.

Start reading the preview of my book A Doctor's Journey for free on Amazon. Available on Kindle for $2.99!