Cape Town - Nobody plans to become obese, immobile and unhealthy – it happens.
throughout the ages, man has been fascinated by good physical form. The eras of chiselled Roman gladiators and muscular Greek athletes have fascinated many.
We are intricate beings, marvellously assembled in mind, body and spirit. The close relationship between biological, psychological and social components has finally become the focus of health and wellness in modern medicine.
Besides the subjective feeling of health and harmony of the human body, the visual satisfaction or aesthetic value is just as, if not more, powerful. Many of us admire the definition and tone in professional athletes, and people often debate how much muscle is too much.
Some people become obsessed with their bodies, while others stand at a distance and accuse them of being narcissistic. The key lies in balance and our motives for exercise – all different but vital in supplying the drive for us to move.
Exercise burns the energy fuel in the body and regular activity promotes healthy hormone levels. The thyroid hormone cortisol (the stress hormone) as well as endorphins (feel-good hormones in the brain) contribute to a state of well-being we all crave.
Appetite drives the desire to eat. Eating patterns play a vital role in rotational blood sugar levels. Stabilising blood sugar levels is the key to appetite control.
Weight management and blood glucose stability comes down to a basic equation: energy in versus energy out. This is where exercise is essential – sedentary people are going to topple the balance of energy consumed, and will store excess energy as adipose tissue – fat.
Our natural metabolism, or rate of burning energy, is controlled by numerous factors:
l Genetics
l Hormones (thyroid)
l Eating patterns
l Stress levels
l Sleep patterns
l Medication
Some people say it takes 28 days to break a bad habit. The will to exercise is challenged by many things, including mood and energy. Physical health involves conditioning the body machine you have been given and maintenance is essential if you want long-term performance.
The hardest part of any exercise is the first two weeks. Prepare your mind on the motives behind your decision to exercise.
Make an effort to look at the complications of a sedentary lifestyle – visually check out what the heart and brain of a hypertensive looks like, the arteries of people with high cholesterol or atherosclerosis and the joints of inactive people. Talk to someone who suffers from complicated diabetes or a paraplegic person who would give anything to get their function back and run again. Suddenly you will start appreciating your body. Educate yourself – remind yourself that carrying a 10kg child or pocket of potatoes is comparable to carrying the same extra weight around the gut or butt – 24 hours a day.
The mental blocks towards exercise often stem from your previous experiences and fear of failure. This means you should start with a small, progressive programme and not train too hard too soon.
Pushing too hard can lead to severe injuries and even irreversible damage to joints. For those who are a bit overweight, try losing an initial 10 percent of your body weight doing progressive training involving low-impact activity. Try parking further from the shopping mall or work entrance so you will have to walk a bit before entering. Wear comfy gear so you don’t have unnecessary aches and pains. To all the moms and dads who are using children as an excuse not to exercise – the pram is there to assist you. Fathers should try walking around the block with their wives on weekends or some evenings.
As a sign of appreciation and love for your spouse, you should maintain good health so as not to leave them to raise your children alone once you’ve died of a preventable lifestyle disease.
Taking a photo of yourself is often a big eye-opener in registering that you are overweight or even unhealthy. Exercise remains one of the most effective stress reduction tools on the market.
l Corporate responsibility programmes must make the mindshift to preventive health and health promotion. For bookings, drop me an e-mail.
Motivations to exercise:
l Health treatment – manage lifestyle diseases: diabetes, hypertension, obesity.
l Health prevention – maintaining muscle strength and joint functional load.
l Recreation – getting outdoors and appreciating nature.
l Relaxation – distraction from work and stress.
l Body image and self-esteem – looking good to feel good.
* Dr Darren Green, a trusted figure in the field of media medicine, is a University of Stellenbosch graduate who adds innovative spark to health and wellness issues.
He features on 567CapeTalk, and is a regular guest on SABC3 and the Expresso show. Dr Green works as an emergency medical practitioner at a leading Cape Town hospital and completed four years of training as a registrar in the specialisation of neurology.
If you’ve got medical problems, contact the doctor at [email protected], 021 930 0655 or Twitter @drdarrengreen. Catch him in Cape Town on 567 CapeTalk, most Fridays at 1.30pm.
The advice in this column does not replace a consultation and clinical evaluation with a doctor. - Cape Argus