Don’t let fitness take a holiday

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The holidays are over; there's no need to let fitness take a holiday now.

Fitness is an elusive concept. According to the President's Council on Physical Fitness, it is "the ability to carry out daily tasks with vigor and alertness, without undue fatigue, with ample energy to enjoy leisure-time pursuits and to meet unforeseen emergencies." Yet physical fitness means different things to different people. One fact is clear: if fitness is the goal, exercise is the way to get there.

There are four basic elements of physical fitness: cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, and flexibility. Each can be measurably improved with regular exercise. But keep in mind that exercising to build physical fitness is not the same as working out to improve athletic performance. To be physically fit, you should develop all four elements, not just one or two.

While each element is a part of fitness, the most important one is cardiovascular endurance. Physiologically, cardiovascular endurance is the sustained ability of the heart, blood vessels, and blood to carry oxygen to the cells, the ability of the cells to process oxygen, and the ability of the blood, once again, to carry away waste products. Since every cell in the body requires oxygen to function, there is no more basic element of fitness than this, to see that the heart, lungs, and circulatory system do their job.
Cardiovascular endurance is built up through exercises that enhance the body's ability to deliver ever larger amounts of oxygen to working muscles. To achieve this, the exercise must include the large muscle groups (such as in the legs) and, most importantly, it must be sustained.

Muscular strength is the force a muscle produces in a single effort (a lift, a jump, a heave), as when you swing a mallet to ring a carnival bell. Muscular endurance is a measure of the ability to perform repeated muscular contractions in quick succession, as in doing twenty push-ups in a minute. Although muscular endurance requires strength, it is not a single all-out effort.

Muscular endurance and strength are interrelated, but are quite distinct. Endurance enables you to maintain a sustained effort, while strength will give extra force to your golf swing or tennis serve. Gains in strength come most quickly from exercising with the maximum amount of resistance, usually weights, that you can lift comfortably in a few repetitions, working at below your maximum level and gradually increasing the number of times you perform an exercise.

Flexibility refers to the ability of the joints to move through their full range of motion. It varies from person to person and from joint to joint. Good flexibility is thought to protect the muscles against pulls and tears, since short, tight muscles may be more likely to be overstretched. Some people find that stretching hamstring and lower-back muscles alleviates lower-back pain, and calf stretches help prevent leg cramps.
Developing strong, flexible muscles is important for everyone, not just for athletes and body builders. Well-conditioned muscles and joints help you perform better physically, assist you in maintaining good posture, and may help prevent injuries and chronic lower-back pain.

Most certified personal trainers are very good, but watch out for the overzealous ones, they may hurt you.

Need help? feel free to contact my office (contact information on the side bar).

New Year's resolutions revisited

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I hope you were able to stick to your health-related New Year's resolutions. I didn't make any, so I'm absolved.

The three most common and important health-related resolutions are: weight loss (or weight control), increasing physical activity/exercise, and smoking cessation. Have you done your share? Most Americans forget about their resolutions by the end of January. Don't let it happen to you.

New Year's resolutions... why wait?

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As 2010 approaches, many of us are ready to make New Year’s resolutions. Some of the most popular resolutions have been to make a commitment to fitness, stop smoking, and lose weight. But times are changing, and so do the resolutions. Now, despite economic difficulties, and may be because of them, more people are resolving to change their lifestyle, enjoy life more, and devote more quality time to their family. In short, many people are deciding to have a less stressful life, and also that less is more.

In reality, 50% of those who start an exercise program drop out within 6 months (or much less...) and their treadmills become dust collectors; too many lost pounds are rapidly regained, and cigarettes continue to be a big seller. And soon after you enjoy a few days of the rest, daily stresses resurface. So how do you succeed?

Don’t try to make too many changes. Identify the issues most important to you, and concentrate on the top two. For many, this translates into increasing exercise, and managing stress.

Exercise: For beginners, it is extremely important to make realistic goals. Trying for a six minute mile on the first day is not realistic and potentially dangerous. Cardiovascular exercise is the most important, with stretching and moderate muscle strengthening next.

Start exercising slowly. Gradually increase the intensity and duration in small increments until a relatively high level of exercise can be tolerated. Even if you are a regular exerciser and took a “holiday break,” restart at a lower level, and progressively return to your usual level. If you’re sedentary or over 35 years old, or are not known to be in excellent health, see your health care provider before strenuous exercise.

Stress: What is stressful to one person may not be stressful to another. Stress is best defined as a situation which requires a behavioral adjustment (Dr. Herbert Benson, Mind/Body Medical Institute). Stress increases the body's adrenalin production, and with it physiologic changes occur, including a rise in heart rate and blood pressure. This was the flight-or-fight response of the cave man, frequently unsuitable for dealing with “modern” stress. Some stress is important as a motivator for daily function and long-term achievement, but excess stress takes away from life’s enjoyment and productivity, and can make hypertension and other medical conditions permanent.

The Relaxation Response is an effective antidote to stress, which can be learned and practiced by almost anyone. It can be elicited by many techniques, including meditation, diaphragmatic breathing, imagery, yoga, and progressive muscle relaxation. All techniques involve a brief, intense focusing of attention, and the passive disregard of everyday thoughts. For a good example look at the blog Stress, Relaxation and the Mind-Body Connection, on the left hand column (September 2009).

There is a wonderful synergism between exercise and stress management. With regular exercise, the body produces its “relaxation hormones,” endorphins; and with relaxation management, the likelihood to succeed in exercise increases remarkably.

People who exercise regularly and practice stress management say that, to them, these habits have become an addiction. What a great “addiction” to have…

Insuring the uninsured

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A headline article in today’s New York Times entitled No Big Cost Rise in U.S. Premiums Is Seen in Study is very revealing, but fails to tell you who will really pay for this No Big Cost Rise.

For people buying their own insurance, which, includes the unemployed, self employed and uninsured, the article quotes the Congressional Budget Office

“…as a result of the subsidies, it said, most people in the individual insurance market would see their costs decline, compared with the costs expected under current law. The subsidies, a main feature of the bill, would cost the government nearly $450 billion in the next 10 years and would cover nearly two-thirds of premiums for people who receive them.”

It does stand to reason that if you buy a health insurance policy on your own, and some of the payment is subsidized, then your premium will not go up, or may be even be lower. But where will this 450 billion subsidy come from? It can come from printing more money, and it can come from raising taxes (or both).

I believe that the majority of Americans are for some form of medical health coverage for everyone. But let’s not hide the fact that we are all going to pay for it.

I also believe that the best way to decrease the cost of health care is to reduce the need for health care. This is done by paying serious attention to disease prevention and the establishment of healthy lifestyles as the New American Way.

What really ails us?

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We all know the grim statistics. The four most common causes of death in the US in the last few years have been heart attacks, cancer, stroke and chronic lung disease, accounting for almost two thirds of all deaths, or close to two million deaths last year. Health care expenditure in the US is now over 2.2 trillion dollars a year, approximately $7,400 per person in 2007. The cost is now over 16% of our gross national product, and is expected to rise to 20% within 10 years. The out of pocket cost to you in the form of co-pays, deductibles and non-covered services is also increasing dramatically, from an average of $850 per person 3 years ago to an estimated $1,400 in less than ten years. And in comparison with other industrialized countries, we are losing our edge and are actually lagging by many measurements of health care, such as longevity and infant mortality.

What does all of this mean to you, the health care consumer? As you’ll see, you’ll have to actively participate in your own health care.