This is the period of the year when we are most likely to exude warmth and friendliness, extending wishes of happiness, prosperity and good health to all. In the spirit of this season, we are most likely to want to be “our brother’s keeper” and try to ensure that the less-privileged too do not lack what to eat and drink.
But, there is more to good health than abundance of food and wine and mere expression of goodwill no matter how well-intentioned we may be. In the midst of variable factors that facilitate good health like our genes (over which we may not have much control); the environment; what we eat, drink, and inhale; etc. one element is constant. It is regular physical exercise!
And as has been the habit of this column in the last eight years or so, this is a further attempt to remind the general public how “daily exercise can be health.”
These days we spend quite considerable time in vehicles. At the work place we are either writing at our desks or fixing our gaze on computer screens. After spending endless hours on our butts in the office, the home may be even more sedentary with ‘remote control’ for virtually everything: gates; doors; windows; television; air-conditioners; dishwashers; and more. Human history has never experienced such ‘lazy’ existence.
According to a recent World Health Organisation report, a sedentary life is one of ten leading causes of death and disability. It also notes that a high proportion of adults, especially among the elite, are sedentary leading to millions of deaths annually all over the world. Very young people too are fast adopting a very unhealthy lifestyle with the lure of modern and very easy-to-use electronic gadgetry that distance them from many household chores. Even shopping can be done from the convenience of a couch in the lounge. Coupled with a combination of improper diet and tobacco use, cases of premature coronary heart disease have increased tremendously.
The WHO goes on to make a plea that exercise should be acknowledged as a ‘pillar of a healthy lifestyle’, emphasising that the second most serious threat to health in developed countries is physical inactivity. And developing countries are catching up fast.
Fortunately, it does not take too much to reverse the trend.
Only thirty minutes of moderate physical activity daily, which needs not be all at once, like taking walks instead of rides, using stairs instead of lifts, doing stretching exercises even while seated, and house cleaning, can be a life saver. Swimming, cycling and jogging, among others, are excellent too.
Moderate exercise stimulates both physical and mental well-being, and substantially cuts the risk of inactivity-related forms of heart disease, diabetes, obesity, hypertension, stress and depression. It has also been reported to reduce the risk of colon cancer.
Physical exercise does not enhance physical health alone, but also has a significant role in the prevention and treatment of some mental health challenges.
In a recent survey conducted by the mental health charity – MIND –and published in the British Journal of Sport Medicine, 75 per cent of gym users said they exercised to reduce their stress levels, while 67 per cent said they used exercise to maintain their mental health, like lifting ‘low’ moods.
Unfortunately, most people with mental health challenges don’t know that this non-drug ‘treatment’ option exists. And I dare say, for commercial reasons the pharmaceutical companies may be happy about such ignorance.
Everyone can benefit from regular physical activity. No one is too old to enjoy its benefits. For elderly people, muscle-strengthening exercises can reduce the risk of falling or fracturing bones, especially of the hips and vertebrae, as well as improve cognitive functions and the ability to live independently. For those who need to reduce their body fat, it burns calories while preserving lean muscle mass. It is thus a key component of any weight-loss or weight-management effort.
The WHO has further advocated physical activity as a highly effective public health intervention. Government and communities are advised to consciously create a pro-exercise environment through focused policies and programmes. Converting all open spaces to built-up areas in the name of greater urbanisation is retrogressive and counterproductive. On the contrary, in economic terms, mass participation in physical activity is a best-buy in public health and can lead to reduced health care costs, better performance in schools and work sites, increased productivity, and improved sporting performance.
There is more. Apart from strengthening the heart and lungs, combating diseases and improving one’s mood, sustained physical activity also promotes better sleep. Research has shown that the natural dip in body temperature five or six hours after exercise might help induce sleep.
But for those who may not have sleep on their minds, improved blood circulation as a result of regular moderate exercise can reduce the risk of erectile dysfunction and put the spark back in their sex lives.
Much as exercise may be good for all, it is advisable that beginners, in particular, should first consult their doctor.
As we look forward to the peak of the festive season with abundant supply of gracious thoughts and kind words, we should also be reminded that wishes alone will not make us healthy, but that physical exercise as a daily routine is a key facilitator of good health.
When we exercise we may lose sweat, but we may also gain good health. That does not seem to be a bad deal.
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