Keeping fit may be easier than you think.

For many people exercise is something extra to do in a busy schedule. This was not always so. In previous years we had to be active to stay alive. Our more ancient ancestors could only eat what they caught or gathered. Through the ages most work has been physical right up to the advent of the technological age. This included work on farms or factories. Until the 1950s most people had to walk or cycle to get to places, as cars were not commonplace.

Cast your minds back even one generation. To change the television set you had to get up out of your chair. To open the garage door meant getting out of the car and opening the door, walking back to the car and then driving in. Clothes were mainly hung out on lines rather than bundled into driers and dishes were mainly washed by hand.

Now there is no case to be made for going back to live in caves, nor any need to abstain from devices which make our lives easier. However there is never such a thing as a free lunch. I have seen estimates that all the labor saving efforts of the last 25 years mean we use up about 2kg worth of calories less each year in our normal day to day lives. After 10 years this is 20kg.

The main reason people give for not exercising is lack of time. Given that most of the devices, which reduce our “labor”, also save us time, where is all this time going? Statistics show that the average American spends 151 hours per month watching television. I suspect Australian and European stats may not be too much different. This is 5 hours per day. One tenth of that (30 minutes) per day is enough for an exercise program.

As I write in the book Dr Joes DIY Health-Putting you in charge of your health

“Exercise can be broken down into three main types: aerobic, resistance and flexibility. It is important to incorporate all three into your activity program to include elements, which develop fitness, muscle strength, balance, co-ordination and flexibility. Our bodies are not designed to be sedentary. Lack of physical activity is a major risk factor in numerous diseases such as heart disease, high blood pressure and osteoporosis and a contributor to premature ageing.”

You need to do something you enjoy as this will mean you stick to it. Whether it’s running, swimming, tennis, bike riding or something else the key is to do it regularly.

There are also simple things you can do to be more active during the day .As link 1 shows walking or riding to work is good exercise (this wont suit everyone but is an option worth considering before dismissing). Given parking costs this could be a financial winner too (link 2).

Even easier is using the stairs at work instead of the lift or escalator. Again if you are on the 50^th floor this may be impractical but you could walk the first 3 or 4 and see where that leads you. Many workplaces provide showers for employees, as the boss knows that a fitter employee is a more productive one.

When you go to the shops instead of looking for the closest park, look for one further away. This will man you get a walk and don’t have the agro of competing with others for that just outside the door spot.

Now many will be saying, I don’t have the time to do this sort of thing. Just pause and consider all the time you are not using with all the labor saving devices we now have. In fact next time you reach for the TV remote to change channels, why not push the off button instead and do something active.

1 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31893120/ns/health-fitness/?ocid=twitter

2 http://www.economist.com/daily/news/displaystory.cfm?story_id=14029444&fsrc=nwl

You become what you eat

Two recent reports highlight how easy it is to significantly reduce your likelihood of getting common diseases, and improving your health at the same time.

Research in the UK published in the European Journal of Cancer prevention showed that rates of colon cancer could be cut by around 30% in men and 20% in women. This is achieved by simply eating more fruit and vegetables, cutting down on red meat, (to under 90g per day) doing regular exercise, drinking only moderate amounts (maximum 2 drinks per day for women and 3 for men) of alcohol and being in a healthy weight range. Of course the last one is a by-product of the others.

Meanwhile a review of 50 years of studies on diet and heart disease was published in Archives of Internal Medicine. This showed that eating a diet rich in fruit and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, legumes and fish reduced rates of heart disease. A diet high in processed foods, refined grains, high GI (glycaemic index) foods, red meats and foods with trans fats increased the risks.

These findings do not come as a surprise. Whilst there is at times a view that we are “innocent victims” of disease there is very much that we can do to influence our chances one way or the other. Whilst eating foods which our bodies need and doing regular exercise does not guarantee we will never get sick it does significantly reduce the chances.

You wouldn’t dream of deliberately putting fuel not suited to your cars engine into the tank. Yet many put fuels not suited to our bodies into ourselves. Eating good food is not difficult, boring or expensive. Apart from the benefits outlined above you will have more energy and feel better. What you eat today becomes you tomorrow - think about what you put into your body.

The best way not to get sick is to be healthy.

http://journals.lww.com/eurjcancerprev/Abstract/publishahead/The_potential_for_prevention_of_colorectal_cancer.99995.aspx


http://tinyurl.com/c9xf72

Just in time for April 1 -The Pollypill

Two days before April fools comes news of a polypill which reduces the chances of “cardiovascular events” (read heart disease ) in healthy people with one “risk factor” for heart disease. The pill contained five different drugs There was aspirin, a cholesterol lowering drug and three drugs used for high blood pressure

The study was done on around 2000 people in India over an 18 month period. The conclusion was that this pill could be “conveniently used to reduce multiple risk factors and cardiovascular risk”

Are you kidding me ? Two days later it could have be put down to an April fools joke. It is hard to know exactly whether this should be taken seriously or not. Firstly there are all the issues to do with statistics and the presentation of medical findings. A drop in rates from 1% to 0.5 % can be presented as a 50%drop in disease rather than a 0.5% drop hence making it sound more impressive

Then there is the small number studied and the short space of time the study ran for. In promoting life long treatment an 18 month trial is meaningless. Most importantly is the confusion of risk factors with actual disease. Reducing” risk factors”, is not the same as reducing disease .This has been well documented The two are in my opinion though, often confused .

Treating risk factors is very popular It is seen as being proactive. It is also potentially life long “treatment “ .However it is essentially reclassifying people with no need for medication into a group of people who” need “medication for the rest of their lives. This is also called the medicalisation of the human condition

Heart disease high blood pressure, stokes and other cardiovascular diseases are largely lifestyle related They are mainly function of our diets weight and physical activity(or lack thereof) This means the solution is not five drugs It means the solution is putting the right fuels into our bodies and regularly moving our bodies. It means carrying the weight the body is designed to rather than an excess

Being on a Mediterranean diet which is high in fruits and vegetables poly unsaturated fats (like olive oil) nuts and unrefined grains and a bit of red wine has a much higher impact on rates of heart disease than any drugs and no side effects .There has even been talk of a polymeal of garlic fish olive oil vegetables blueberries and red wine as a way to reduce heart disease as it has all the right nutrients .This has got to be better than a pollypill

DIY health is all about the things you can do to influence your health now and in the future .Despite our best efforts there may be times when drugs are still needed There is no need for people to take 5 drugs lifelong when change in diet and activity levels would have the same or greater effect

http://www.watoday.com.au/lifestyle/superpill-may-cut-heart-disease-study-20090331-9hg8.html

http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(09)60611-5/abstract

With health- simple things mean a lot.

http://www.wcrf-uk.org/research/cp_policy_report.htm

http://www.dietandcancerreport.org

A new report from the London based World Cancer Research Fund has once again highlighted the importance of simple lifestyle measures that you can apply everyday. This report published last week estimates that 1/3 of cancers are related to poor diet and nutrition and lack of physical activity.

In other words by being on a healthy diet, getting enough essential vitamins and minerals and being physically active, your chances of getting cancer can be reduced by 1/3. This is apart from lower rates of heart disease and stroke that also comes from maintaining a healthy diet and exercising regularly.

It is important to be aware though that avoiding disease is in fact the result of a focus on being healthy. The principles of good health include eating foods that the body requires in the right amounts, drinking enough water (30ml’s/kg per day), being active on a regular basis (at least 30mins 4 times a week), and getting the right amount of sleep (avg. 8 hrs for most people).

Ok, so most of you reading this are saying to yourself “I already know all this.” There is an old Zen saying “To know and not to do is not yet to know.” The question then becomes how many of you really “know” this.

By applying these basic principles of DIY Health the body can attain optimal health. By being healthy it becomes less likely that you will develop any form of disease. It also means that you will have the energy and vitality to enjoy and get the most out of your life each day.

What are you going to do (know) today to improve your health.