Saturday, July 25, 2015

HEALTH SPECIAL ...................What money can't buy

What money can't buy


Good health, often mistaken to be the privilege of the moneyed, is actually a few exercise moves away.
That's right, exercise of the right kind is medicine. And no, you do not need an elaborate routine

Those of you who have seen and enjoyed Molière's play The Imaginary Invalid will remember the line, “Give him two pills to cure all his ills“. The wealthy, with a fierce awareness of the power that money commands, often wonder why they cannot buy their way to good health. What harm could there possibly be in overriding the lifestyle changes suggested by the doctor when you have at your disposal the most expensive treatments?
For every creation in life, effort is essential. For the creation of wealth, mental acumen and hours of dedicated maneuvering are required. Did the wealthy ever create wealth without any effort?
(Not counting those of extraordinary inheritance or fluke luck, of course.) The same logic applies to the creation of good health.
Most chronic diseases like obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and the like require one to employ distinct lifestyle changes through continued effort. These changes mostly involve a wholesome diet and exercise regimen. Sure, medical science is making inroads into obesity treatment through pills, but we are a long way from perfect. Studies tell us that exercising individuals with chronic heart conditions do just as well as those on medication, barring a subset with cardiac failure. This establishes the immense potential of exercise, which in some cases, is equivalent to medication. Now imagine a combination of both.
An article in the American Medical Association's April 2015 journal extolls the value of exercise. The important message in this study is that any leisure-time physical activity is associated with a significantly lower risk of death when compared to no physical activity at all. An evaluation of individuals whose workout was substantially less than that outlined in the American physical activity guidelines of 2008 showed that they still had a 20 per cent lower death rate than the ones who did not exercise at all. Understandably, those who achieved the recommended exercise rate of 7.5 to 15 MET hours per week had a 35 per cent lower chance of dying. (MET stands for metabolic equivalent of the physical tasks performed ­ a met value of 5 means you are expending 5 times the energy than you would at rest.) It is worth noting that those who exceed these levels had an even greater reduction in death rate ­ the peak permissible rate determined at 22.5 to 40 MET hours per week.Those who performed this could expect a whopping 40 per cent reduction in death rate. As a rule of thumb 150 to 300 minutes of moderate intensity exercise or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous exercise meets the minimum requirement of 7.5 to 15 MET hours per week.
I think the heartening message in this study is that even if you don't meet the bare minimum of 7.5 MET hours per week there is a 20 per cent reduction in death rate. If you can manage two or three times the recommended minimum, which is 280 to 420 minutes of brisk walking or 90 to 135 minutes of running, there is a 39 per cent reduction in death rate. Beyond this there seems to be a plateau, giving you no extended advantage. Studies of extremely vigorous exercise regimes warn us that death rate can also be increased in the process.
Besides mortality, exercise also has several other salutary effects. Studies tell us that women who walk for about seven hours a week are half as likely to develop colon cancer as those who walk for one hour a week. Walking has positive effects on blood sugar and decreases the risk of diabetes as well.
An editorial in the American Medical Association journal by Dr Todd Manini, associated with the University of Florida, states that no single medication can positively influence as many organs as possible by comprehensive exercise.
The answer is pretty clear. Put on your walking shoes and go out for a brisk one, if you can, or simply pace up and down the stairs instead of waiting for the elevator. Some physical activities, no matter how scarce, can go a long way in securing your health. Now that you know of the small wonders of exercise, there is no need to be intimidated by fitness-fanatics and their larger-than-life regimen.
ALTAF PATEL

MM7JUL15

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