Health Adda

Let us recapitulate a few essential points about the role, aims, targets and methods of exercise that should keep you fit and well. In case you have missed the previous columns, here are the key points: Exercise comes next only to food as an essential component for ensuring good health and longevity. It tones up the heart, lungs, muscles and joints. People who exercise regularly have healthier hearts and tend to live longer. People with diabetes, obesity and fatty liver can do very well with exercise. Aerobic exercise improves insulin sensitivity, brings down blood sugar levels, help burn extra fat and prevents clogging of arteries of the heart with cholesterol The type of exercise that is good for the heart is called cardio-vascular or aerobic exercise. It involves movement such as brisk walks, jogging, cycling, swimming, treadmill or playing outdoor games. A good point is to calculate your Body Mass Index (BMI). It should be between 20 -23 for Indians. If it is more than ...

Our series on exercise and wellness would be incomplete without a column on Yoga. At the outset I must confess that I am not an expert on yoga and will offer my sceptic observations as a medical scientist. Of the numerous reports in the literature on the effects of Yoga on various aspects of health such as insulin resistance, heart and fatty liver, very few stand up to scientific scrutiny as the trials have not been designed in line with modern medical requirements.  When asked to review this topic for an international conference a few years back, I could find only 25 eligible studies of which just 4 were randomized controlled ones (considered to be scientifically well designed), 6 were non-randomized controlled trials (these studies are subject to bias in evaluating outcome), and 15 were uncontrolled studies (likely to be biased by the person conducting it as there are no controls). Having explained the limitations and lacunae let me turn to the positive side: what...

Having been convinced that exercise is necessary for well-being and that an appropriate amount of daily dose of aerobics is the requirement, we need to move to the very important issue of choosing the right one that suits your requirements and constraints. Here are a few tips: Brisk walks: This is the form most frequently prescribed by doctors. What you need to assess is where can you take your walk, and how safe is it for you? If you are in a gated campus or near a park or the botanical garden, you are lucky. If you wander on the streets especially in the early pre-dawn hours. You could be in for trouble. Enthusiastic walkers being knocked down by rogue drivers or attacked by criminals is increasingly becoming common. Hence safety should be a pre-condition. Also, the vagaries of weather, during monsoons, foggy winters and desiccating summers should not cause long interruptions. Going to the Gym. I think it is a good method for 3 reasons: the weather cannot play spoil- sport; ...

The human body requires at least 1 hour each day being devoted to its care to keep it fit and strong. Of these 60 minutes, a good 40 should be spent on exercise of the body and 20 on exercise of the mind. Remember, a weak restless mind in a strong body does not make for happy living! There are broadly 2 types of exercise: aerobic or isotonic, and isometric Aerobic exercise:   This form is characterized by movement and includes walking, running, cycling, swimming or working out on the treadmill or games that involve movement. The heart rate and breathing goes up but no single group of muscles is put to too much strain (compare with isometric). It is also known as cardio-vascular exercise as it keeps the heart charged and fit. Aerobic exercise is a must for people across all ages, and should be the only form for people above 50. Apart from keeping the heart toned by improving the blood circulation in the coronary arteries, it helps burn fat and increases the basal met...