When the bells rang out a few days ago we wished one another a Guid New Year.
As we enter 2014 it is no accident the first Healthcheck column should have “Energy supplement – no excuses” as its title.
We kick off the year aiming to help you understand why “energy” is important to you and not just as an oil and gas product or a title of a newspaper.
The dictionary gives “oomph, dynamism, vigour, power or get-up-and-go” as alternative words for energy.
So why “Energy Supplement: No Excuses”?
Well, the answer is that we all make New Year’s resolutions and then find hundreds of excuses to break them or leave them unfulfilled.
To have a great 2014 we all want to keep in good health. But to achieve that we must contribute by attempting to keep in reasonable physical state – Ka-Pow!!
Excuses come like Batman’s punches: “I hear you doc but I:
- Don’t have the time
- Can’t afford the equipment
- Am too tired when I finish work
- My knees can’t cope
- My age
- My weight
- Don’t like all that running – not for me
- Don’t like the gym as I am not comfortable there, that’s for the weight lifters
See them for what they are – excuses – urban myths if you like.
It is not rocket science and does not have to be torture; you might even enjoy it and, wait for it, get mega brownie points if you have a partner.
We will look at some common activities but more importantly please go to the web addresses at the end.
These will take you to sites where all your questions and fears will be answered.
The word Fit can be broken down to Fitness (how you feel and its impact on your health), Intensity (the effort you put in) and Time (how long each exercise takes).
If you are overweight and you worry about your Body Mass Index (BMI) then consider this suggestion as a Body Mobility Initiative (BMI), that is, what can I do for myself to lose weight?
All you need to remember is that physical fitness is not about being an Olympian or Body Perfect. It is about:
- Any activity that speeds up your heart and breathing while moving your body at a moderate pace: brisk walking, or jogging if that’s your thing, bicycling, swimming with the kids or your partner, aerobic exercise classes and playing football or squash. To earn mega brownie points with your partner you could go dancing – try square dancing, salsa, ballroom or zumba. Exercise can be fun.
- Strengthening activities: try sit ups, push ups or resistance bands. Look at www.fit450.com and http://youtu.be/Pxw35ppsy5M for a system that does not require any equipment. These exercises are effective and can be done at home or in an offshore cabin, removing the cost excuse.
- Lifestyle activities: these are everyday activities that you could do. Take the stairs, walk to a colleague’s office instead of sending an e-mail, park farther away and to get more brownie points, play with your children, do some gardening or general household activities, but remember, they must get the heart rate up.
Finally, all exercise must be done safely.
Dr William Freeland is medical director, Medical Services, International SOS/Abermed
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