Health Essentials
Can one ever exercise ‘too much’?
Can one exercise too much? The exercise addicts are wondering what the verdict is while the majority of us who dream of new excuses daily to avoid exercising are up in prayer hoping the answer favours them.
Nothing compares to exercise in our quest to discover the fountain of youth but we must “use” with caution. We have often referred to exercise as the “wonder-drug” and that is no exaggeration but like all other medications, too much of it may be harmful to our health.
Always remember that MODERATION is key; just as too little may be of no benefit, too much may send you to your grave early.
Why am I beating drums of caution about exercising? My goal is to make you healthier not worsen your current state.
You are aware that there is a particular dose of medication that is right for you; when you take less than that dose your condition may not improve and when you overdose, you suffer serious consequences that may even include death.
Exercise acts in a similar fashion. Avoiding exercise is harmful to our bodies but the benefits accrue as we start to exercise till a point is reached when we maximise our benefits. Beyond this golden point, additional (that is more intense, increasing duration or increasing frequency) exercise is harmful.
The areas that can lead to too much exercise are; intensity, frequency, duration and doing too much too soon. It is no secret that moderate intensity exercise is often best for the majority of us.
Very intense exercise has been found to decrease our immunity leading to increase in conditions such as the common cold. It may increase injuries such as sprains of large joints that may force us to take a long break from exercise.
As a guide, we should be able to carry on a conversation when we exercise at moderate intensity. At high intensity, we struggle to even put together a sentence and at very low intensity we can sing. If you have been singing for years while you exercise this may be your cue to go a notch or two higher.
Studies have shown that when the heart is in distress such as may occur in lengthy intense exercise sessions, an enzyme called troponin may be released. This signifies damage to heart muscle.
Over a long period, this damage may cause scar tissue to form in the heart muscle and may lead to abnormal heart beats. This means too much exercise may be harmful not only to your immune system, joints and muscle but your treasured heart may also suffer.
Mild left jaw pain lasting for a very short period especially during intense activity may be a sign of a heart under distress, please do not ignore.
Some of us also tend to exercise the same muscle groups too frequently. A common target is the abdominal muscle as we strive to acquire the elusive six-pack.
Muscles need time (about 48 hours) to recover from minor injuries we sustain while exercising. If we do not allow enough time for healing we never get the desired result. Remember this does not apply to those who “under-exercise” the muscle.
Yes exercise can give you a “high” that tends to drive exercise addicts to keep going on and on. Remember that after a point, the law of diminishing returns sets in and setting an all-day camp in a gym to exercise will be of no use.
For the majority of us a maximum of an hour of exercising is ideal especially when we spend the time appropriately.
Remember some of us may spend hours on end in our exercise attire just socialising rather than actively exercising. Socialising does have its benefits too but that is a discussion for another time.
A number of people who engage in strength training will continue lifting to fatigue. The danger here is continuing to repeat a movement with weights till fatigue means your last few repetitions may be done with poor form or posture. Do not try this without professional supervision. Keep to the number of repetitions that you can do with the right posture and your back and other body parts will forever be grateful to you.
Do you remember ever going to the hospital and your doctor started you on medication and over the months increased the doses? Exercise follows a similar pattern; start slowly and add on as you get fitter. Doing too much too soon can cause harm and even death.
The fact that you may overdose with exercise does not mean you have an extra arsenal in your “Exercise Excuse Chest,” remember that too little or nothing at all is suicidal. “The lesson is that the benefits of exercise don’t require extreme efforts. A Goldilocks approach is probably best: too little is bad for the heart, but too much could be also. Moderate activity anywhere – from 15 minutes to an hour a day, several days a week – is just right.”
AS ALWAYS LAUGH OFTEN, ENSURE HYGIENE, WALK AND PRAY EVERYDAY AND REMEMBER IT’S A PRICELESS GIFT TO KNOW YOUR NUMBERS (blood sugar, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, BMI)
Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel
Health Essentials Ltd/ Mobissel
(dressel@healthessentialsgh.com)
*Dr. Essel is a medical doctor, holds an MBA and is ISSA certified in exercise therapy, fitness nutrition and corrective exercise.
Thought for the week – “Don’t lose out on laughter, the benefits match Exercise, Meditation & Sex all rolled into one.”
References:
- Ted Talk; “Why great leaders take humour seriously
IF you truly love yourself, you had better read this piece while standing!
The other “inactivity” that rivals sitting for long periods when it comes to poor health and untimely death is LONLINESS! Sitting and Loneliness are the new Smoking.
It is often common to hear a parent tell a child, “Sit quietly and watch television and I will make a quick dash to town.” Well, this harmless and well-meaning statement is now being vilified. That parent could have said “smoke a few sticks of cigarettes while I dash off to town.” Yes “sitting is the “new” smoking.”
Scientists: they keep coming up with many weird findings and unfortunately, we realise after much ado that they may be right. People with sitting jobs have twice the rate of cardiovascular (heart & blood vessel) diseases as those with standing jobs – the bankers are cringing in their seats I bet.
It appears that compared to sitting,
• Sitting continuously brings similar challenges that smoking poses a gossip team. After an hour of sitting, if you walk for a minute or two.
Standing is hard work. Imagine that you need to engage many muscles to stand upright, and this burns energy. Sitting on the other hand is extremely relaxing.
When we sit, the “physiology of inactivity” kicks in and when we think we are relaxing in a chair made from heaven, our body instead rewards us with many bad things; enzymes that break down fat may drop by about 90 per cent calorie burning drops to frightening low levels and soon good cholesterol that protects us also drops. If you sit long enough even your insulin effectiveness drops and you will be courting diabetes in the long run.
I sincerely believe in getting a workout during the day, but you should not think that it gives you a license to sit at your desk for hours on end. We should ensure that we get up from our desk to walk briefly or even stretch. I am not giving you an excuse for loitering around your office or forming ings. When you have a meeting with a handful of people you could lace your boots and start walking while you talk. Who knows being out of a box (office etc) could help you think “out of the box” or even think like “there is no box”. The best aspect of such a meeting is people are more attentive since they are unable to fidget with their smart phones and other gadgets.
All lectures and classes (children are really suffering in school these days) should have a “Heart Preserving” five-minute break after every hour. Spend that time walking and stretching.
All long movies should have commercial breaks that should be used to at least stand
Whenever in doubt, at least stand for a while.
Well some people are trying innovative ways of even having small treadmills at their desk that keeps them moving, others are adopting a new chair design that essentially makes you stand at your desk, a few others sit on exercise balls that forces them to adjust their positions all the time but for the rest of us simply taking breaks and using every opportunity to move is just what the doctor prescribed.
AS ALWAYS LAUGH OFTEN, ENSURE HYGIENE, WALK AND PRAY EVERY DAY AND REMEMBER IT’S A PRICELESS GIFT TO KNOW YOUR NUMBERS (blood sugar, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, BMI)
Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel
Health Essentials/Medics Clinic
(www.healthessentialsgh.com)
Dr. Essel is a medical doctor with a keen interest in Lifestyle Medicine, He holds an MBA and is ISSA certified in exercise therapy, fitness nutrition and corrective exercise. He is the author of the award-winning book, ‘Unravelling The Essentials of Health & Wealth.’
Thought for the week – For good heart health; exercise often, eat healthy, do not smoke, minimise alcohol and sit less
By Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel
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I have on several occasions referred to laughter as the “best medicine” just as many others do and over the years, I have expanded my knowledge on the benefits of laughter. We all need to laugh daily and that’s the prescription given by the best doctors all over the world.
I came across the quote “Laughter is the best medicine. Unless you’re laughing for no reason….then you need medicine.” It sounds great and will get you laughing or at least smiling yet I beg to differ. My advice: find a reason to laugh no matter what and if you find none laugh anyway.
A few years ago, I decided to spend my first three hours of being awake laughing or smiling no matter what. It set the tone for a successful day. I did not bother about the early morning traffic, neither did I scream or honk at careless drivers but I guess as the years dragged on and the reality of fuel price hikes, electricity challenges and an ailing Ghana economy among many others hit home, the smile and laughter faded but I ALWAYS get back once I realise I am “short-changing” myself. No matter the struggles you may be facing, remember laughing or smiling will surely make your day so much better.
My prescription for you and myself is “Laugh at least five minutes in the morning and five minutes at the end of the day” no matter what. Do it even if you have no reason to.
Now what does science say about laughter?
1. It helps make the world a better place
a. Laughter is contagious so set the ball rolling by laughing and many others will join in the fun.
2. You learn better
Well, no need to get all serious and mean while you learn something new. A good dose of laughter while you learn may actually make the process more efficient. Word of caution, DO NOT distract others by laughing in an annoying way.
3. You get a health boost
a. We know this, right? I found out that laughter may actually increase good cholesterol while lowering inflammation. We do need more data on this but really, keep laughing, it can’t possibly harm you.
4. Makes you more robust
a. A nervous laughter when your back is against the wall? Laughter helps regulate your emotions in a difficult situation. Crying or frowning is unlikely to have positive returns.
5. Lowers stress and improves memory
a. Stress hormones, especially in the elderly, is reduced by laughter and one’s ability to remember gets a much-needed spike.
6. Makes you more attractive
a. People are always attracted to a “smiling face” or someone who laughs often. They make the party come alive.
7. Improves your relationship
a. Whether you are negotiating a deal at work, interacting with family or friends; laughter creates stronger bonds leading to better outcomes and building stronger relationships.
8. May help burn off some calories
Now I may be pushing this too much, but truth is laughter does raise your energy expenditure and heart rate. Though the calories you burn may be fewer per bout of laughter, every positive thing adds up for our good.
9. Boosts immune function and enhances sleep
a. Say goodbye to frequent common colds and laying in bed for long hours listening to the dogs in the neighbourhood “chitchatting”, a leaking tap dripping or worse still a snore within earshot that will compete with Louis Armstrong on the trumpet.
b. Combine laughter with your daily dose of exercise, and your winning combination is a reality.
10. May improve blood pressure and relax muscles
a. I will not advise you to drop your medication for all day laughter but I am sure laughter will play a positive role in reducing stress, giving you a feeling of wellbeing, relaxing your muscles in the process and your blood pressure may be sending you a thank you beat sooner than later.
Good health, improved learning ability and an enviable memory packaged with an attractive personality and a penchant to build strong relationships sounds like a team player who is destined for success in all fields. That you may agree will make your trips to the bank exciting and of course cause you to laugh all the way to the bank. The cycle repeats itself.Have you had your daily dose of laughter yet?
AS ALWAYS LAUGH OFTEN, ENSURE HYGIENE, WALK AND PRAY EVERYDAY AND REMEMBER IT’S A PRICELESS GIFT TO KNOW YOUR NUMBERS (blood sugar, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, BMI)
Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel
Health Essentials Ltd/Medics Clinic
(www.healthessentialsgh.com)
*Dr. Essel is a Medical Doctor with a keen interest in Lifestyle Medicine, He holds an MBA and is an ISSA Specialist in Exercise Therapy, Fitness Nutrition and Corrective Exercise. He is the author of the award-winning book, ‘Unravelling The Essentials of Health & Wealth.’
Thought for the week – “laughter is contagious – Laugh and the whole world laughs with you.”-
References:
1. Fulfillment Daily -7 science-backed reasons why laughing is good for you (2016)
2. Stanford Business
3. Someecards
By Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel
Join our WhatsApp Channel now!
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
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