Health Essentials
Is any exercise excuse worth its salt?
If you are like most humans, then you will come up with 1001 reasons you can’t exercise: there is always something that appears more attractive than performing an activity that may make you break into a sweat but I doubt if there is a more effective medicine available.
Even the die-hard anti-exercise activist knows that, there is some benefit to physical activity or exercise. One phrase may capture it all; “no matter your exercise excuse, there is an even more compelling reason to exercise”.
In an era, where everyone appears to be complaining of being under stress even when we do not understand the word, it may be refreshing to know that exercise or physical activity is an excellent stress-buster. Exercise and laughter continue to tango for the number one spot in relieving or preventing stress.
I definitely agree that there may be a handful of conditions that may require us to take a break from actively exercising, but even then, in the right hands, there is something that may just be right for us.
Just like you, I also think about these reasons not to exercise but they surely are not good enough;
1. “I DON’T HAVE TIME”
You definitely are not alone. We all think we are extremely busy, but we do make time for other things, don’t we? It’s all a matter of setting our priorities right. Fortunately for us, we all have exactly 24 hours in a day, and we just have to make do with that. The wise one above knows best and set it that way.
You probably spend hours talking on your cell phone. What about strolling in your room while you chat?
The good news is that exercise gives you energy. It does not take it away, so you will be able to do more in less time. Here’s a great tip: if you have trouble managing your time, you may do well to start exercising – NOW!
2. “I AM TOO TIRED”
We often spread out on our sofa and proclaim to the world and anyone who cares to listen, “I am so tired; I need to get some rest. This relaxation time is all I can squeeze into my hectic day. One day when I get enough rest, I will start exercising”. Does that sound like any of us?
The good news is this: research has shown that aerobic/cardiovascular exercise increases energy and relieves fatigue. So next time you feel so tired it may be a great option to take a brisk walk or hit the gym.
Exercising will definitely give us more energy so we can do more of the things we love – that is good bait, isn’t it?
3. “I HATE EXERCISE”
Most of the time, we just hate what we think exercise has to be. The bottom line is that you need to move a large group of muscles over a period of time, and also get your precious heart to do some extra work. If you do not like the word ‘exercise’, let’s use ‘physical activity’ (exercise is actually a branch or subset of physical activity). That probably makes you more comfortable. Physical activity includes gardening, household chores, dancing, etc. The point here is that we should do more of what we enjoy, and that will help to keep us on track. Put in some variety to prevent a rut.
Always make healthy choices such as using the stairs instead of the elevator; parking your car further away from your destination; walking to the neighbourhood shop; moving around while on the cell phone; walking to a work colleague’s desk instead of emailing or using the phone; and the greatest of all – walking to the TV to use the controls instead of the remote. So after all, exercising is not that bad!
4. “I AM TOO OLD”
No matter your age and physical condition, there is a form of exercise that is appropriate for you. You only need to talk to your healthcare professional, and you will be on your way to discovering the secrets of a healthy old age. Please note: starting to exercise at mid-life lengthens your lifespan and even more importantly your health span.
5. “I AM IN TOO MUCH PAIN”
I can feel your pain too. Many of us have extremely painful body parts, such as the knees, and we find it almost impossible to even walk. The sad part of the equation is that the pain worsens when we avoid all forms of physical activity. Many people will experience extreme pain when we start walking, but it improves over time. You could walk for as little as 30 seconds, take a break and then continue. Some may be better off on a recumbent bike, and others, in a swimming pool. If you do not know the cause of your pain, talk to a healthcare professional, who, together with a fitness therapist, should be able to work out a plan for you.
My dear readers who may be struggling with arthritis, this may be counter-intuitive but you are much better off taking short walks than sitting in a chair or relaxing in bed for a greater part of the day.
6. “I WILL GROW FAT WHEN I STOP”
Of course you will grow fat when you stop exercising consistently yet you make no adjustment to your intake of food or drinks. That is the law of nature; once you put in the same number of calories (energy) yet you burn less than when you were exercising, the excess energy will be converted to fat and stored.
There are two issues to tackle here; the human body was made to move so you have no business avoiding physical activity. You may quit using the gym but you need to take part in other activities such as brisk walking, skipping etc. it is also extremely important to know that exercising goes hand-in-hand with the appropriate nutrition. Once you learn to eat properly, the chances of growing fat will reduce. You should not continue indefinitely with an exercise programme without talking to a dietician who will teach you to eat properly.
So whenever you dream up any other exercise excuse, remember there is definitely a more compelling reason to exercise.
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. He is the author of the award-winning book, ‘Unravelling The Essentials of Health & Wealth.’
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK – “Exercise is definitely medicine and doctors need to prescribe it!!!”
I look forward to interacting with you at The La Palm Royal Beach Hotel Corporate Healthy Lifestyle Programme on Saturday, 24th June, 2023, at 5.30am.
Let’s walk, exercise in the pool and on land, network and share ideas that will keep us healthy.
By Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel
Health Essentials
Do you want to be happy?
Don’t we all dream of a life that is filled with laughter? That may be a reason for chasing big bucks, which like the Golden Fleece eludes the majority of us.
Financial Wellness is extremely important but there are other factors that make us happy and healthy and eventually wealthy.
I will introduce a few everyday activities that are guaranteed to make you happy if you continue practising them.
You definitely do not need to live in Finland to experience happiness even though many people agree that is the “headquarters” of happiness.
1. Wake-Up Ritual
a. Say to yourself that today will be a beautiful day or a great day!
b. Ask God what He has in store for you. Use me Lord (if not a Christian what you believe in will be useful as well.
c. Remind yourself of your purpose in life and get out of bed.
d. Do Not grab your phone as the first thing for the day.
2. Pray
a. Talking to God has a way of calming our nerves. It brings about unexplained peace and when we add praise and worship then the floodgates open. That is how to win battles against unhappiness.
3. Smile
a. Definitely floods your body with feel good hormones and insulates you from stress.
b. Smiling is infectious so the more you smile the better and you set off a smiling OR happiness domino effect.
4. Meditate
a. Extremely good for your brain and an easy way to start is to do deep-breathing and just focus on your “breath” excluding all others. That is what some will prefer to call mindfulness. Being in the moment has immense benefits. Things you never knew existed suddenly spring up.
5. Exercise
a. That wonder drug that trumps virtually all others. Like smiling it does pour out feel good hormones. Strength training even goes an extra mile causing our muscles to act as “pharmacies” that pour out life-changing signals every time they contract.
6. Be kind to yourself & to others
a. We are often too harsh on ourselves. Give yourself a break. Self-care is the real deal!!
b. Being harsh to others has no benefits.
7. Spend some time doing nothing!
a. We need to re-set from time to time. Spend about 10 minutes a day doing absolutely nothing. There is happiness and innovation in “idling”. Do not abuse idling though.
8. Spend time with loved ones.
a. This is another powerful happiness “hack”. You have to make time and be intentional about this; talk on phone, send messages, arrange to meet for a drink or meal. Social Wellness ranks very high on the happiness index and it’s fairly easy to plug into it.
b. While spending time together remember that your choice of food and drinks also impacts on how happy or sad or anxious you may feel.
9. Indulge in a hobby.
a. Our bodies and brain love variety. Do you have a hobby? Get one
10. Write in your gratitude diary.
a. That is all it takes – keep doing it regularly.
11. Get a pet.
This list is not exhaustive but definitely a good start. Share your happiness hacks with me via email and together we can keep the world smiling and happy.
At the end of each day ask yourself if you did better than the previous day. That is all it takes. Doing better than the previous day for 365 days, for 5 years, 10 years… How amazing that will be!!!
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
(dressel@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 – “There is no magic formula to being happy but making a conscious effort to be happy goes a long way.” – Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel
By Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel
Health Essentials
Measure your blood pressure accurately, control it, live longer
May 17 is World Hypertension Day and please do not panic. This is not a stress-filled day that aims at increasing your blood pressure but rather it’s a day set aside to increase awareness of a serial yet silent killer. That is exactly what Hypertension it; its killing the young and old at an alarming rate yet in most instances people with high blood pressure may feel absolutely well.
The theme for this year is “Measure your blood pressure accurately, control it, live longer”
Do these when you take your blood pressure since the accuracy of the reading matters:
• If you have been walking or running rest for at least 5 to 10 minutes
• No caffeinated drinks or alcohol two or three hours before checking blood pressure
• Sit (sometime you may need to stand or lay in bed) comfortably with your back rested/supported and your arm for the cuff resting on a table of firm surface
• Have your feet flat on the floor and not legs crossed
• Ensure the cuff is the right size for your arm
• If using an electronic monitor ensure battery is working well
• If clothing covering arm is thick remove
• Loosen your neck-tie or belt if uncomfortable
• If you are not conversant with checking blood pressure, get the appropriate training
Global statistics show that only 50 per cent of those with hypertension are actually aware and that awareness in some areas may be as low as 10 per cent while awareness may exceed 75 per cent in a few areas.
The bitter truth is some people do not have enough information about the condition, a significant number do not have easy access to measuring their blood pressure and a few stubborn ones think it is better not to know if something is going wrong.
What do we need to understand about our blood pressure numbers? There are ALWAYS two numbers in a blood pressure reading such as 120/80mmHg. The top figure represents the force of the blood against the artery (blood vessel) walls as your heart beats and the lower value represents the force on the walls in between beats or while the heart rests. Both numbers are important.
Essentially when your blood pressure is higher than it should normally be all organs in the body are exposed to elevated pressures since arteries supply blood to every part of the body. These sustained high pressures will be causing harm gradually every minute of the day.
Prevention of high blood pressure is based mainly on adopting the appropriate lifestyle, while having regular medical check-ups to pick up conditions that can may lead to hypertension if not tackled early. Management of hypertension on the other hand requires a three-pronged attack in most situations;
• Lifestyle modifications
• Regular medical checks to pick up other conditions that be worsen our hypertension or general wellbeing
• Use of appropriate physician prescribed medication
Age and our genes may have a way of increasing our blood pressure or predisposing us to hypertension, but since we have no control over the choice of our family and years rolling by, it may be worth focusing on the above three that we can control to a large extent.
Lifestyle Modification
• Exercise adequately
• Do not smoke
• Limit or avoid alcohol
• Aim at fat (weight) loss
• Manage stress appropriately
• If you have sleep apnoea (intermittent snoring during sleep and feeling tired and sleepy on waking up) seek medical intervention
• Adopt the DASH (dietary approaches to stop hypertension) diet; low sodium (salt), increased potassium from fruits and vegetables, low or no saturated fats and increased fibre.
• Control conditions such as diabetes, cholesterol challenges and kidney disease.
Exercise need not be rushing to the gym to sweat out only, but taking walks, gardening, cleaning your home, using the stairs and many others. Exercise increases heart function and lowers blood pressure but there is a little hitch: the benefits of exercise on blood pressure do not last beyond 72 hours.
In short frequency is the watch word. Do not be a once a week or once a month exercise fan. The effect of exercise on the heart does not rely on past glory so if you were an athlete years ago but you have now become one with your sofa, I am sorry to disappoint you but you need to get moving NOW!
All types of exercises will benefit you and lower your blood pressure but a word of caution here;
• When your blood pressure is not controlled DO NOT lift weights above your head
• Do not overdo exercises of the upper body but lower body exercises such s squatting will enhance lowering of your blood pressure.
• Breathe properly especially while you train with weights; breathe out during the exertion phase as you lift a weight and breathe in while you relax.
• Of course brisk walking, swimming, use of the treadmill and other exercises that target heart function are also a must
When all is said and done, you can never know our blood pressure without measuring or checking it. Take a few minutes to check your blood pressure and ensure at least one other person checks their blood pressure before the end of the month.
Associations, companies and all identifiable groups should ensure they check their blood pressure and go an extra mile and as a corporate social responsibility help to check the blood pressure of hundreds or even thousands of people. You will be saving lives.
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)
