Health Essentials
Basic tips to help you reach your fitness goals
Low-impact exercise
Many nutrition enthusiasts will swear that eating appropriately is the key to great health. Die-hard exercise addicts will tell you to concentrate on exercising and nutrition can take a back seat. My position is clear on these: we need 100 per cent nutrition and exercise. In simple language, do the best you can in both. Don’t try to get smart or creative and cook up figures such as 60 per cent nutrition and 40 per cent exercise; that is simply an academic endeavour not worth your time.
Over the years, I have come to realise that weight or strength training is probably the king of fitness, and interval training (walking, using a treadmill, etc.) will trounce long hours of same-pace cardiovascular exercise using the same equipment or processes. It only goes to confirm that variety is the spice of life.
1. You may need to talk to a doctor before exercising
a. In general, walking, which in my opinion is the greatest medicine, may not require a doctor’s consent for most people, but remember to vary your pace.
b. It is, however, prudent that those greater than 35 years of age on medication or those with a significant medical condition such as high blood pressure, heart disease, arthritis and asthma see a doctor who may recommend some modifications to their exercise programme.
2. Best time to exercise
a. Just like the commercial “Any time is an ideal time”, you may choose to exercise at any time of the day: morning, afternoon or evening. A few 24-hour gyms exist in some countries, and that implies some people may hit the gym at 2am? Your body will adjust to whatever time of day works for you. Pick a suitable time and get going. In some instances, such as an inability to sleep, a fitness therapist or health professional will like to take advantage of the dip in core temperature four to six hours after exercising. This dip in temperature induces sleepiness, so we may recommend exercising late in the afternoon to help your sleep. This dip in temperature is what makes you feel sleepy at work close to noon when you exercise early in the morning.
3. Duration of exercise
a. There is really no hard-and-fast rule here. The aim is to start with less than 20 minutes and then gradually increase the duration as well as the intensity. If we need to lose weight, we may need to work out longer. It is recommended that we accumulate at least 150 minutes of exercise in a week, which works out to about 30 minutes five days a week. This is great for the heart. Over the next few months, we will learn how interval training may help us to gain the same benefits in less time or how increasing the intensity of your workout could mean spending less time exercising. There is great news for the “busy”: you can gain similar benefits to someone who exercises for 30 minutes at a time by doing three sets of 10 minutes each spread over the day. That eliminates one EXERCISE EXCUSE!
4. Place of hydration in exercising
a. NEVER underestimate the power of exercise to dehydrate you. It is essential that you drink water before, during and after exercising. In most cases, plain water may be adequate, but for those who exercise vigorously for over an hour, you may need more than plain water to keep you going. This is not an endorsement to only drink water when we exercise. Water is an ESSENTIAL drink, often even before you feel thirsty.
5. No Pain, No Gain Is Insane
a. We hear it all the time in gyms, under trees and wherever people with bulging biceps exercise – NO PAIN! NO GAIN! Dear friend, you will feel some discomfort, especially when you start exercising, but if the pain is intense, STOP and ask for help. If the pain persists after a few days, please see a doctor.
6. Warm up and Cool down
a. It is crucial that you warm up for 3–10 minutes before you increase the intensity of your exercise. Warming up increases the heart rate to support your exercise and prepares the muscles for more vigorous exercise. Cooling down will also bring the body to a near-normal state.
b. Skipping the warm-up part can sometimes have lethal consequences. Make it a point to include these two in your schedule.
7. A Complete Exercise Programme
a. To have maximum benefit from exercise, you will need to fall into the “TRINITY” –- cardiovascular exercise (cycling, walking, swimming, etc.), strength training (weight lifting, using resistance bands) and flexibility training (stretching, yoga). Years ago, yoga was couched in “mystery” but now its benefits for fitness are undeniable.
b. In recent years, balance training has jumped into the fray of exercises; it aims to strengthen our core to prevent falls as we age. If you have the benefit of corrective exercise, then you are in luck because it can help you overcome physical challenges and optimise your exercise programme.
c. There is really no strict order for exercising. Cardio before weights or the alternative is not necessary. We will reap the benefits regardless of the order. Order becomes important only when we have certain goals. Someone training for endurance may need cardiovascular exercise first, whereas someone focusing on weight loss may need to switch the order.
8. Increasing Weights in Strength training
a. Take it easy in the beginning and gradually increase your weight. For those of you who will not have the services of a professional, ONLY increase your weights if you can do 12 repetitions of an exercise with good form.
b. Remember, exercising with the wrong form or posture may harm you. It is important that YOU DO NO HARM IN YOUR QUEST FOR FITNESS.
9. Vigorous versus Moderate Intensity Exercise
a. Surely we are able to reduce the duration of our exercise by increasing the intensity. You may walk for one hour but only run for 30 minutes to gain the same cardiovascular benefits, but be careful; you may be putting a strain on another part of the body.
b. You may have come across the fact that mild to moderate exercise improves our immunity and can reduce the frequency of illnesses such as the common cold, whereas extreme exercise may actually cause the opposite.
10. Spot Reduction; fact or myth?
a. Those of us with “pot bellies” know the drill. You walk into a gym and ask how long it will take to trim the belly you have grown lovingly (that rounded belly is an indicator of impending wahala). Some people swear that they can perform out-of-the box exercises and drink certain concoctions to target fat in specific areas.
b. As far as current knowledge can confidently confirm, “spot reduction” is a myth. You will not be able to target specific parts of your body for fat loss; you will need to exercise and eat appropriately to lose fat in the whole body.
Staying fit has never been easy, but the benefits are so amazing that we should all do everything possible to embrace fitness.
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 – “Safety like Charity begins at home; make sure you get adequate sleep, exercise, eat right, have your eyesight checked and your numbers in the right place. Ensure your home is also safe, then and only then can you easily translate SAFETY to the workplace and everywhere else.” – Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel
References:
1. webmd.com
2. Cobba’s First Law of Exercising – “Do No Harm”
3. Nutrition: The Complete Guide – Ryan Berardi, PhD, Ryan Andrews, MS/MA, RD
This week I bumped into Deborah, one of my avid readers and I promised her I will be writing this weekend. So Deborah, this is for your reading pleasure and to pick some golden nuggets for the future.
The quest to find the best way to make one’s golden years, happy, exciting, healthy and a time most people look forward to continues unabated. One factor that keeps popping up is the need to grow friendships with people more than 20 years younger than yourself.
Do not take this for granted. It is a form of “social security” since these close friends who are much younger than you will step in to support you in more ways than you can ever imagine.
Some conditions may make life challenging for older adults but knowing these Geriatric Giants helps us to take the necessary steps to reduce our risk.
“Geriatric Giants” refers to a group of chronic health conditions that are common in the elderly, typically 65-year-olds and older.
These conditions quite often co-occur and can impact on the independence, dignity and overall wellbeing and quality of life of an elderly person.
These Geriatric Giants include:
- Impaired Intellect/ Memory (e.g. Dementia)
- one of the major battles we need to deal with is challenges with memory
- Exercise, adopt the Mind Diet, build a great social network and enjoy time outdoors
- Keep reading and solving puzzles for as long as possible
- Instability – leading to much feared falls
- A good reason to indulge in Balance Training and Core Strengthening exercises from today
- Ensure your home is safe; avoid clutter such as cables crisscrossing floors, toys etc. These are all trip hazards and should be avoided
- Many healthy, happy and fun-loving older adults have died soon after a fall with its attendant complications.
- Do whatever it takes to avoid falling
- Immobility (opening the doors to pressure sores, joint stiffness)
- Even when you are unable to move about on your own it is important to get support to change positions as often as possible or get an appropriate mattress or bed that prevents prolonged pressure over any single point.
- Make sure you passively or actively move joints daily.
- Incontinence (urine, faeces or both)
- This is one of the reasons older adults prefer to stay at home and avoid going out to meet friends etc.
- Iatrogenic Disorders – adverse effect of medication
- Quite often most older adults are on several medications and some side effects such as drowsiness may seem to cause more unhappiness and may even lead to falls.
- Inappetite – this may result in poor nutrition
- This may also be linked to loss of teeth thus making chewing very difficult or limited.
- The loss of smell and taste may also reduce the amount of food one may willingly eat.
The power to reduce the impact of the Geriatric Giants starts now and should be a lifetime commitment. It is never too early to start making the appropriate lifestyle modifications, nor is it too late to reduce the impact of the giants on one’s life.
Other conditions that significantly impact on the lives especially of the elderly are:
- Sleep Disorders
- Good sleep has the power to give us energy, improve our thought pattern and even helps us to make good choices.
- Good sleep sets the tone for a healthy life
- Constipation
- This is a challenge that confronts quite a number of older adults.
- Movement, fibre and lots of water go a long way to reduce the stress that frequent constipation generates.
- Fraility
- Muscle loss is real and as we age, we lose a significant percentage of our muscle plus our bones also become brittle.
- Make sure strength training is part of your exercise schedule
- Polypharmacy
- Another headache that needs to be confronted head-on
- Everyone especially older adults need a good primary care physician or a general practitioner who can coordinate all medicines from the different Specialists who may be attending to an elderly person. This ensures that unnecessary medicines are dropped
The goal of care at all times is to optimise the quality of life. As family, professional caregivers and friends we should always show respect so that the dignity of the elderly is preserved at all times. For those of us who are not yet in the age group with such challenges, we need to start the conversation about the type of care we will prefer and take steps to stay healthy and independent for as long as possible. The goal should be a long Healthspan and not just a long Lifespan.
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 (HE&W Group)
(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 Esse
The call to action
We must move beyond the cycle of temporary outrage. I propose a four-point blueprint for the Ministry of Health and the government:
1. A Digital Bed-Tracking Command Centre: Legally mandate all public and major private hospitals to update a live, digital bed-registry every hour. The NAS must be able to see a vacancy before they move. This must be matched with the available resources and services so that the right patient will be sent to the right facility.
2. Strategic Capacity Expansion: We must stop building “prestige projects” and start building high-volume stabilisation centres. We need a targeted investment to triple the ER bed count in Accra and Kumasi within 24 months. This should then be extended to other regional capitals.
3. Specialised Emergency Hubs: Designate specific hospitals as “Centres of Excellence” for Cardiac and Stroke care (and for other health emergencies), ensuring they have 24/7 imaging and intervention capabilities as well as the requisite expertise to manage these conditions. Policy makers must incentivise public-private partnerships to ensure that a heart attack in Accra or Kumasi can be treated with the same urgency as one in New York.
4. Develop a nationwide trauma system: This is extremely important because trauma is a major cause of deaths in Ghana. In the US, each state has a statewide trauma system with three levels. Level 1 trauma centres are usually University Teaching hospitals that provide comprehensive trauma care and also play an important role in local trauma system development, regional disaster planning, increasing capacity and advancing trauma care through research. Level II trauma centres are expected to provide initial definitive trauma care for a wide range of injuries and injury severity.
Level III centres provide definitive care to patients with mild trauma. Having such systems is imperative to ensure proper treatment of trauma patients.
Even for those who survive trauma, disability is a major assault on economic potential and viability. Importantly all this cannot happen with a cash and carry system. Emergencies should be managed under a different model to save life and limb first. Obviously, there is a need to ensure that healthcare facilities will be able to recover their investments in emergency care, and that balancing act needs careful consideration.
Frontline clinicians are often forced to bear the public’s anger for infrastructure deficits they did not create and cannot fix. This is a failure of governance, not a lack of clinical care. Responsibility lies with the policy makers who manage the nation’s resources.
The “No Bed Syndrome” is a systemic disease. It cannot be cured with a directive from the Ministry of Health, parliament or a lecture on ethics. It requires a blueprint, a budget, and the political will to treat this like the menacing threat it is.
It is safe to say that non-emergent healthcare is excellent in Ghana for the most part if you can afford it. However, emergency care is suboptimal. We had a sitting president die from an emergency health issue and a former vice president also die from an emergency. If that is not enough warning, it is clear that anyone can be a victim of an emergency.
If we do not act, the next ambulance driving aimlessly through the streets of Accra could be carrying anyone, including the very people who have the power to fix this issue.
Prof. Jonathan Laryea is a Professor of Surgery at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock. Arkansas. He is board certified in General Surgery, Colorectal Surgery and Clinic Informatics.
He is a graduate of the University of Ghana Medical School (Class of 1997)
