I was asked the other day if I exercised regularly. The person who asked the
question was quite taken aback when I said that I did not do any formal regular
exercise. “So how do you stay slim?” was the next question.
Probably the commonest advice a doctor gives is to lose
weight and do some exercise. Does that ring a bell in your memory? Was that part
of the advice after your annual physical check-up?
Unfortunately, there seems to be very little real
understanding of what exercise should consist of, how often, what type, how long
and what about sex? I was reading an article on exercise the other day and it
said authoritatively that one should wear comfortable clothing and socks with
the correct size of non-slippery, shock-absorbing shoes. If this includes
sexercise, there are some strange shoe fetishes out there!
However, getting a little serious, a little exercise will be
good for you, provided that you pick a form of exercise that is not harmful for
you! Now I know that looks as if I have put my money on both horses in the race,
but take that sentence at its face value. Enough research has been done to show
that regular exercise is beneficial for everybody, in both the physical and
psychological aspects, but, and it is a big ‘but’, all forms of exercise have
relative bodily risks, and this has to be taken into account before you buy a
pair of expensive jogging shoes and tackle a 10 km trot in the middle of the
day. True stories - a medical colleague in Australia took up playing squash when
he turned 50 and dropped dead on the court of a heart attack, and another
acquaintance of mine turned 40, decided he wasn’t fit, bought a bicycle to ride
to work each day and was run over by a bus.
The same article that advised non-slippery shoes, did have
some wise words however. These included to choose appropriate exercise according
to your ability. Never exceed your limit. Remember that it is not the harder the
better. If you have acute medical problems (such as fever, or pain), stop
exercising. Running with pain is silly. If you have chronic medical conditions
(such as hypertension, diabetes, ischemic heart disease and arthritis), seek
advice from your doctor beforehand. All of these I agree with. If you are happy
to take your body to your medical advisor when it is sick, take it back to your
doctor for advice on how to tone it up as well.
The other words of wisdom suggested that for prolonged
exercise such as hiking, continually drink water to supplement the loss of body
fluid due to sweating. Do not wait until you are thirsty. Take appropriate
breaks during exercise. Do not over-exert yourself. Forget about “powering
through the pain barrier”. Leave that for Olympic cyclists high on this month’s
stimulant.
As well as the form of exercise, there is the frequency. At
least three times per week, 20-30 minutes (or more) is necessary each time, to
derive the maximum benefit. And always remember, if there is dizziness,
fainting, shortness of breath, chest pain, vomiting, nausea or severe pain
during exercise, stop exercising immediately and seek medical advice as soon as
possible.
Now I did mention at the start of this week’s article, the
word “sexercise”, and some of you have been impatiently reading, while nervously
fiddling with your expensive packet of Viagras, Kanagras, Cialis and other
lead-in-your-pencil medications (I draw the line at tiger willy). OK, what about
sex? The advisability of this form of exercise when you have some chronic
complaint (such as hypertension, diabetes, ischemic heart disease etc), should
be part of the advice you get from your doctor beforehand. The danger of over
the counter willy stiffeners is that you don’t get advice with them.
Finally, the learned article did say “Exercise with friends.
Company provides enjoyment, mutual encouragement and support.” That goes for
sexercise too!
And how do I stay slim? I walk several kilometers around the
hospital every day, I walk to the doctor’s rooms to ask questions, rather than
telephoning, and generally make sure I remain active. So far, it’s working!
