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from a heart attack! In Zimbabwe high blood pressure, cholesterol and type 2 diabetes are devastating the population and, even worse, progressively affecting our children.
Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired? Are you fed up with having to take medications for the rest of your life? Are you willing to take easy steps that will not only radically change your health, but save you a lot of money?
What does heart disease and diabetes cost? What does a CT scan cost? What does a by-pass surgery, kidney failure, a stroke, your next surgery cost?
Yes, you may be saying that your medical aid society picks up the bill, but how responsible is that? Are you willing to have a heart attack, blindness, stroke, paralysis first before you take your health seriously?
Daily, weekly, monthly choices will dictate whether you rely on medication the rest of your life.
If you are taking them every day, are you truly getting well? Is your high blood pressure a lack of tablets? Is it genetics? Is it hormonal or a glandular problem? It is not!
Today’s topic is exercise. For many people exercise is more of an annual event. We have limiting beliefs that we do not have enough time, it is too boring, it is too painful. Or even worse; why exercise?
No exercise = high blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes in the making.
When I say exercise, what do you think about? Going for a run? Lifting weights? Spending hours and money on something difficult? Getting out of bed early? I am not talking about doing any of those things!
Classic, low-tempo, long-duration exercise is generally the long, slow, boring stuff that people hate.
Long walks, long runs, and hours per week on treadmills, ellipticals and bikes are classic examples. While this type of exercise shares some benefits, there are also several metabolic and hormonal problems related to this old, outdated, classic exercise concept.
Effects of low-tempo, long-duration exercise include both pros and cons. Pros: lowers resting heart rate, lowers blood pressure, healthier brain, improves circulation. Cons: raises stress hormone cortisol, stimulates appetite, breaks down muscle, increases body fat and depletes your immune system.
This means that while there are benefits to classic exercise, the response you are left with is a broken down, fat-storing, muscle wasting body.
This is why we people complain that they have been exercising and it does not seem to work.
In high-tempo, short-duration exercise you reduce time, increase benefits, and it is not boring at all! It is fun! This type of exercise will give you an aerobic effect; you get all the pros of “classic” exercise without the cons!
Effects of fast-tempo, short-duration exercise include fat reduction, muscle growth, and better hormonal balance. This will cause one to build a healthy heart, lose weight, prevent diabetes and be in the best physical, mental and emotional shape of your life!
One of the most common comments that I hear in clinical practice is: Why should I exercise when there is a tablet to take? Here is a related question: Why put oil in your car?
That’s what mechanics are for.
Your doctor knows the benefits of exercise and a healthy lifestyle, so why does he/she generally give you drugs? They think and know that you are not willing to change your lifestyle. But are you? I believe you are!
Here’s how! Renew your mindset and commit 100 percent to a healthy exercise programme.
This programme is not just for you, it is for your family.
It is for your children, your brother, your father, everyone that you know! This will radically improve your health and life!
Any type of physical movement can be converted into a fast-tempo, short-duration exercise. Examples can be as easy as running in place, bending and straightening your knees (squats), or alternating punching in the air! It’s easy!
What does fast-tempo, short-duration really mean then?
Do an exercise for 20-30 seconds as fast and hard as possible! Take a rest for 20 seconds and do the same exercise again! Do that exercise three different times. No resting!
The purpose is to fatigue you in the shortest time! Rest for a minute and repeat with a different exercise! I generally do three to five different exercises. How long will this take? 10-15 minutes!
If you truly go as hard and fast as you can, will you be tired? Oh yeah!
Children, elderly, individuals in wheelchairs and even paralysed people are able to participate! Does that mean you can do it? Yes! Again, are you sick and tired of being sick and tired? Do you like being labelled as a “you can’t do it” by your doctor? Do you want to lose weight? Get a healthier heart, reduce blood pressure and cholesterol? Do you like injecting yourself with insulin and taking tablets?
Then start exercising today.
- Dr Health is also on the SFM 92.8 “Health Matters” show. He communicates weekly on various health topics. Dr Health is a registered practitioner located in Zimbabwe. The programme is not meant to replace valuable medical advice. If you have questions or would like to request a future topic, email [email protected]
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