Exercise by Dr Geoff Dreher

Exercise is a Key Factor in keeping your body weight at the right levels.

Trying to lose weight by Diet alone, without Exercise, will almost certainly fail, or be only partially successful.

Combining a Healthy Diet together with Exercise will almost certainly succeed in controlling your body weight.

Question - Am I “overweight” ?
Answer - Measure it.

We all know that the risk of developing diseases such as High Blood Pressure; Heart disease; or Type 2 Diabetes, or having Stroke; Sleep problems; Arthritis; Breathlessness or Back problems, will reduce, if your body weight is kept at “acceptable levels”.

For Adults

A guide to “acceptable levels” for adults more than 20 years old is:-

• a Body Mass Index (BMI)* of 18 to 25 and
• a Waist Circumference in Men of <102 cms and Women < 88 cms. *{BMI = Weight in Kgs ÷ (Height in metres)²}.

For Children - “acceptable levels” for children vary with age and gender. Calculation of BMI in children requires the use of a BMI Percentile chart for the ages 2 to 19 years.

Your General Practitioner will have these charts.

Apart from these measurements, most people sense when they are “heavier” than they should be by comparing themselves with their peers. If in doubt seek help and guidance from your General Practitioner.

There are 1,440 minutes in every day. Schedule 30 of them for physical activity!

Here are some Exercise activities which you can consider:

• Walking - You can do this alone, with a friend or in a Group. Your municipal council has maps of walks in your district with details of the routes etc., and the contact persons of walking clubs if you wish to get serious. Apart from this, walking everywhere you can, rather than driving the car, or using transport, may be sufficient for you.
• Running - The same as walking but more energetic. Again, your local Council will have lists of Running and Athletics Clubs if you wish to join a Group, but just “running around the block” each day, is good.
• Cycling - This requires a bicycle of course. You will be surprised that you can ride 30 Km or more in a few hours and have great fun with friends or in a club – again, contacts should be available through your Council.
• Swimming - Doing laps in the local swimming pool will achieve a great exercise. Again the local council will be operating a pool and can help you with this.
• Gymnasium - This is a traditional way of strengthening your muscles and reducing excess weight. Don’t be surprised if your weight does not go down as much as you expected, but your BMI and waist does. That excess weight is muscle!
• Dancing - This is a much more energetic exercise than it is given credit for.
• Any Sport - Bowls, Tennis, Golf, etc. etc.. Any sport will provide you with an exercise that will help you considerably. Again your local Council will help you find any of these in your district.

“Lose it” - No Longer ‘overweight’

If you have followed a healthy diet and exercised for at least 30 minutes each day, (or regularly with a club or group), you have every chance of reaching the ideal weight for you. Congratulations, because you will then be at less risk of a number of diseases and conditions and your life expectancy and enjoyment will be potentially extended.

Question - What about having Lap-band (Stomach) Surgery to stop my weight increasing ? Surely this is easier than avoiding certain foods and exercising? Answer - Lap-band surgery isn't for everyone. It is considered a solution of last resort for very overweight people, and whose weight is dramatically impacting their quality of life or life expectancy.

• The possible risks associated with lap-band surgery are similar to those for any medical procedure (for example, surgical complications, infection, tissue and organ damage, and blood clots) plus other possible complications which relate to the placement of the lap-band itself such as heartburn, reflux and vomiting.
• Lap-band surgery does not cure overweight, it only facilitates weight loss. What actually causes the weight loss after Lap-band surgery is the practice of healthy new lifestyle habits that you must commit to for life, post-surgery. Not surprisingly, these new lifestyle habits involve healthier eating and regular exercise.

Question - What can I do by myself to control my bodyweight at acceptable levels?
Answer - Eat it . . . move it . . . and lose it!

“Eat it” A Healthy Diet

Firstly

Eating a high fibre and controlled fat diet, is most important. A good rule of thumb is to aim at 30Gm of Fibre and <40Gm of Fat per day. You can count the Gms by reading the Nutrition content information on packeted food and/or using one of the many Nutrition content food booklets available at your Newsagent.

Secondly

Remember that you need Fat in your diet but it is the type of Fat which is important. Saturated fat, particularly the artificially produced Trans Fat, has a high risk of heart disease. Avoid the artificially produced Trans Fat, and choose foods with natural unsaturated Fat in preference to those with Saturated fat and Trans Fat.

You can achieve this by:-

• Avoid eating deep-fried fast foods and take-aways.
• Avoid eating manufactured biscuits, cakes, buns and pies.

Rather

• Use spreads and products that are marked ‘Low Fat’.
• Select products which show Trans Fat content as low, or zero.
• Look for the National Heart Foundation ‘Tick’ on food products.

“Move it”

Excersice

Exercise is well known to reduce body weight by increasing the metabolism of your body so that fat and sugar is consumed. However, exercise does more than just ‘burn’ fat and sugar. Exercise improves immune function by mobilizing a number of biochemical changes in your body. For instance, exercise has been shown to be a factor in shortening the healing time of wounds. Exercise also suppresses appetite for a time. So you will have less desire to eat immediately after exercise than if you had not exercised. How can I exercise successfully?

The key to successfully exercising is to find an exercise which is fun and suits you. If it is fun, you are more likely to stay motivated. You may want to exercise with a friend, join a class or plan a group exercise.