The stairway to health

We are now ready to go to breakfast.

It is possible, at this time that we have to go downstairs.

Here we come to one of the most important parts of our daily exercise plan.

We must now begin to put into practice the things which I have mentioned earlier, the things Prof. Fellinger had told me.

We are probably going down now. Here we can use our balance and breathing techniques as well as exercising our legs.

Stand erect, put one foot out with the toe pointing downward and place the toes on the next step, now lower the heel. Do not touch any banister but feel the upper leg muscle working. The slower you go from step to step the more the muscles work.

Now let us imagine that you forgot something! You have to go back up!

This is not only very good training for your legs and back muscles but of great value to your cardiovascular system.

Again, do not touch the banisters and put each advancing foot consciously down with the toe first.

As time goes on you can vary your way of going up stairs. You can go very slowly moving your weight slowly up with each under leg.

You can go quite quickly and keep on your toes the whole time. You can also make a point of going up two at a time.

The whole business of climbing stairs, which we must do anyway, is very rewarding for our overall fitness.

It’s not just what you eat, but also how!

When we eat our breakfast we must sit down without putting our hands on the table but just use our legs to lower ourselves onto the dining chair. We must sit upright at the table, not lounging, which is good for our muscles and our digestion.

I do not want to discuss diet here but it is important that whatever you eat, you eat slowly. The old fashioned way of putting your knife and fork down between each bite is very healthy. I had a grandmother who lived to be a fit ninety-one and she boasted that her back had never touched a chair. In many ways the Victorians had the right ideas of posture!

Having eaten, we get up again without any help from our hands. Let the legs do the work!

Autofitness in auto

Now we get into our car either to go to the office or to take the children to school.

Climbing into the car is another form of exercise. Don’t lower yourself by putting your hands on the door frame. Put one foot into the car and lower yourself without using your hands. This can be a difficult twisting motion and can become a very good flexibility exercise. Be sure that the seat back supports you well and lets you drive in a relaxed position.

When you look behind, for example when reversing, you can twist the body at the hips and make a swivelling exercise.

While you are driving you can squeeze your buttocks together and hold them like that for several seconds, this you can repeat as often as you like.

Deep, slow breathing is important.

A good hand and forearm exercise is to clench the steering wheel tightly for a few seconds and release it. This can also be repeated as often as you like.

When we arrive at our destination, we get out of the car without the help of our hands and stand up using only the legs.

Again, if you have back problems you need to take special care when driving. Four points should be considered.

1) Getting into the car is easier and gentler to your back if you stand outside with your back to the driving seat. Sit down and slowly turn around, lifting your feet one at a time into the driving position.

2) Be sure that the driving seat is not too far back as this can give you a one-sided back position as you press the pedals.

3) Be sure the driving seat supports your back. If the seat does not have adequate provision, take a small towel and place in the small of your back when driving.

4) The traffic authorities recommend that we make short pauses when we drive a long distance – this increases our concentration and helps to avoid accidents. These pauses are doubly important for your back: stop, stand straight and walk around for a few minutes, breathing slowly and deeply.

If you haven’t thought about exercise since you were at school, you may not see the point in it. Surely having a good attitude to food and diet is enough? Well, no it isn’t. Exercise is essential: if you don’t use your body, and particularly if you don’t use your muscles, they will atrophy. You need to keep yourself supple and moving if you want to enjoy longer and older age.

It’s an extraordinary thing, but it doesn’t really matter what age you are or where you are on the scale or what particular starting point you have, you will always be able to benefit from exercise. For example, a study in the US on very much older people showed that the regeneration of muscle can be quite phenomenal. People who were virtually bedridden could actually get up and enjoy a reasonable walk of a couple of miles all within a space of a few months. There is a great deal of evidence, both anecdotal and scientific, to support the view that increasing your levels of physical activity will increase energy levels, improve sleep quality, make you more productive, and enable you to manage stress more successfully.

There are also other, more obvious health benefits to regular exercise, including a reduced risk of premature heart disease, stroke and some cancers. Many people find that they are more able to keep up with their children, get around better as they become older, enjoy their skiing holidays more and recover faster from minor illnesses. Is that something that you also desire and aspire to?

The Wellness Continuum

We all have a perception of how healthy we are. The Wellness Continuum, illustrated opposite, shows a line upon which we all exist, somewhere along, the continuum. We all start out at a neutral point and can move in either direction according to the lifestyle we choose.

The general path of many of us today is towards the Illness end of the continuum. We all expose ourselves to risks and gradually our bodies adapt to that slothful and unthinking existence. There is good news though, because no matter where you are on the continuum you can reverse any trend that you have started. By becoming aware of positive behaviours, adopting them, obtaining reinforcement and developing a positive attitude towards your ability to control your life, you can become much fitter and more healthy.

Wellness can be seen as a behaviour rather than a result. It is a journey towards mastery as you define it. No one else can tell you what Wellness means to you. You can get advice, seek assistance and listen to expert opinion, but you are the one who defines Wellness for you.

You can enjoy your body far more if you do take exercise, but you don’t have to go to extremes. Your aim is to train and develop your body into the condition that you want it to be, for the things that you want to do. This means looking at the outcomes you hope to achieve from increasing your physical activity and enhancing wellness. Most fitness programmes only look at the outcomes you wish to achieve, but running alongside that is another very important factor. That is to make the process as rewarding, enjoyable and focused an experience as possible. It is not always realistic for exercise itself to be fun. But by setting out in the right way, with the right attitude and with the right goals, you at least give yourself a good chance of enjoying the experience through making real progress and seeing a gradual improvement in your physical condition.

• What are your outcome goals?
• Weight loss?
• Improved muscle tone?
• Stress control?
• Increased energy?
• General fitness?
• To play sports?
• To prevent illness?
• To slow down deterioration?
• To keep up with the children (or grandchildren)?
• What is the outcome you most want to achieve?

What time and effort are you willing to give to the achievement of these goals? What landmark goals can you set yourself? Think about these things, and develop your own thoughts, as you continue to read through this chapter. If you can be clear about what you want to achieve, right from the outset, this will help you when the going gets tough (as it inevitably will).

People who attempt to lose weight purely through exercise often find that there is an increase in their lean body (muscle) mass and a decrease in their fat mass, but very little change in their total weight. However, in combination with a balanced reducing diet, an increase in physical activity seems to encourage the loss of weight which is due mainly to fat losses.

Some researchers have suggested that exercise maintains or increases the muscle compartment (muscle tissue is far more active than fat tissue and contributes largely towards basic energy expenditure) and in this way at least partially prevents the diet-induced decrease in energy requirements. The latter could be responsible for the reaching of a ‘plateau’ in weight loss.

There are several other advantages in combining increased exercise with a balanced reducing diet. For example, it has been shown that exercise:

• uses up energy (kilojoules) which in turn helps you to achieve an `energy deficit’ sufficient to allow continued weight loss.
• helps to regulate normal sensations of hunger and satiety (satisfaction).
• prevents bone mineral losses which could result from restricting your energy intake. It has been found that people with a history of weight loss and gain (especially on low carbohydrate diets) often suffer from this condition, which in turn predisposes them to the development of osteoporosis (bone-thinning).
• improves the functioning of the heart and lungs, as well as blood circulation.
• improves general well-being, self-image and self-confidence and reduces levels of stress.
• increases the possibility that you will be able to maintain your weight after completing a reduction programme. This is possibly because the muscle compartment is maintained and also because increased exercise often becomes a way of life (essential for weight maintenance).

What kind of exercise?

The most effective way of burning up energy is through the regular use of large muscle groups in aerobic activities (activities that are kept up long enough to draw on the body’s fat reserves for energy while increasing oxygen intake). These include walking briskly, climbing stairs, cycling, dancing (aerobic routines, ballet, disco) swimming, jogging, skating, skiing, ball games and other active sports. Any exercise programme must be tailored to your individual needs, taking into account your usual level of physical activity, degree of fitness and strength and physical limitations. A medical examination is essential to evaluate the last three aspects. And always remember that regular, moderate exercise is more advantageous than erratic bursts of heavy exercise.

Exercise manuals, reputable health clubs, physical educationists and medical doctors can all guide you with regard to the amount and type of exercise best suited to your needs. But don’t forget that you can do a lot to increase your level of physical activity simply by making some changes to your lifestyle, such as:

• climbing stairs instead of using a lift
• walking short distances instead of driving
• parking further away from one’s destination and walking the last stretch.

Most importantly, the increased physical activity should continue after you have achieved your weight loss – it should become a way of life.

Mind over matter

As many a desperate dieter knows, there’s a lot more to losing weight than declaring war on kilojoules. Getting rid of that excess weight could change your life – but you may have to change your lifestyle first. A very common reason for the failure of a weight loss programme is the inability of the dieter to make the necessary long-term changes to his or her behaviour and eating patterns.

This is because the tendency to over-eat often has a psychological basis which needs to be dealt with if there is to be any hope of success.

If your weight reduction programme does not include psychological support and counselling and you are aware that you need help in this area, it is a good idea to consult a behavioural specialist such as a psychologist or a psychiatrist.

Sometimes, people who lose a good deal of weight also find that they need help to cope with psychological and social problems which arise as a result of their weight loss. For example, a woman may find that she now has to cope with a new social role: while she may well have had male friends prior to her weight loss, perhaps none of them have regarded her as a potential partner (ie sexually), but now she may find herself viewed in a different light. While it might seem surprising that this type of change in people’s perceptions of an individual could be problematic, it is a recognised fact that overweight people who turn into slim ones sometimes find that they cannot cope with their ‘new’ selves and images, or with the demands that arise as a result of the metamorphosis. There are cases on record of people regaining weight simply in order to feel ’safe’ again in a familiar, undemanding situation.

For a world-class track athlete, a few seconds may be the difference between a good performance and a ‘great’ performance, or the difference between being a qualifier and a gold medallist. In a recent survey of Olympic hopefuls, many indicated that they would be willing to sacrifice both health and long life by taking potentially harmful substances which have been shown to enhance performance. Some may regard this simply as an illustration of the extreme competitiveness of world-class sport, but what it highlights is the extent to which athletes and sportsmen and -women in general are influenced by claims that foods, liquids or other substances are able to improve their performance. Virtually every food or part thereof has at some time been promoted as having magical performance-enhancing properties this raises the question: Does what we eat or drink really affect our physical performance in sport in particular and exercise in general?

Scientists remain sceptical of the `ergogenic’ or performance-enhancing potential of nutritional supplements, except in the case of people who have a poor or deficient diet. However, what has been established is that even for the recreational athlete and sportsperson, finding nutritional balance and adopting ’sound’ nutritional practices will go a long way toward optimizing the effects of physical training.

While some scientists and nutritionists believe that the nutritional requirements of sportsmen and -women are not different to those for sedentary persons, there is some evidence that supplementation may provide the ‘competitive edge’ for the elite athlete. In general, however, there are few substances which provide more than a 7% enhancement in overall performance, which is negligible in the light of the far greater contributions of training and practice.

In the search for the ‘magic bullet’ many athletes follow potentially harmful health and nutritional practices and yet, interestingly, recent studies have shown that most athletes‘ diets do not fall within the guidelines for a ‘prudent’ diet, or a diet associated with low coronary heart disease risk. This suggests that there is a need for education and a re-structuring of priorities for athletes and sportspersons in general.

The ‘energy challenge’

Exercise provides a unique ‘challenge’ to the body in that the demand for energy, especially a rapid energy delivery to the working muscle, is greater than for more sedentary pursuits. Humans are equipped with fuel stores within the body which supply enough energy for prolonged physical activity at a low to moderate intensity.

Fuel from adipose (fatty) tissue in the form of stored fat, or triglyceride, is virtually unlimited and can be sufficient for long periods of low intensity exercise. However, it is interesting that this stored fat tissue is practically unavailable for fueling high-intensity, short-term exercise. There are complex controls (checks and balances) which prevent us from always making optimal use of available fuel stores. Thus, energy for performance is influenced by nutritional status, training status and the type of exercise we are doing.

At muscle level, chemical energy in the form of ATP (adenosine triphosphate) is ‘broken down’ so that energy becomes available for muscle contraction. ATP is continually replenished in the muscle from the metabolism of various nutrients such as carbohydrate, fat and protein. Even if you lead a sedentary life and do no exercise at all, you need a minimum amount of energy just to stay alive. This is referred to as the ‘resting metabolic rate’. Surprisingly, this energy may account for as much as 70% of an individual’s daily energy expenditure. The remaining 30% would be expended in sedentary tasks, simply staying awake, and processing food.

On the other hand, an athlete or someone who plays sport regularly has a much greater overall energy requirement per day, depending on the type and the amount of exercise they take part in. For example, _endurance-trained male athletes may take in as much as 15 000 kJ

(3 600 calories) per day, compared to the figure of approximately 11 000 kJ (2 600 calories) for non-athletes. In the former, the resting

metabolic rate may be higher than in a sedentary person and yet still make up only 50% of their daily expenditure, because of the training regimen which they follow. The paradox often seen in female athletes is that they may have a very restricted energy intake and yet expend a great deal of energy in training.

Training may also influence the body’s ‘choice’ of fuel for a given exercise bout. For example, an endurance-trained athlete will have a greater potential for utilizing fat as a fuel during an exercise session lasting over several hours. This may result in a ’sparing’ of muscle carbohydrate or glycogen stores. Conversely, during high-intensity, prolonged exercise, fuel supplementation may be necessary for both the trained athlete and the enthusiastic amateur. As fuel supply is inevitably linked to the potential for prolonged muscle power output, it is very important for athletes and sportsmen and women to give serious attention to the diets they follow.

There are standards that can be used to determine how much body fat an individual should possess.

Every person should possess at least a minimal amount of body fat for good health. This fat is called essential fat and is necessary for temperature regulation, shock absorption, and regulation of essential body nutrients, including vitamins A, D, E, and K. Non-essential fat accumulates when you take in more calories than you expend. When non-essential fat accumulates in excessive amounts, overfatness or even obesity can occur. For good health, an individual should not allow body fat levels to drop too low or to become too high. There is a desirable range of fatness for good health, different from the range suggested for those who have optimal performance in athletic events as a goal. Even for athletes, especially low levels of body fatness are not desirable. Research has shown that attempts to attain and maintain too low a body fat level are associated with eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia. Also, there is evidence that excessive fat loss may result in amenorrhea in women.

Overfat is more important than overweight in determining good health.

Individuals who are interested in controlling their weight usually consult a height-weight chart to determine “desirable” weight. Being 20 percent or more above the recommended chart weight is one commonly used indicator of obesity. Unfortunately, height-weight charts are often prepared by insurance companies based on “normal” weight for people of a different age or sex. What other people weigh is of less importance than the amount of fat you possess.

Though proper height-weight charts can give good general guidelines, they are not as accurate an indication of health for most people as is the percentage of body fat.

It is possible to estimate the percentage of the body that is fat. Some individuals having muscular body types are considered overweight and even obese in terms of height-weight charts, yet they possess very little body fat. Because the amount of body fat, not the amount of weight, is the important factor in living a healthy life, it is wise to use “overfat” rather than “overweight” as the measure. See table 13.1 for standards.

There are many ways to assess body fatness and leanness.

Underwater weighing, also referred to as “hydrostatic weighing,” is considered the gold standard for assessing body fatness. In this laboratory procedure, a person is weighed underwater and out of the water. Corrections are made for the amount of air in the lungs when the underwater weight is measured. Using Archimedes principle, the body’s density can be determined. Because the density of various body tissues is known, the amount of the total body fat can be determined. Body fatness is usually expressed in terms of a percentage of the total body weight. Because this procedure takes considerable time, equipment, and specialized training, it is not practical for use except in well-equipped laboratories. Other ways of measuring body fatness are X rays, ultrasound, impedence measurements, body girths, and skinfold measurements. Not all of these have been shown to be reliable and valid. Skinfold measurements are often used because they can be taken fairly easily with a caliper. This is not nearly as costly as underwater weighing or X rays. The better, more accurate calipers cost several hundred dollars. However, considerably less expensive calipers are now available. When used by a trained person, these calipers give a good estimate of fatness. An expert’s estimate of your body fatness determined by skinfold measurements is informative. It will also be useful for you to learn to use calipers correctly so that you can take your own measurements throughout your life.

Body fat is distributed throughout the body. About one-half of the body’s fat is located around the various body organs and in the muscles. The other half of the body’s fat is located just under the skin, or in skinfolds. A skinfold is two thicknesses of skin and the amount of fat that lies just under the skin. At certain locations in the body, the thickness of the skinfolds can be used to obtain a good estimate of total body fatness. In general, the more skin- folds measured, the more accurate the body fatness estimate. However, measurements with three skinfolds have been shown to be reasonably accurate and can be done in a relatively short period.

Body girth measurements, especially those using only one or two body points, are less accurate than skinfolds but they are easy to do. As the sole measure of fatness, they should be used with caution. They can provide a useful second or third source of information about body fatness, however.

Heredity plays a role in overfatness.

Some people have suggested that every individual is born with a set body weight. Advocates of this set point theory feel that it will be difficult for people to deviate from their “set point weight,” which is predetermined by heredity. Though many experts question the validity of set point theory for humans, they agree that there is such a thing as a familial predisposition to obesity. For years, researchers have suggested that your body type,or somatotype, is inherited. Clearly, some people will have more difficulty than others controlling fatness because of their body types and because they come from families with a history of obesity. Scientists caution people from families with a history of obesity not to conclude that nothing can be done to prevent obesity. In fact, one important recent study indicates that among those with a predisposition to obesity, weight reduction programs can be effective. Research also shows that regular exercise is especially effective in the control of genetically determined overfatness.

Glandular disorders can play a role in overfatness.

Glandular disorders can cause or contribute to over- fatness. For example, thyroid problems can cause a low metabolic rate that results in fat gain. However, most experts suggest that only 1 to 2 percent of all overfatness is directly caused by problems of this type. Medical treatment is necessary for people suffering with these problems.

Fatness early in life leads to adult fatness.

Retention of baby fat is not a sign of good health. On the contrary, excess body fat in the early years is a health problem of considerable concern. As many as 25 percent of American schoolchildren are overfat. Of these children, four of five will become overfat adults. Twenty-eight of twenty-nine teenagers who are too fat will become overfat adults.

There is evidence that childhood overfatness results in hyperplasia, or an increased number of fat cells. People who have these extra fat cells are thought to have a greater tendency to become overfat.

Changes in basal metabolic rate can be the cause of overfatness.

Basal metabolic rate (BMR) is highest during the growing years. The amount of food eaten increases to support this increased energy expenditure. When growing ceases, if eating does not decrease or activity level increase, fatness can result.

Basal metabolism also decreases gradually as you grow older. One major reason for this decrease is loss of muscle mass. When the BMR decreases and eating habits remain the same, body fatness increases. This is commonly referred to as “creeping obesity” because the increase in fatness is gradual. For a typical person, creeping obesity could result in’ to 1 pound of fat gain per year. People who stay active can keep muscle mass high and delay changes in BMR. For those who are not active, it is suggested that caloric intake decrease by 3 percent each decade after twenty-five, so that by age sixty-five caloric intake is at least 10 percent less than it was at age twenty-five. The decrease in calorie intake for active people need not be as great.

The principal cause of most overfatness is the intake of more calories than are expended.

Though fatness may be associated with any of the factors mentioned previously, and overfatness is no doubt the result of multiple causes, excessive food (calorie) intake and/or lack of energy expenditure (exercise) is responsible for most overfatness. Threshold of training and target zones for body fat reduction, including information for both exercise and diet.

Excess caloric intake or calorie expenditure results in an increase in fat cell size.

Overfatness can result in an increase in the number of fat cells among children. For adults, overfatness is a result of the increase in size of fat cells (hypertrophy). When fat cells become excessively large, they can cause dimples or lumps under the skin. Some people refer to these large fat cells as cellulite. Quacks try to create the impression that this type of fat is different from other types of fat and is removed from the body in different ways than regular fat. This is not true. All fatness among adults is a result of enlarged fat cells. All fat is lost as a result of reduction in fat cell size.

An overview of the role of diet and exercise in fat control is presented in this section. A more extensive discussion of practical methods for controlling body fatness is presented in Concept 21.

A combination of regular exercise and dietary restriction is the most effective means of losing body fat.

Recent studies indicate that exercise combined with dietary restriction may be the most effective method of losing fat. One study of adult women indicated that diet alone resulted in loss of weight, but much of this loss was lean body tissue. Those studied who were dieting as well as exercising experienced similar weight losses, but this loss included more body fat. On the basis of this research, all weight loss programs should combine a lower caloric intake with a good physical exercise program.

Good exercise and diet habits can be useful in maintaining desirable body composition.

However, not all people want to lose fat. For those who wish to maintain their current body composition, a balance between caloric intake and output is effective. For those who want to increase their lean body weight, increased caloric intake with increased exercise can result in the desired changes.

Exercise is one effective means of controlling body fat.

Though physical activity or exercise will not result in immediate and large decreases in body fat levels, there is increasing evidence that fat loss resulting from exercise may be more lasting than fat loss from dieting. Vigorous exercise can increase the resting energy expenditure up to thirteen times (13 METs).

Studies show that inactivity is more often the cause of childhood obesity than overeating. Many fat children eat less but are considerably less active than their nonfat peers. Research suggests that excessive television watching may be one reason for inactivity among children. New studies show that adults who watch more than three hours of television per day are twice as likely to be obese as those who viewed television for less than one hour per day.

If a person would exercise moderately for an extra fifteen minutes a day, he/she would lose up to ten pounds in a years time. Regular walking, jogging, swimming, or any type of sustained exercise can be effective in producing losses in body fat.

Exercise that can be sustained for relatively long periods is probably the most effective for losing body fat.

The heavier the person, the more calories expended because more work is required to move larger bodies. Activities that are extremely vigorous can help in losing body fatness if done regularly. For many people, these may not be as effective as some less vigorous activities. For example, running at ten miles per hour (a six-minute mile) will cause a 150-pound person to expend 900 calories in one hour. Jogging about one- half as fast, or at five and one-half miles per hour (approximately an eleven-minute mile), will result in an expenditure of about 650 calories in the same amount of time. At first glance, the more vigorous exercise seems to be a better choice. But how many people can continue to run at a ten-mile-per-hour pace for a full hour? Each mile run at ten miles per hour results in an expenditure of 90 calories, while each mile run at five and one-half miles per hour results in an expenditure of 118 calories. Per mile, you expend more calories in slow running. It takes longer to run a mile, but by the same token, you can also persist longer. The key is to expend as many calories as possible during each regular exercise period. Doing less vigorous activity for longer periods is better for fat control than doing very vigorous activities that can be done only for short periods.

Appetite is not necessarily increased through exercise.

The human animal was intended to be an active animal. For this reason, the human “appetite thermostat” (called the appestat by some) is set as if all people are active. Those who are inactive do not have a decreased appetite. Likewise, if a person is sedentary and then begins regular exercise, the appetite does not necessarily increase because this “appetite thermostat” expects activity. Very vigorous activity does not necessarily cause an appetite increase that is proportional to the calories expended in the vigorous exercise.

There are many fallacies, myths, and superstitions associated with strength training.

Some common misconceptions about strength training have been refuted.

It is not true that you will become muscle-bound and lose flexibility just because you do strength training. This could happen only if you train improperly. It has been found, however, that power lifters are less flexible than other weight lifters.

It is not true that women will become masculine looking if they develop strength. Contrary to popular belief, most women will not be able to develop as large and bulky muscles as men nor will their muscles be as well defined. On a heavy resistance training program, women and men make about the same percentage change in strength and hypertrophy. The greater percentage of fat in most women prevents the muscle definition possible in men and camouflages the increase in bulk. (Until CAT scans were used in research studies, it was not evident that women achieved hypertrophy at the same rate as men.)

Strength training does not make you move more slowly or make you more uncoordinated. Up to a point, increased strength may help to increase speed.

The expression “no pain, no gain” is a fallacy. It may be helpful to strive for a burning sensation in the muscle, but this is not painful. If it hurts, you are probably harming yourself.

Supplements of wheat germ, liver, brewer’s yeast, yogurt, blackstrap molasses, protein, and vitamins do not benefit muscle mass or strength building. You do need a balanced diet, however.

Drugs do not make you fit. Anabolic steroids, growth hormones, diuretics, narcotics, and other drugs taken to enhance performance are extremely dangerous and ultimately produce an unhealthy person rather than a fit one.

Strength training is not effective for cardiovascular fitness, flexibility, or weight loss. Muscles will get firmer, and desirable changes may occur in girth, but other aspects of fitness are specific and require specific training.

It does not require two hours to complete a workout in weight training—unless you are a competitive lifter or body builder. If you are training for athletics, you will need forty-five to ninety minutes; the beginner or the person training for fitness or recreation can complete a circuit in thirty to forty-five minutes.

Contrary to some claims, Hatha Yoga is not a good program for developing physical fitness.

Some advocates of Hatha Yoga claim that regular practice of the asanas (positions) will bring about improved flexibility, grace, serenity, relaxation, sleep, vitality, endurance, circulation; strength and firmness of muscles; strength of vital organs and glands; taut, smooth skin; ideal body weight; recovery, alertness, and clarity of mind; will cure arthritis, the common cold, diabetes, gallstones, menstrual disorders, piles; and will maintain good vision and hearing.

There is no scientific evidence to support most of these claims. Hatha Yoga will not help you lose weight, trim inches, remove flab, improve endurance, maintain proper circulation, strengthen glands and organs, or improve complexion. Neither will it cure diseases.

Hatha Yoga is considered useful for improving flexibility, although some positions are contraindicated (see Concept 16). Hatha Yoga is also useful in reducing stress reactions and in promoting neuromuscular relaxation. In some cases, it may be effective in lowering blood pressure in hypertensives. If a person has very weak muscles to begin with, mild strengthening and muscular endurance may develop from assuming and holding the positions.

Getting rid of cellulite does not require a special exercise, diet, or device, as some books and advertisements insist.

Cellulite is ordinary fat with a fancy name. You do not need a special treatment or device to get rid of it. Fatis fat. To decrease fat, reduce calories and exercise more.

“Spot reducing,” or losing fat from a specific location on the body, is not possible. It is a fallacy.

When you exercise, calories are burned and fat is recruited from all over the body in a genetically determined pattern. You can not selectively exercise, bump, vibrate, or squeeze the fat from a particular spot. If you were flabby to begin with, local exercise could strengthen the local muscles, causing a change in the contour and the girth of that body part. But exercise affects the muscles, not the fat on that body part. General aerobic exercises are the most effective for burning fat, but you cannot control where the fat comes off.

“Jarming” isn’t the road to fitness for everyone.

Exercising with the arms only (jarming) has increased in popularity. It may be useful for the elderly or for the convalescing or disabled person, but the best aerobic exercise uses both the arms and the legs. Cross-country skiing, rowing, and swimming are highly recommended.

The use of hand weights and wrist weights while walking, running, and dancing can increase the energy cost but requires caution.

The practice of carrying small weights (l-3 pounds) while performing aerobic exercise has been found to increase the metabolic cost of the exercise. When the weight is simply carried, the effect is negligible, but when the arms are pumped (bending the elbow and raising the weight to shoulder height and then extending the elbow as the arm swings down) the energy output can increase enough to make a walk comparable to a slow jog. For the person who does not want to walk or jog faster or farther, it could be an effective way of burning more calories or increasing fitness. It may be better to use wrist weights than to carry a weight, since the act of gripping causes an increase in the diastolic blood pressure. The hand weights or wrist weights are more effective than ankle weights.

There are hazards to consider in using weights. Coronary patients and hypertensives should be aware that using weights increases both the systolic and diastolic blood pressures. Aerobic dance participants may find it wise to keep the weights below shoulder level if they aggravate the shoulder joint. Anyone with shoulder or elbow joint problems such as arthritis should use weights with caution.

There are many different positive life-styles that can reduce the risk of disease.

Many of the factors that contribute to optimal health and quality of life are also considered risk factors. Changing these risk factors can dramatically reduce the risk of hypokinetic diseases such as heart disease, obesity, back pain, and cancer, as well as other diseases such as infections and sexually-transmitted diseases. Lack of exercise, poor nutrition, smoking, abuse of alcohol and other drugs, inability to cope with stress, and poor personal hygiene are all risk factors associated with various diseases.

Not all risk factors can be altered by life-style changes.

Some factors that can contribute to the increased risk of disease are not under your personal control. Four uncontrollable risk factors are: age, heredity, certain disease states, and sex. These factors that cannot be altered by life-style changes are presented in table 19.3.

Death and disease rates from the most common diseases of our culture can be reduced by altering risk factors.

Altering risk factors can help reduce the risk of more than one adverse condition at the same time.

By altering the risk factors that are controllable, you can reduce the risk of several hypokinetic conditions. For example, controlling body fatness reduces the risk of diabetes, hypertension, and back problems. Altering your diet can reduce the chances of developing high levels of blood lipids, and thus reduce the risk of atherosclerosis.

Risk reduction does not guarantee freedom from disease.

Reducing risk alters the probability of disease, but does not assure disease immunity.

Certain heart disease risk factors are considered to be primary.

Some risk factors are more likely to contribute to heart disease than others. These are considered to be primary risk factors. High blood pressure (hypertension), particularly high systolic pressure, high blood fat levels(cholesterol and other fats), and smoking are considered to be primary risk factors. Others noted in the following questionnaire, such as age, exercise, and stress, are considered as secondary risk factors.

More Facts: Guidelines for Healthy Living

In addition to adopting the healthy life-styles already presented, there are some guidelines for healthy living that can help in disease prevention and health promotion. These guidelines are listed as follows:

1. Moderation. In many ways, the things that enrich your life and lead to quality living can also be the source of problems. Some stress (eustress) makes life interesting; too much stress is considered distressful. Regular moderate to vigorous exercise contributes to good health and wellness. Too little or excessive amounts of almost anything can result in problems. A moderate life-style can make life interesting and enjoyable without creating the risk of health problems.

2. Balance. “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” is a saying that illustrates the problem with an imbalanced life-style. If work is the only focus of your life, it detracts from good health and wellness. A balanced life-style includes interesting work and enjoyable leisure activities that are physically and mentally challenging. Work and leisure activities also can provide social interactions that enhance one’s self-esteem, a necessary component of good health and wellness. Balanced living must provide for physical, social, mental, emotional, and spiritual fitness.

3. Taking Personal Control. As noted earlier, many health problems are associated with health behaviors that can be modified through life-style changes. To make positive life-style changes you must believe that changing your life-style can help you prevent disease and promote good health. If you believe that good health is out of your personal control, you will probably not make life-style changes.