That is a question most male above 40 would frequently wonder after long hours of working, or looking at a peer of the same age looking confident and healthy. Well, there is a simple answer to those complex questions.
Many among us would rather have a quiet evening at home with a bag of chips, and some binge watching a series on the telly. Well that’s how you grow man-boobs and an increased hip to waist circumference.
Well if you want to feel like your early twenties again, that may be possible with just a little bit of exercise.
Regular exercise has been shown to have wide-ranging health benefits. There is evidence to suggest a sedentary lifestyle may be an even stronger predictor of mortality than such established risk factors as smoking, hypertension, and diabetes. Numerous epidemiologic studies show that unfit individuals are two to three times more likely to die during follow-up compared with their more fit counterparts, regardless of their risk profile, body habitus, or the presence of cardiovascular disease. Because physical inactivity is a modifiable risk factor, clinicians should routinely assess and prescribe structured exercise and increased lifestyle activity to all patients.
Prescribing An Exercise Program
Components of an exercise program — ideally, an exercise program should include exercises that improve aerobic fitness, strength, and mobility. Some programs and individual exercises allow two or more of these components to be developed simultaneously.
- Aerobic exercise is a general term, often referred to as endurance training, and includes any activity that develops cardiovascular and pulmonary fitness. It is an important component of an exercise prescription with an abundance of evidence supporting its benefits for health
- Strength exercises provide important health benefits beyond aerobic activity. Also referred to as resistance training, strength training can be performed using bodyweight resistance e.g., push-ups, free weights. e.g., barbell squats, or other tools e.g., machines resistance bands that place loads on muscles forcing them to work harder. The best programs emphasize multi-joint exercises such as the squat, deadlift, and press that involve all the major muscle groups, working them through a full, functional range of motion. Strength training is typically done two or three days per week.
- Mobility exercises are important for maintaining functional capacity. Particularly among older adults, mobility is important for performing activities of daily living and avoiding falls. The goal of mobility work is to maintain a healthy range of motion, particularly at the shoulders, hips, and thoracic spine. However, separate mobility exercises are not needed for all individuals, particularly those who regularly engage in activities that involve full motion at the major joints. Time spent performing isolated flexibility exercises is not counted towards the weekly goal of 150 minutes of exercise. While flexibility exercise is recommended by such groups as the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), systematic reviews have found no evidence to support this form of training for reducing injury.
- If stretching exercises are performed to increase muscle flexibility, it is usually best to do so after aerobic or strength workouts when muscles are warm. Studies of stretching have failed to demonstrate benefits in the form of reduced injury rates or improved functional status, but many people feel better when following a stretching regimen. Stretching is best done using slow and steady movements, rather than bouncing (so-called ballistic stretching). Functional movement activities, such as yoga , Pilates, and tai chi, improve flexibility, balance, and mobility.
- Warm up/cool down – In addition to the elements described above, moderate and vigorous exercise is best preceded by a warm up and followed by a cool-down period. A warm up usually involves doing the planned exercise at a lower intensity and speed and allows the body to prepare for more vigorous activity. A cool down is done to aid recovery and following vigorous exercise can prevent exercise-associated postural hypotension (i.e., collapse).
Writing the aerobic exercise prescription — a typical exercise prescription can be created using the FITT mnemonic:
F – Frequency: Number of days per week (ideally three or more)
I – Intensity: Moderate or greater
T – Time: Number of minutes per session (ideally 30 minutes or longer)
T – Type: Activities that involve major muscle groups
Most of my patients’ always say, doctor it’s easy to start exercising but sometimes along the way I lose motivation due to work, no time and family restraints. There are some solutions to those problems.
Use a workday walking routine – To start the day, park your car further away from your place of work and walk 10 minutes to your worksite. At lunchtime, walk 5 minutes away from work and 5 minutes back before eating your lunch. At the end of the day, take that same 10-minute route to walk back to your car. You will now have completed your recommended daily exercise.
Exercise on weekends – If you simply cannot exercise during the week, do it on the weekends. Taking 75-minute walks on Saturday and on Sunday appears to provide similar health benefits to doing the same total amount of walking during the week. However, it is prudent to build up to the 75-minute walks gradually in order to avoid overuse injuries of the lower extremities and other problems (eg, friction blisters). Perhaps start with 30-minute walks and each successive weekend add five minutes to each walk until you reach 75 minutes.
Increase workout intensity – You get the same benefit in half the time by performing vigorous as opposed to moderate-intensity exercise. As an example, if you jog for 25 minutes three days each week, you reap the same benefits as walking for 30 minutes five days each week.
Find a partner – Find someone to exercise with or join a group exercise program. This makes exercising more social and fun and increases the likelihood that you will continue. Joining a group of like-minded exercisers (such as a walking group or tennis circle) or a gym can provide necessary encouragement and support. However, such a strategy may be more costly and limit your exercise options. Adopting a dog helps some people exercise more regularly.
Exercise at home – For some, a home exercise program is just what they need to comply with an exercise prescription. When time is short, being able to use a home exercise bicycle or treadmill without driving to the gym is a great solution. However, quality equipment can be expensive and oftentimes the initial enthusiasm for home equipment fades and exercise declines.
Use a DVD or internet-based fitness program ‒ Another approach to helping patients perform regular aerobic exercise is using a DVD or internet fitness program. Such programs range from yoga to aerobics to resistance exercise circuit training. However, participants should be sure the program selected is appropriate for their fitness level and goals, and is well designed with proper instruction about exercise technique. The following table identifies a number of resources that are available as smartphone applications that may assist in promoting exercise
Join a gym or work with a fitness professional ‒ Joining a local gym or working with a qualified fitness coach can be extremely helpful for some who are struggling to adhere to an exercise program. Several professional associations, including the ACSM, offer instruction and proficiency standards and competency certification. A knowledgeable coach can help you create an exercise regimen that best fits your functional status and goals, while providing guidance on proper technique to help you avoid injury. A gym or health club can not only provide a safe and inviting place to exercise, it can also provide opportunities for socialization that make exercising more enjoyable, leading to enhanced adherence.
Lastly, having enough sleep (6-8 hours a day), drinking plenty of water, having a balanced diet and to refrain from excessive alcohol will make it all worthwhile.
If you are still experiencing reduced energy levels, loss of libido, visit us to schedule further investigations and treatment.