This article has been authored by Dr. B L Agarwal, who is Associate Director at Institute of Heart, at Jaypee Hospital Noida. He did his DM (Cardiology) from SGPGI Lucknow & has accomplished over 5500 Angioplasties. He is an expert in performing Angioplasty through Radial Route. To know more about Dr. Agarwal or book an appointment, please call 0120 – 412 2222

“Over 2 million years ago, we humans learned to walk and use our limbs and joints for everyday actions. We are meant to move. Sedentary routine will rust our joints and muscles. Increase your threshold of workout gradually and I can assure that you will observe better stamina, you won’t fall sick frequently, the back discomfort due to being glued to the chair has miraculously healed and your mood feels light and happy. ”

You begin your day with a routine rush, get in the car or bus, sit for hours at your desk, commute back home, sit at the dining table and then move to the couch for another couple of hours before you hit the bed. If this is your daily schedule, be alarmed! The health of your heart might be on a ticking time bomb.

The Sitting Disease, as doctors & fitness experts like to term it, has spread like an epidemic and engulfed the metro cities. We come across cases with cardiac, diabetic, obesity issues that were mostly triggered by an unhealthy lifestyle. It is imperative to move and work the muscles. Most of my patients say “doctor I am crunched for time” “I have no time for gym”. I say, that is an excuse you give yourself. Your body is not going to abide by that. I can tell you ways where you can actually stop giving excuses and make time for activity.

Exercise:

• Walking – It is the simplest and most beneficial cardio exercise to keep in shape. Take a 15 min brisk walk or if you have space around your residence go for a 15 min jog or run. An early morning walk or jog boosts the level of oxygen and blood circulation.
• Cycling – 20 mins of cycling is an efficient low intensity workout to burn fats, maintain a healthy weight and control blood pressure.
• Sports – If walking or cycling gets too boring, take up a sport like swimming or badminton. Join a sports club. Group sports will keep you motivated and also cut the mundane routine. Another interesting workout is aerobics.
• Yoga – With innumerable benefits, yoga has proved to be an extraordinary form of exercise. It not only works on your body but helps you control stress as well. Apart from a disciplined schedule for workout, find ways to include movement and activity in your everyday routine like, standing while working or chair stretches, Stretch your limbs, rotate your arms and shoulders, flex your feet and bend to touch the ground. It is good for your posture, spine and limbs.

Diet:
Keeping a check on what you eat does not imply that you are depriving yourself. Take it as a safety mechanism. Eating healthy food does not mean you have to go on a diet. Just replace that tea-time pakodas with nuts and roasted munching. We have wholesome and nutritious food items that are easily available. Yogurt, wholegrains, fruits, nuts, fish, lean meat, salad, leafy vegetables should be a part of your daily food intake. A balanced diet will build your immunity, reduce deficiencies and its effects.

Health check-up
It is recommended that every member in a family, especially in the age of 30 or above, should go for a regular check-up of blood pressure, sugar and cholesterol level. In case you are diagnosed with diabetes or hyper tension, it is mandatory that you visit a specialist and stick to a treatment and routine check-up.

Motivate Yourself
Put sticky notes on the board or desktop to remind you to stretch at work. Set an alarm at convenient timings that will remind you to drink water, snack healthy or workout. You want to move to a better and healthy life, quit smoking. That butt affects your lungs, heart and every neuron in the body.