Use It Or Lose It!

The human body is designed to be almost continually active.  Immobilize a joint for even a few hours and it starts to stiffen and decay.  Lack of use is deadly.

A broken leg in a cast loses most of its muscle, a third of its bone mass, and stiffens almost to immobility.

Confinement to bed, what used to be the conventional answer to many ills, is an example of the worst kind of treatment.  In six months bed rest you accelerate bone aging by a decade, losing 25-40 percent of your bone mass.

The majority of skeletons and muscular systems of US adults degenerate prematurely, simply from our sedentary lifestyle.  Commonly, we become less and less active as we age, and lose the bulk of our muscle and bone.  A review of over 100 studies showing that many of the degenerative changes usually attributed to inevitable aging, are in fact caused by lack of exercise.

Excerpts from: The New Nutrition Medicine for the Millennium by Dr. Michael Colgan.

"If you have no time to exercise you'd better reserve a lot of time for disease."  (Michael Colgan)

http://colganinstitute.com/

Abuse and lose it; you must find a happy median!

Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire

PAR-Q

Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire

Being more active is very safe for most people, and for most should not pose any problem or hazard. However, some people should check with their doctor before they start becoming much more physically active. The following list of questions should be completed by anyone who is looking to start an exercise program, to increase their current activity level, or partake in a fitness testing assessment. The questionnaire helps to determine how safe it is for you.

The questionnaire is suitable for those aged between 15 and 69. If you are over 69 years of age, and you are not used to being very active, check with your doctor. Common sense is your best guide in answering these questions. Read the questions carefully and answer each one honestly.

Yes	No
		Has your doctor ever said that you have a heart condition and that you should only do physical activity recommended by a doctor?
		Do you feel pain in your chest when you do physical activity?
		In the past month, have you had chest pain when you were not doing physical activity?
		Do you lose your balance because of dizziness or do you ever lose consciousness?
		Do you have a bone or joint problem that could be made worse by a change in your physical activity?
		Is your doctor currently prescribing drugs (for example, water pills) for your blood pressure or heart condition?
		Do you know of any other reason why you should not do physical activity?

If you answered YES

If you answered "yes" to one or more questions, talk with your doctor before you start becoming much more active or before you have a fitness test. Tell you doctor about the PAR-Q and which questions you answered "yes".

If you answered NO

If you answered "no" honestly to all of the questions, you can be reasonably sure that you can start becoming much more physically active or take part in a physical fitness appraisal – begin slowly and build up gradually. This is the safest and easiest way to go.

Things Change

Even if you answered "no" to all questions, you should delay becoming more active if you are temporarily ill with a cold or a fever, or if you are or may be pregnant. If your health changes so that you then answer "yes" to any of the above questions, tell your fitness or health professional and ask whether you should change your physical activity plan.

References

This simple screening questionnaire was first developed by The Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (see references below). The questionnaire is also recommended by the American College of Sports Medicine as a minimum test of readiness for moderate physical activity programs.

• PAR-Q and You. Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology. Revised 1994.
• Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire, British Columbia Ministry of Health Department of National Health and Welfare, Canada, revised 1992.

Related Pages

Aerobic Exercise Rules: If You're Really Out Of Shape

Don't exercise with a fit friend. Fit friends sometimes push too much.

Start so slowly that people make fun of you. Give your body time to adapt. We instinctively know when we are ready to do more.

Exercise as often as possible each day, in short intervals. There are too many rules about how long & how many days per week, etc..., and they seem to change all the time. When starting out slow, the body can afford more frequency. When you begin moderate to high rates of exertion you will require longer rest periods.

Use buttock & legs muscles (walk, mini trampoline, bicycle). Think of muscles as engines; bigger engines (legs muscles & gluts) burn more fuel (fat).

You should not get out of breath. If you can't carry on a conversation (huff & puff) then you aren't exercising aerobically. Aerobic exercise burns fat more effectively.

As a side note, resistance exercise with aerobic exercise has been shown to be even more effective. But remember, take it all slowly. Too much, too soon, typically sets you back and is discouraging.

Consistency rules!

Consult your healthcare provider before beginning.
See PAR-Q blog.