 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
AGE, ACTIVITY AND VITALITY. Your actual chronological age tells very little about your health, your fitness or your ability to perform. While ageing inevitably leads to death, it does so at different rates for different people, depending on factors such as heredity and on personal decisions on how a person chooses to lead their lives and consequently choose to age. Statistics have shown that in the last 100 years, because of advancements in medical science and in disease control, that our life expectancy has increased to a level where our theoretically attainable life span is 85 years, ( with a standard deviation of 4 years ). This means that allowing for death by accident, or from non- treatable disease, that 68% of the population has the potential to live between 81 and 89 years. Furthermore, postponement of chronic illness has extended the period of adult vigour, so that life remains physically, emotionally, and intellectually vigorous until shortly before its close. Many of the factors believed to be associated with age can be modified, including heart and lung function, bone density, blood pressure, and cholesterol. People who choose not to age rapidly can reduce morbidity and extend the vigorous years by living an active healthy life. On the other hand, those who decide to age rapidly are destined to become a burden on family, health care, and community support systems. At present, no single theory explains the decline that occurs with age. What is surprising to discover is the realisation that the rate of decline is not fixed, but variable, subject to considerable modification. What has emerged is a list of modifiable aspects of ageing, markers that are subject to changes brought about by ones personal decisions and behaviours. These modifications can be achieved by developing a pattern of daily habits, as a way to improve your health and your active life expectancy. Since 1962, researchers at the Human Population Laboratory of California Department of Health have studied the relationship of health to various behaviours or habits. Health and longevity are associated with the following.
SLEEP. When men or women sleep 6 hours or less a night they are not as healthy as when they sleep 7 or 8 hours. But what surprises people is that those that sleep 9 hours or more are slightly below average in health. Thus 7 to 8 hours sleep is most favourable, and, as you might expect, to little sleep is more of a problem than to much. As a person grows older and for example they retire, it can sometimes happen that they feel the futility of getting out of bed as early as they would when they were in the workforce. It can even happen earlier in life, that when children grow older and self sufficient, the weekend lie-ins become longer. This extra time in bed can actually diminish your health and in the case of the weekend lie-in, it can disturb your sleep pattern for the rest of the working week, for the body may only need an hour or so extra sleep to replenish its resources, but if you force an extra 3 or 4 hours sleep then the knock on effect is that when you go to bed that night you inevitably have trouble getting to sleep, and consequently only get the 6 or so hours that we now know are below average. BREAKFAST. In the California study, individuals who ate breakfast almost every day experienced better health than those who ate breakfast only some of the time. Furthermore, a good breakfast may be the prerequisite to good performance in work and sport. Breakfast comes, usually, 12 hours after the evening meal, so you can see why it is important for energy and metabolism. A few researchers suggest that breakfast should be the largest and most important meal of the day, and everyone agreed that it should include more than a cup of tea and a slice of toast. REGULAR MEALS. Erratic eaters have poorer health than those who eat regular meals. Those who seldom or never eat between meals have better health than those who eat between meals regularly. Unfortunately, the California study did not include for comparison the health status of those who ate smaller but more numerous meals, but it does indicate the effects of erratic eating behaviour, and snacking. We can only guess at the content of the between-meal snacks, but chances are that they were junk foods high in sugars and saturated fats and low in nutrients. WEIGHT CONTROL. When weight is more than 20% above or more than 10% below the desirable weight, health status declines. For example, if your desirable weight is listed as 150 pounds, your health status is most favourable when you maintain your weight between 135 and 180 pounds. This is a broad margin indeed. However, it is advisable to keep in consideration that it is more advisable to have a low body weight, by reason of exercise and good nutrition, than to have the same low body weight by means of malnutrition and smoking. SMOKING. Smoking, especially cigarette smoking, is dangerous to your health. If you don’t smoke don’t start. If you do smoke, stop. It could be the best thing you ever did for yourself. And if you cannot stop for your own health, think of loved ones, especially children, who are exposed to your habit. Secondhand tobacco smoke is responsible for asthma and respiratory problems not to mention lung cancer. Is quitting worth the trouble? Data from numerous studies show that quitting has many benefits, including better oxygen carrying capacity, lower blood pressure, improved night vision, and increased effectiveness of prescription drugs. And while some diseases, such as emphysema, cannot be reversed, others seem to repair with time. So the earlier you stop, the earlier that repairs can start. ALCOHOL Poor health is associated with heavy alcohol consumption ( five or more drinks at one sitting ). What can surprise people is that those who never drink, and those who drink in moderation,( one to two drinks a day for men, one to three per week for women ) enjoy the same level of good health. The French paradox ponders why the French seem to tolerate rich foods without an increase in heart disease risk. The answer may lie in the regular consumption of wine. Some studies show that those who drink one or two alcoholic drinks daily have a lower risk of heart disease. This should not be construed as an endorsement for alcohol consumption, because it is a proven fact that some level of alcohol consumption, if continued for a sufficient period, may lead to degenerative effects on the liver. The best advice is to drink moderately, or don’t drink at all. And don’t save your drinks for a weekend binge, because the liver can only handle so much at a time. REGULAR EXERCISE. Researchers in the Californian study compared the health benefits of five types of activity : active sports (such as karate), swimming or long walks, garden work, physical exercise, and hunting or fishing. Only hunting and fishing ( seasonal and infrequent ) were not associated with improved health. For all the others, those who participated most often experienced the best physical health. The best health was associated with active sports, followed by swimming or walking, physical exercise and gardening. Lowest death rates were recorded for people who were often active in sports, while the highest rates were for those who chose not to engage in any exercise. SUMMARY In summary, physical health, longevity, and the rate of ageing are associated with your daily health habits and your lifestyle. These habits have more to do with your health and longevity than all the influences of medicine. The California study indicated that a man of 55 years who follows all seven health habits has the same health status as a man 25 to 30 years younger who follows only two. Moreover the researchers found a positive relationship between physical and mental health. We all realise that relationship between variables does not imply cause and effect, that good physical health does not necessarily cause good mental health, but we are familiar with psychosomatic illnesses, and should realise that the opposite effects are possible. A healthy body is an important aid to good mental health, and you can help maintain physical health by following the recommended health habits.
|