Well folks this will be the last health tip for this year while the Healthy Options Team take a little time away from part time journalism and make sure our clients finish the year on a high.
The forthcoming festive period is one where activity rates tend to hit the deck and we enter the New Year on the back foot and a few pounds heavier.
One thing we can all do at this time is get out for a regular walk and give our body a little cardiovascular tune up to stop things going dramatically backwards.
Any walk is so much better than spending the day on our backside, but if we want to achieve some real benefits, we can push just a little harder into what is commonly referred to as Zone 2 training.
Without getting all scientific on you, Zone 2 is one of five training zones where during any given aerobic activity we could maintain a conversation, but that conversation would be strained due to the workload.
At Healthy Options we are genuinely interested in how our clients are feeling and catching up on the interesting things they have been doing over the weekend.
An alternative reason behind our little chats in the gym is to see how they are breathing.
This is referred to as the “talk test.”
If we manage to get into this breathing state, we improve our ability to use both glucose and fat as a fuel source via small structures within our cells called mitochondria.
Mitochondria are our cellular engines and play a fundamental role in both our metabolic and brain health.
More numerous and more efficient mitochondria enhance our ability to use fat as a fuel source by tapping into our body reserves instead of burning purely glucose.
Individuals with healthier mitochondria exhibit higher cardiovascular function, can maintain higher power outputs and tend to be more successful at keeping their body fat levels in check.
They effectively become better users of oxygen.
We also observe a direct relationship between aerobic fitness levels at any age and something known as all-cause mortality (a nicer way of saying the likelihood of you dying at any time).
Those in the bottom quartile of aerobic fitness for their age can reduce their all-cause mortality by up to 50% by just climbing into the next quartile above.
For most in this position such improvements are very achievable and should be prioritised.
Remaining in the lowest quartile is extremely risky and frankly unacceptable if we want to maintain our independence in years to come.
Surely that must be worth a regular walk and getting a little out of breath?
Make life a little more difficult today and it will be a lot easier in the future.
Without some concerted efforts we can expect our cardiovascular fitness to decline by some 10% per decade and this could be the difference between being able to climb the stairs at the age of 70 or struggling to even walk on a slightly inclined surface.
We don’t have to become an athlete to maintain our function – regular brisk walks can be transformative, but consistency is the key.
We all have our own events to train for.
The target could be a 100-mile bike ride, a 5km run, one length swim, or being able to play with the grandkids.
One of my favourite quotes is from Muhammed Ali who once said that he never won a fight in the ring, he always won in preparation.
Let’s prepare to grow older and live, not just exist.
On behalf of the entire team at Healthy Options let me wish you a happy and healthy Christmas and New Year.
We will be back with more health and fitness advice in 2024 and how to make the most
of all that enthusiasm we often feel at the start of the year.
For now, please remember, movement is medicine. Just keep moving.
Rob Graham, lead exercise professional, Healthy Options.