What if a pill were discovered to increase your body's ability to extract oxygen from blood so you could look better, feel better and work more effectively by taking it? If this pill enabled your heart to take it easier, by helping blood to get to your muscles faster and so decreased your chances of getting a heart attack, would you be interested?
And what if that pill actually lowered your blood pressure, again giving your heart a holiday from having to pump blood so furiously around your body?
The `pill' is available free of charge but its value is neither recognised nor appreciated. As a result, many people die younger than they should, work less effectively and don't enjoy life as much as they could. The `pill' is physical exercise.
Other benefits include: lowered cholesterol; a reduced likelihood of blood clots; a firmer, fitter body; a better complexion; improved emotional, mental and spiritual balance; better concentration and stamina; and decreased risk of coronary heart disease or heart attack.
Combining physical exercise with sedentary office work can seem all the more difficult given the long nights and short daylight hours as we approach mid-winter, along with increased commuting time for many workers. It's important to stress that you should not undertake a new programme of physical exercise unless your general practitioner approves of it, especially if you have cardiovascular problems.
Taking the stairs instead of the lift can be an excellent way to give your heart and your body a mini-workout for free. (Not to be attempted, of course, if you're having chest pains.) If you're out of breath after climbing the stairs, it could show that you aren't doing enough regular aerobic exercise.
Walking is perhaps the most natural aerobic exercise. A good brisk walk for 20 minutes a day could do the trick. Or a few gentle lengths in the swimming pool or a spin around the block on your bicycle.
Aerobic exercise will increase your strength and that will impact on your attitude and self-esteem. Regular exercise can also make you more flexible and agile.
Beware of suddenly taking up some exercise and suffering an injury. Or taking to something with gusto only to give up in a short time when enthusiasm wanes. Remember, adults are the ones most at risk of injury when playing football with the children.
Ease yourself into it. By taking regular exercise - getting off the bus a couple of stops earlier, playing with children or taking the dog for a walk, you will increase the amount of oxygen in your body. Your heart will beat faster and more efficiently, and you will be more mentally astute.
Challenge your muscles progressively - a little bit more each day. And you need to keep it up. If you don't continue it, you will lose the enhanced health you gained. You need to maintain regular exercise to benefit from it.
Aerobic exercise should push you so that you feel a bit breathless after it. But the focus should be on pushing you "a bit". If you're gasping for breath, especially if you haven't exercised for ages, you should take a more balanced and long-term approach.
The Lifestyle Challenge is a workplace programme on physical activities run by the Irish Heart Foundation. Employees decide on a physical performance target based on their fitness level. It lasts for 12 or 24 weeks. For more information, contact Ms Jo O'Rourke 01 6685001.
jmarms@irish-times.ie
