[revvy_bhala]

My two cents:
With my current fitness routine in place, I couldn't agree more with BHPian Zed's view of getting into active lifestyle with a little bit of discipline and a long term attitude. It certainly helps.

I lost 7-8 kgs (I was 82 kg in Feb) during March to June this year. Long story short, owing to lockdowns, I was stuck alone in my house, had to WFH, make my own food and in order to stay mentally sane - exercise! I used combination of bodyweight and cardio exercises to make an HIIT routine and it worked.

The main intention of my post is to say that, staying fit and healthy need not be dependent on anything (like gym membership, suitable/sufficient time slot, big equipments etc) but ourself.

I feel 'going to' and 'coming from' the gym together can take anywhere between 15mins to half an hour. If you don't agree to that, add the 'preparation time' such as gathering all stuff that's needed etc. And I have procrastinated going to gym many times in pre-covid era if I felt that I would get less effective time at the gym doing exercises. That used to reduce my weekly workouts to 2-3 on average.

However, now sometimes I am done with my work at 5.30pm and I am literally ready to begin my exercise at 5.35pm. Even if I wasn't working from home, if I reach home at say 6pm, I can freshen up and begin my workout in next 10-15mins if I don't have to 'plan' going to the gym. I have a feeling that my home workout routine will help me maintain a particular fitness level and I also feel that this way is more sustainable in the long run than the gym.

Finally, the only equipment I currently use is a jumping rope. It is awesome what this small piece of rope can do to us.

[glovins2004]

As per my personal experience and also heard from few health experts, the most contributing factor for cardio vascular disease is chronic “STRESS” than smoking, alcohol, sedentary life style and junk food etc. I’m not saying the later don’t contribute but chronic stress will lead to cardiac events at one point in our life.

During my early 30’s, I was going through severe stress due to personal reason’s and one fine morning I almost fainted at my office. Inhouse nurse checked my BP and reported 200/110, they were shocked. I was rushed to Manipal Hospital and kept in CCU for three days, god’s grace my BP started to reduce with-in first few hours of medication.

I went through all possible cardiac related test to rule out any blocks or physical issues, finally all reports came out fine and I was told the contributing factor for me was “STRESS”. To avoid relapse, doctors put be on BP medication and shocked to hear I should continue medication life long, I’m 44 now and still on medicines but with reduced dosage.

Post this incident, I ensured to hit gym at least four days in a week and reduce stress as much as possible. However, stress will linger around me with no mercy but I’m deliberately taking time off to do something which I like and lead a happy and positive life. This is not easy for me due to various challenges, but I’ll continue my journey towards reducing stress and eventually 0 pills someday.

Wishing all Bhpia’s a Stress free and happy life.

[silverado]

Thanks to my dad who had a bypass done long back, cardiovascular awareness was there.
Healthy eating habits are nowadays drilled in to children since young age, but it was not the case when we did our schooling.

As a result most of us have binged on Junk food in our 20s and 30s.( I am talking about millennial's born in early 80's ).
I try and eat everything but in moderation. I do not try to follow any diet but of course practice healthy eating habits.

During office times, Tapri food was a thing which was difficult to avoid since we used to go out in groups for chai/nashta etc.
Have taken to cycling since thats the only exercise type which doesn't feel like one for me, the only set of wheels which can hopefully keep me fit.

With regards to mental aspect, have discovered painting seems to work for me.Do checkout some of my paintings in Artwork thread.

[Guna]

While it is better to avoid getting obese, apparently fit looking body, good routine which includes gym and jogging/running don't completely save someone from heart ailments. I have heard about too many incidents about 'fit' and relatively young people suffering heart attacks.
It is better to get the routine check ups done once you are above 35. In addition to keeping the cholesterol levels under control, I believe sugar intake plays even more vital role as it is the sugar which leads to the inflammation which eventually causes blockages.
Personally I believe in Yoga and lighter exercises/walking than Gyms when it comes to staying healthy.

[am1m]

Originally Posted by Guna

While it is better to avoid getting obese, apparently fit looking body, good routine which includes gym and jogging/running don't completely save someone from heart ailments.

That's where the genetics part comes in. Docs can clarify and correct, but I've always believed that a major part of staying healthy comes down to the genes you inherited from your parents/ancestors. Of course one should attempt to stay as healthy as possible in whatever body was handed to you in the genetic lottery, and just because one is blessed with good genes does not make one immune to unhealthy habits, but genes play a very important part. It's not fashionable to say it in these days of 'you can do anything if you put your mind to it/you can overcome anything' and other such motivational quotes , but family history of certain aliments and things like that matter a lot.

[Chetan_Rao]

Originally Posted by am1m

... family history of certain aliments and things like that matter a lot.

Ignorance of (or unwillingness to) acknowledge the genetic aspect, plus scant regard for preventive healthcare are major factors.

It could be something as simple as keeping track of one's blood sugar levels if one has a family history of Type 1 diabetes, or any of a myriad of other risk factors that are easy to track with periodic checks. A glucometer (or even a periodic random test at a lab) costs relatively nothing, but how many do it proactively?

If one waits until it's time to react to symptoms/elevated levels of harmful stuff, it almost always leads to maintenance healthcare (often for life and irreversible).

It's fine and dandy to watch one's consumption, weight, aesthetics and exercise habits, but it's CRITICAL to watch out for known risk factors, PROACTIVELY.

[NPV]

Lost an office team member last week due to a sudden cardiac arrest, he was just 35 years old with no past history of any ailments. Not sure about family history though.

Very shocking, unfair and a huge loss to his family and all of us who were associated from a professional/work perspective, he was a gem of a person with very strong technical and interpersonal skills.

In this case it would be unfair to speculate on the cause, but I would just say we should keep ourselves fit, eat healthy, get enough sleep and avoid anxiety and unwanted stress, leave the rest to fate and God (if you're a believer in them), at least we'd have done our best.

[alpha1]

Originally Posted by Guna

I have heard about too many incidents about 'fit' and relatively young people suffering heart attacks.
It is better to get the routine check ups done once you are above 35. In addition to keeping the cholesterol levels under control, I believe sugar intake plays even more vital role as it is the sugar which leads to the inflammation which eventually causes blockages.
Personally I believe in Yoga and lighter exercises/walking than Gyms when it comes to staying healthy.

Well, the "fit" people that you see/listen on media aren't really fit; visibly fit bodies usually indulge in "external aid" which affects their bodies over a period of time (enlarging heart and hardened arteries, increased LDL are a few side effect of such external "aid").

The other kind of fitness poster boys are the ultra marathoner types who sip glucose laced energy drinks while on the prowl. Needless to say that anyone who consumes sugar as a significant part of their calorific intake is bound to have trouble sooner or later.

For average joe - running and gym is good. Yoga is good. Spending time with your family (or whoever you love) is good. Spending time on your hobbies is good. Anything else you do contributes negatively to your health some way or the other over a period of time.

Of course diet is also important - excess calories of any kind (even the proteins) are bound to cause a chain reaction in the body that leads to deterioration of cellular structure.

[R2D2]

I discovered GTO's thread about stress management. A very interesting read indeed. Thanks GTO. Like you I started getting serious about my health when I turned 40 and in an extremely stressful IT job.

So keeping in line with my schedule of at least 1-2 exams a year I had my tests done yesterday and got an all clear from the lab. The last one was in Feb. So why only a routine test again now? The last comprehensive one was in end 2018 and I was due for this full body check up this year. But I hesitate to visit the hospital that I normally go to due to COVID.

Anyways, though I normally approach my GP to advise me further on any outliers, this time around the tests were all clear. Next step will be a full body exam some time in H1 '21 depending on how COVID treats humanity.

I'll strongly encourage anyone over 40 to talk to their GP and seek doctor's advice recommended tests, if any.

[DigitalOne]

Another loss of a young cricketer, just 29 years old, of heart disease!

Saurashtra batter Avi Barot, a former India Under-19 captain and a member of the Ranji Trophy-winning team in the 2019-20 season, has died after suffering a cardiac arrest at a shockingly young age of 29.

Read more at: https://www.deccanherald.com/sports/...t-1041140.html

[pandey.jai]

I must have missed this thread somehow. I am yet to go through all the posts. Will do so when I get some time.

One of my cousins, all of 38 years old who was working from home, one fine day logged off work and started playing with his 3 year old kid. 5 minutes in and he collapsed. He was declared dead by the hospital. Needless to say this incident shook all of us in the extended family.

My parents insisted on getting a health check up done for me. Turns out, I have something called Grade 1 fatty liver and my cholesterol is off the charts (most parameters are twice the prescribed limits). My TMT did not go through well - I could only walk 7.34 minutes before I had to stop due to my legs giving way.

I’m yet to come to terms with these facts. Any quick tips on how to reduce cholesterol in my body? I will look at including some walking in my sedentary lifestyle but I’m looking for some pointers from some of the experienced experts here.

[am1m]

Originally Posted by pandey.jai

Any quick tips on how to reduce cholesterol in my body? I will look at including some walking in my sedentary lifestyle but I’m looking for some pointers from some of the experienced experts here.

This thread: https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/shift...hread-197.html (The Weight Loss Thread)

I'm in the same boat- despite appearing skinny, my cholesterol levels are getting alarming- and asked the same questions on that thread. That thread is an invaluable source of information from so many helpful people, especially BHPian graaja, on eating healthy.

Remember- small yet significant lifestyle modifications, stick with those for years - that will have more of an effect on your health rather than peaks of unsustainable intense physical activity and then stopping. I'm learning that the hard way too!

[sridhar-v]

Originally Posted by pandey.jai

I’m yet to come to terms with these facts. Any quick tips on how to reduce cholesterol in my body? I will look at including some walking in my sedentary lifestyle but I’m looking for some pointers from some of the experienced experts here.

Let me give you some insights from my personal experience:-
(warning - some views are considered sacrilege by parts of the medical fraternity!!. But by adopting these basic steps I have been able to control 22 year old diabetes and also clear my heart conditions.)
1. Cholestrol by itself is not the culprit. Insulin is the hidden elephant in the room. Get your fasting blood sugar and serum insulin tested(even if you are not diabetic). Calculate your HOMA score.Ideally it should be less than 2. That will give you an idea if your basal insulin levels are elevated.
3. The ratios of various cholestrol components is more important.
i) Triglycerides/HDL <2
ii) Direct LDL <100
4. Pottasium & Magnesium deficiency results in poor heart health and crazy results in treadmill stress test. Include coconut water and lots of leafy vegetables in your diet to correct.
5. B12, k2-Mk7 & D3 deficiency, caused due to lack of saturated fats in the diet, also creates issues.

Correctives:-
1. Shift to 2 meals a day.
2. Follow keto diet as many people have shared. Substantially increase vegetable content in your food.
3. Cut back on sugar, refined carbs and processed foods.
4. Include ghee and coconut oil in your diet. Cut back on seed oils.
5. The heart is a muscle. So to keep it fit you need to exercise it. Regular cardio will build up capacity. But do this in a very slow and calibrated manner.
6. Reduce overall stress and adopt positive thinking. If it means shifting to a job that pays lesser so be it.

[adisan]

Originally Posted by sridhar-v

Starting 2014 I was forced to take Allopathy medicines. Things improved for 6 months but went south immediately. My Blood sugar levels with the medicines were worse than what I used to maintain without medicines. And I started suffering severe side effects leading to a left side Neuropathy attack.

Starting with the disclaimer that I am not a medical practitioner.

On a general note, for any chronic conditions requiring long-term treatment it might be better to go for alternate systems like homeopathy, ayurveda, acupuncture. The key thing is to find the right practitioner because unlike allopathy, treatments in these systems depends on how well the practitioner "reads" the patient. They do not treat the symptoms, but the person as a whole.

[ghodlur]

Somehow missed this thread.

The last deadly wave of Covid did have an effect on my heart as I suffered a mini heart attack with damage to one of the muscles in heart. The doctors attribute this to Covid however the trauma which I underwent during that time was indescribable. I just managed to come back from the pearly gates however left with a scar and a lifestyle which I never imagined. I have been asked to walk for a min of 1 hr daily to restore the heart's remaining muscles which I do religiously even at times giving my work schedule a damn.

My suggestions:
1. Give up smoking ASAP. Those who want to live like a man or whatever can continue to do so
2. Reduce salt and sugar intake. I mean the gorging on the sweets. Give the Colas or carbonated drink a big miss.
3. Exercise regularly. Take regular breaks even when WFH. For sure take a holiday every 3 months to rejuvenate.
4. Skip a meal once a week to allow the body to recalibrate. Increase fruits intake.

Be serious, very serious about your health esp during these testing time.s