[AROO7]

Disclaimer- I am not a medical practitioner and all the things which I have written below are based upon my personal experience and observations.

1. If you have had a sedentary lifestyle up till now and recently took to exercise please go slow and if possible start with walking then move on to brisk walking. Thus increasing the intensity gradually and not abruptly.

2. Your body is the best indicator of what's its limits.

(i). As you warm up your turbocharged engine after a cold start before starting any physical activity do a full-body warm-up.

(ii). Whenever you are doing any physical activity say for example cycling. If you pedal continuously there will be a point your leg muscles will feel tired that's when you should stop pedaling for some time. Again respect your physical limits.

3. If you are having a fitness trainer it is best to let him know beforehand any underlying issue you have which might get aggravated due to intense physical workouts. Also, it is advisable to get the workout regime made based upon your limits and not on one regime that fits all basis.

4. As for day-to-day activity there will be situations where your heartbeat might shoot up, in such situations it is better to back off, focus on your breathing and let your heartbeat back to normal.

5. Avoid stress at all costs be it at work or home, it has no long-term or short-term benefit. Period!

6. Coming to smartwatches/fitness devices. Now there are several debates on which ones are more accurate and better but I feel of all the smartwatches out there the Apple Smartwatch, especially, the recent ones are both accurate and the best in terms of monitoring your body parameters.

7. Lastly, never ignore any signs of body discomfort or uneasiness. Immediately consult the respective doctor and get it checked. Even if it turns out to be a false alarm, it is always better to catch any underlying situation early on and these kinds of checkups and routine checkups are the best way for it.

In the end, I wish all the Team-BHPians a healthy and long life. Keep smiling and keep driving.

[neeraj0272]

Originally Posted by GTO

I used to run like a mad horse before I created this thread. Now, I take it easy on my body and do lighter jogging instead. I used to cycle very hard earlier to the point of becoming breathless; now, I do it at 10 - 20% lesser than my capacity. At the age of 44, I do cardio just for fitness & overall well-being, not to become an athlete or model.

Very sad to hear such stories. God bless his sweet soul.

I used to play squash strenuously and then I did running for a few years with 50km in a week and finished many yearly half-marathons. I used to almost always have a stiff back and overall tiredness in the body.

Now for past 4 - 5 years I am doing a brisk walk for 45minutes - 5km daily and I think its an optimum workout for 40 to 50 years age group.
Any more than this can have a chance to be risky as it can cause heart muscle scarring (doctors please correct me on this) besides causing wear and tear on other body parts..

[Ananthang]

Originally Posted by neeraj0272

I used to play squash strenuously and then I did running for a few years with 50km in a week and finished many yearly half-marathons. I used to almost always have a stiff back and overall tiredness in the body.

Now for past 4 - 5 years I am doing a brisk walk for 45minutes - 5km daily and I think its an optimum workout for 40 to 50 years age group.
Any more than this can have a chance to be risky as it can cause heart muscle scarring (doctors please correct me on this) besides causing wear and tear on other body parts..

I find walking to be little stressful end of the day. Mind is wandering on unwanted things in the 30/40 mins. Playing works better for me, as everything else is forgotten.

[Mafia]

I have followed Puneet's career from when I was a child. We are of similar age. I am shell shocked by the news. I heard of his passing before the media announced. I chalked it off to fake news.

Puneeths vision for the film industry was very intriguing. He was really changing things.

Sad to see him go!

Originally Posted by Ananthang

I find walking to be little stressful end of the day. Mind is wandering on unwanted things in the 30/40 mins. Playing works better for me, as everything else is forgotten.

Yep. Sports, especially a team sport really gets the stress down. Win or lose, if it is fun, it is the best stress buster.

[neerajku]

Few days back saw an interview of a good doctor in TOI+. He says 45 minutes of walk every days is what you require for cardio health. Rest all, be it cardio, weights, HIIT and so on are good for weight loss, fitness, flexibility, stamina and so on. I am sure more research is needed and more will come as time goes by but this, I thought, was a good starting point for all of us.

[pandabear]

Just a WhatsApp forward, not sure if it's the words of Dr. Devi Shetty, but surely worth a read. It's just forwarded as received.

Dr Devi Shetty,
Narayana Hrudayalaya

For all my friends....

In the last few years, I have lost at least 8 to 9 people known to me personally, and a few celebrities too, who were in their 40s who died because of doing too much to be "fit". Unfortunately they only looked fit, six packs and all. Today Puneeth Rajkumar gets added to this list.

In anything in life, MODERATION is the mantra. Any extreme of zero or 100 is not correct. A moderate amount of exercise, just about 20mins, eating everything, no detoxification or keto moto diets, just eat what your ancestors have been eating, the local and seasonal food in your hometown, not kale, kiwi or olive oil..., but in small quantities, sleeping a full 7 hours, respecting your body by not feeding it steroids, performance enhancement drugs are all that you need to do.

Just eat all that you ate growing up, in small quantities, exercise for 20mins to 30mins...just a good walk should do perfectly and stop all supplements....if you drink, limit it to a couple of pegs a week, if you absolutely can't give up smoking, a couple a day .. .you get my drift??? Anything but in moderation. Add a bit of silent meditation to your routine.Most importantly, listen to your body. Understand it.

By 40 the body is undergoing a lot of changes, 50 even more, 60 plus your body is starting to slow down, 70 plus, your body is starting to shut down, 80 plus every year is a bonus. So, stop saying 60 is the new 40, 50 is the new 30...no it isn't, if you are 40 or 50 plus, be grateful if you're healthy, slow down so your heart can keep pace, understand retirement has been suggested for a reason, your body and mind cannot take the stress which you once endured. Outwardly you could be looking good, thank your genes but inside, the organs are aging.

If you're 40 + read the above and if you're doing something other than the above, change it, now!! I'm sure you don't want to end up as another statistic.

[diwakarjha]

This is a very interesting thread and I am glad I came across this. Being 47, I myself get worried everytime I hear about anyone in the same age group, and perhaps fit too, dying suddenly of a heart attack.

Information contained in this thread is substantive, but I don't think we can still answer the question : what can we do to avoid such heart attacks ? Yes, I can relate to the thoughts on exercise, sleep, stress, living your age, sense of humour etc., but don't know how much of what is required or even enough.

I call myself reasonably fit and I thought that the one disease that I would perhaps never die of would be a heart disease. But, surprise ! A routine health check 2 months back threw up a previously unknown parameter called LIPOPROTEIN-A, whose level was found to be 59 in my case (normal is <30). Since it was abnormal, I tried to find more about it. It is a genetic factor which makes it an independent risk factor for heart attacks, stroke etc . So, no matter what your cholesterol level is, or how disciplined you are about your sleep or stress, it can still cause you a heart attack, because there is no medicine for it.
Then, I read about a few famous cases of people who suffered massive heart attacks after which they came to know that they had elevated levels of Lipoprotein-A. Could this have been a factor in any of the tragic cases which we are discussing in this thread, I wonder.

[dailydriver]

This is one of those moments when everyone stops for a while and contemplates on life: and death.

A popular actor and a good human being has died in the prime of his life. Unbothered by the universal and timeless truth that all of us must end our journey some day, we go on discussing, dissecting and speculating about the cause/s.

The advances of science notwithstanding, human bodies too have an expiry date - it just differs in magnitude from individual to individual.

A human body is a biological machine. Just as a properly run in and periodically serviced IC engine lasts a long time, a good body that is put through its paces outlives others which have either been treated improperly or have been abused.

The desire to live long is a great driving force for all of us. We find ways and means to prolong our stay on earth; some rely on clean habits, a few on body balancing and others on a myriad mix of practices. While it is true that we make elaborate plans on how to live, it is also a sad fact that most of us never even think about death - ours or others'. Thus, the one and only certainty of life gets grossly overlooked.

Puneeth was never Puneeth for us. He was known more by his earlier name of Master Lohith and his nick name Appu. He was a gentleman actor - one who consciously stayed away from controversies and took efforts to maintain his image of a family (friendly) man.

His stints on the small screen as an anchor brought him closer to people. He was always humble, polite and approachable. His altruism and pro bono promotions set him apart from many of his contemporaries.

Unlike his elder brother Shivarajkumar, Puneeth has always had a fit and healthy body. Of course, his penchant for difficult indoor exercises got portrayed in the media during the Covid crisis. But these weren't something revolutionary or life threatening. To give it some perspective, our own DBhpian graaja has demonstrated similar moves here on the forum (Fat to Fit - A journal of my fitness journey)Link.

The point being that to assign blame for his death on either the exercises or the trainers isn't really fair.

A doctor was heard saying that the cause of death was Pulmonary Infraction precipitated by sudden Cardiac Arrest. Now, unless there is a proper autopsy, who can precisely point out the exact cause of death? It will really remain this and that; and that's about it.

A point worth noting in this particular instance is of genetics. Puneeth's father, the thespian Dr. Rajkumar succumbed to heart attack in 2006 (but he had of course lived a full life). His brothers, Raghavendra Rajkumar and Shivarajkumar had suffered heart ailments - the former in his late 20s and the latter in his 50s. A detailed study of the family health history could perhaps throw some light on the issue.

Having said all this, I would be lying if I say that untimely deaths in the last few years hasn't rattled me to the core. But instead of instilling fear, these have made me a bit more pragmatic. I have readied myself for death. I have also given a set of instructions on what I would like to be done when I pass on - suddenly or eventually.

For instance, my wife and I have made it known to the entire family that upon our death, we would like to donate our bodies; or at the least our eyes.

Which reminds of the noble gesture of Appu's family: his eyes have been harnessed by Narayana Nethralaya, just like his father's were.

(@Moderators: I feel Puneeth's death needs a separate tribute thread, the title of which could lay emphasis on his eye donation too)

[vivek95]

Originally Posted by pandabear

Just a WhatsApp forward, not sure if it's the words of Dr. Devi Shetty, but surely worth a read. It's just forwarded as received.

Dr Devi Shetty,
Narayana Hrudayalaya

For all my friends....
.

Hello. Sorry to say but this whatsapp forward is fake. Dr. Devi Shetty hasn't said these words. He has confirmed that its a fake message being circulated in his name.

.........

I shall reply to other messages directed to me in a short while. Being a Doctor, I would say, medical science can only risk stratify an individual to some extent, but beyond that many illnesses and deaths are not in our control. This is where spirituality, karma, cosmic energy and other higher philosophies come into picture ( I personally believe ).

-- Dr. Vivek

[krishnakarthik1]

The most meanest forms of stress is wanting to be perceived as a better version of yourself by others, all the time. But what is stress?

Stress is the period of time in which you are in a conflict between what you want to happen and what is happening. In between those two things one is reality. So isn't it good to be with that reality?

Swami Vivekananda says that 'Accept the things that cannot be changed with serenity and change the things that can and that should be changed. And one must, most importantly have the wisdom to distinguish between the two'.

One great soul once said that ' There is no need for an emotional reaction to everything that is said to you. True power is restraint. True power is thinking things with logic. If words can control*you everything else can. It's best to breathe and allow things*to pass'.

Krishna Paramatma asks us to do our duty in the best possible way and leave the rest to him.

I contemplate those everyday during my meditation and pranayama. It helps me have that small gap or detachment with noise in life, which I feel is very important.

[TheHelix0202]

I never thought of sharing this on a public forum that I very dearly cherish, but I’m at the other end of the age spectrum, but just as prone. 20 years old. I have a chest condition called P.E. This might cause stress on the heart as one grows older, so I wouldn’t be surprised if something happens to me eventually.

I’ve made peace with the fact that this is how I am and come to terms with my limits. I hit the gym for a brief while before lacking the motivation and stamina to continue. I didn’t want to overexert myself, I’m taking it slow. Even biking for long hours causes discomfort in my chest and I have to stretch; that characteristic sound when you crack your knuckles is heard as I do this stretching. There’s no cure for this anymore, I just hope to remain as fit as I possibly can for the longest time. Anything beyond what my circumstances allow me, I cannot possibly endure and try to evade.

[proton]

Knowledge is Power. In a situation where people are dying in a seemingly random fashion, it's useful to know if it's not as random as it seems, and then take steps to avoid the working out of that pattern.

About twenty years ago, I read of a pattern of a particular group of people who were used to a subsistent diet caused by an arid environment prone to frequent famine occurrences. What would happen if these people suddenly found themselves in a different environment of plenty? Their physiology, used to deprivation, would not be able to cope with the rich diet that this environment threw up.

What would cause this line of research, did this situation actually happen? Interestingly, the study was set out on because of the high rate of heart problems amongst the not few South Asian population in the UK! Even the difference from the Caucasian response to a good diet could be seen: the latter putting on fat around the chest area, whilst South Asians tend to become pear shaped!

Centuries of living in environments with poor nutrition and frequent famines led to a genetic profile that encouraged the survival of those who could manage. The people with better diet expectations just couldn't survive, leading to a dying out of those with this physiological make up.

So would that situation occur again if the original environment changed, became an environment of plenty? The answer is here for all to see: the green revolution, systematic irrigation, genetically modified high yield strains have all brought about this change. Add to that the windfall of having a numerically large English speaking and educated population led to prosperity from the outsourcing business landing up here meant that a sizeable proportion of that population could also access that new nutrition abundance. The results are obvious: more heart related disease.

Myocardial infarction is a result of heart muscle damage through blood starvation. Blood vessels become clogged up, and reduce supply to the heart, ironically the motive power for that supply.

The answer is to maintain a nutritional regime closer to our original: stick with the minimal diet our bodies are used to.

[tatafanatic]

While recuperating from my angioplasty I visited my first field medic with barrage of questions as to how me, trained under 10 para sf, finished training with flying colors but had an undetected heart issue, he presented me with the below fact which was mind boggling (mind you American military has higher standards of fitness in screening stage) "Active-duty Army personnel have worse cardiovascular health than civilians of similar ages, a surprising new study has found. Only 30% of soldiers had ideal blood pressure, compared to 55% of civilians, researchers reported Wednesday in the Journal of the American Heart Association. Only a third of both soldiers and civilians weighed an ideal amount"

This got me thinking, training days were long gone for me, stroke came at age 43, training finished at 24, i was subjected to numerous tasks which ranged from tough to hard nut tough and my permanent buddy was a 30kg sandbag, but life moved on at fast pace post training days, postings across the country and abroad seeped in changed food habits, there were numerous quick bites which earlier was pure luxury, my permanent buddy was a thin laptop bag and a never say die mobile phone, i did my runs i did my cycling, occasionally i ran with my old buddy but never in same fervor, stress of passing the course was way different then stress of remaining valid in life and one things lead to other, systematic collapse was my own doing and finally the price was paid

Now i have reversed the clock to the extent it can be, hopefully it might work coz as the saying went "Man Apart Every Man An Emperor"

[AltoLXI]

Sobering advice from Dr. Devi Shetty. While the first one was known, the second one highlights care that needs to be taken before starting exercising.

Indians are three times more vulnerable to heart problems than Caucasians because of a genetic predisposition,” Dr Shetty told DH, adding that “Indians develop heart attacks at a much younger age than Caucasians”.

“You have all these youngsters exercising. But for me, there is no value in anybody past the age of 35-40 saying that they are perfectly fit and can run 10 miles unless there is an ECG report, echocardiogram and cardiac-CT to testify that they are normal,” Said Dr Shetty.

Dr Shetty said, “45% of Indians suffer from silent ischemia - they can suffer a massive heart attack without even being aware of it”.

In Puneet's case the doctors opined,

Experts noted that soon after Puneeth suffered a heart attack, he underwent a condition called ventricular fibrillation. During that critical time, a shock from a defibrillation machine needs to be delivered within four minutes of the event to save the patient

He was shifted to hospital in car and suffered ventricular fibrillation on the way. Technically it would have been impossible to get him into an ambulance within four minutes unless it was very close by.

Cardiologist Dr P Ranganath Nayak, who was one of the receiving doctors at the hospital, said, “Puneeth was completely unresponsive when he arrived. There was no brain activity.”

A source later said that if Puneeth had been in an ambulance with a shock defibrillator, he could have been saved. “A DC shock is enough to revive them and they go on to lead healthy lives for the next 30-40 years. So, timing is important,” Dr Manjunath said.

Never been inside a gym but do they have defibrillators available in the premises? The first time I saw multiple defibrillators at a site was in Universal studio in Singapore and thought why so many were required. Now I know the answer.

Link to article

[AirbusCapt]

Folks we need to step back and look at this objectively. The actor in question was deligient, commited to his fitness, took good care of his health. His family doctor said he had a normal blood pressure, regular cholesterol and other parameters.
On the other hand his family has had a long history of heart issues with one family member having serious issues at the age of just 23! His unfortunate demise I think is largely due to his genetic predisposition and nothing else.
Some folks are also comparing the maintanence of cars versus the human body, but a car is a machine. If you maintain it as per schedule, it will behave consistently. The human body doesn't not behave like that. You may do everything to take care of your health and yet you may suffer from all kinds of ailments where as a person abusing his body may live happily until 100.