Professor Fatai Adeniyi, a deputy provost at the University of Ibadan College of Medicine and Director, Exercise is Medicine (EIM) Nigeria National Centre, in this interview with SADE OGUNTOLA, says Nigerians need to adopt the principle of ‘move more and sit less’ as an investment into health.
Is exercising in the same spot beneficial to health?
Exercising on the spot is not a bad idea altogether since it is better than doing nothing. However, it is more beneficial if people can have a mix of the exercise programmes that they adopt. Exercising on the spot if carried out under an appropriate prescription from an expert will provide the needed benefits of undertaking such exercise. However, when there are changes in locations from point A to point B, the individual will derive more benefits since the body is not designed to stay on the spot. One of the principles of exercise prescription is to ensure that the exercise being prescribed is as closely related to the way of life of the individual as possible.
What is the role of wellness exercise? And why should individuals attain fitness?
The roles of wellness exercise are so numerous to mention, but I will attempt to mention a few of them. When people get involved in physical exercises, they enjoy, among others, lower blood glucose and blood pressure, reduced body fat and weight, improvement in heart functions and bone strength, improvement in joint flexibility, lower risk of falling, and reduction in stress levels.
Health and fitness are individualised things, so individuals need to participate more in what concerns their health to ensure they are fit. Fitness is not achieved by somebody sitting down on the same spot; people need to work for it. Fitness has to be earned. To be able to live a good quality of life, people have to exercise.
Now, exercise can take any form and it is not compulsory to have sophisticated devices to exercise. There are simple exercises that can be done at home and in office space that can help to improve health. So, the secret is to make sure to move one’s arms and legs and also to cover some space while exercising.
Exercises like walking or jogging on the spot in the bedroom can elicit the same cardiovascular effect as the use of heavy pieces of equipment like the treadmill and ergometers. What is important is the speed and duration of involvement.
Many assume that people with bad ankles, knees or painful joints shouldn’t exercise. Is this correct?
That is not correct. That you have bad ankles, knees or legs should not stop you from exercising. Appropriate exercises will in fact help people with painful joints to be better. Prescribed exercise can work like medicine; it is something that is used for the treatment of many conditions.
Prescribed exercise can be a medicine for individuals with such conditions as diabetes, obesity, hypertension and osteoarthritis, and heart and lung conditions. Such individuals need guidance when exercising; they cannot afford to take things into their hands. However, walking is fairly safe for everyone, regardless of the medical condition they have.
Generally speaking, what impacts does physical activity have on general health?
Physical activity deeply affects our health and indeed our economy and livelihood. We need to begin to view physical activity as an investment and then start to apply all principles of investment. It is a known fact that we earn as much as we invest if the investment turns out well. It is also known that the profits that we reap from our investment may not necessarily continue once we stop the investment. We need to view our body as a business centre and physical activity as one of the core investments taking place in the business centre.
Physical activity is not a new concept. It is a concept that was never paid attention to but which happens to be a part of the way of life of the people. The life of the early man, unlike the modern man, was characterised by round-the-clock physical activity which was quite beneficial to the early man.
What does self-investment in health entail?
Self-investment in health is a set of activities or practices that people need to embark on to stay healthy. The investment in this context can be to prevent or delay the onset of a disease or to slow down the rate of progression of the disease. However, the scope, pattern and nature of such investments may differ from one person to another and from time to time. The set of activities involved may range from a simple smile, good sleep, diet, laughing, dancing, and prophylactic medications to physical exercises.
It is the prerogative of the individual to decide on what sets of self-investment in health he or she wants to embark on after careful consideration of one’s general health status, affordability, the usefulness of the activity and interests.
What is the current level of physical activity in Nigeria?
Despite awareness of the health risks of being physically inactive and the benefits of being physically active, inadequate physical activity levels are prevalent worldwide, Nigeria inclusive. Less than half of the Nigerian population is known to be physically active at a level recommended for healthy living and women have been identified to be more physically inactive.
Physically inactive persons were also known to be more among urban dwellers compared to rural dwellers in Nigeria. The situation is not any better even in the community of healthcare providers and higher school teachers in Nigeria. Likewise, results from Nigeria’s 2016 report card on physical activity for children and youths indicated that only 20 to 39 percent of Nigerian children and youths engage in health-enhancing activities based on the daily international health-related guidelines. The trend of physical inactivity in any nation has far-reaching implications. Unfortunately, physical activity is the least adopted of all forms of interventions to ensure wellness and good health.
What really is physical activity? Is it the same as exercise?
Physical inactivity entails any bodily movement produced by the body’s muscles that require it to burn some energy. It refers to all movement, including during leisure time at home and work. Now when that activity becomes planned, structured, repetitive and intentional, it is described as physical exercise. While they may mean the same to the general public, the two terms are not necessarily the same.
There is no limit to what may constitute physical activity as each individual settles for a set of activities that fit their needs and health status, For example, taking a brisk walk, jogging, gardening, weightlifting, dancing and several domestic chores can qualify as physical exercises.
Everyone, whether young or old, needs to adopt the principle of moving more and sitting less. They need to limit the amount of time spent being sedentary, replacing sedentary time with physical activity of any intensity.
Is there any link between many non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like diabetes and the level of physical inactivity?
Basically, the journey to beating these diseases starts with tackling the risk factors for these diseases and promoting healthy lifestyles. Many of these risk factors are modifiable and people who are generally physically inactive run higher risks of having non-communicable diseases like diabetes.
So, adopting the non-expensive physical activity solution will enhance their health and quality of life, thus ultimately reducing their expenditure. Also, in the event diseases like diabetes have occurred, exercises can help prevent its complications like diabetic foot ulcers and foot deformities.
In a study, a significant improvement was obtained in pain, the severity of the degradation of the skin on the foot, muscle strength and range of motion of the joints following a consistent multidimensional exercise programme for 12 weeks in persons with diabetes.
Also, in our study, we reported that physical activity participation was linked to a reduction of blood pressure and fatness among menopausal women. Even habitual physical activity helps them cope with the psychosocial and emotional stress that comes with the cost of treatment and quality of management being received.
Can exercises help boost sexual performance?
Muscles of the body are involved in sexual activities. In women, pelvic floor muscle exercises improve the fitness of the muscles used during sex and may increase sensations during orgasms. Treatment of some sexual dysfunctions typically includes muscle strengthening exercises in addition to psychotherapeutic interventions such as couples’ sex therapy. Kegel exercises and electrical stimulation are also of immense benefits in dealing with sexual dysfunctions in both men and women.
There is so much evidence that therapeutic exercises can help even in managing sexual dysfunction in patients with diabetes.