|
In this Issue
Exercise As Medicine
What’s Your Workout Personality?
If You Only Do One Thing This Month….
Bleeding Edge Science
Ask the Doc
Exciting Developments from Dr. Peeke
Exercise As Medicine
I’ve been talking about exercise as medicine for 15 years ever since the day I was sitting across from an entrepreneur who was working 100 hours per week, 24/7 and resisting exercising.
One day, out of sheer frustration, I whipped out my prescription pad and wrote her name on it, put the date on it, and wrote the following: “Thirty minutes of cardio exercise every day and weight training twice a week.” Then I signed it and put the infinity symbol in the "refill" column of the pad. I ripped it out, and handed it to her and she smiled widely and left. Three weeks later, she was back in my office, having already lost eight pounds. I was shocked. I said, “Lord above, how did you do this?” And she said, “Dr. Peeke, you wrote a prescription.” I thought, "I'll be damned! This is powerful! It's the power of my prescription pad.'"
She still has her original exercise prescription on her bulletin board and has met and maintained her health goals over the past 15 years. Four dress sizes down after cutting 40 pounds of Belly Fat, she has sustained her success because, after all, she’s following doctor’s orders!
Now science has confirmed what I discovered—that exercise prescriptions work to get inactive folks moving. In a milestone study, researchers in Spain trained doctors to deliver custom exercise prescriptions during 15 minute visits. Six months later, those who had received the prescriptions were more active compared to those who hadn’t received one.
Exercise is medicine. It reduces the risk of developing or dying from 40 of the leading causes of illness and death including heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and colon cancer. It lessens depression and anxiety, and helps control weight, builds and maintains healthy bones, muscles and joints, and promotes emotional well being and mental function. If you could get that in a pill, we’d all be taking it.
Unfortunately it is still quite rare for doctors to give exercise prescriptions. I am trying to change that. That’s why I am now the spokesperson for the American College of Sports Medicine’s “Exercise is Medicine” campaign. I want to get the word out to doctors around the country. The good news is that they are starting to catch on. If your doc hasn’t encourage him or her to go to CSM's “Exercise is Medicine” website [create link] which has on how to start writing exercise prescriptions.
What’s Your Workout Personality?
If you’re having trouble getting into motion (or staying motivated), it might be that you’re fighting against your own workout personality. First, figure out your body clock. Are you an owl or a lark? Owls are the late to bed, late to rise types. They do best with late afternoon or evening workouts. Larks are early birds who like to hit the gym first thing in the am. Try to go with your body clock.
Next think about whether being with other people helps you or not.
Are you the group type or more a solo performer? If it’s hard to do it alone, find a workout buddy or join a class. If you love solitude, try walking, running, biking or swimming by yourself.
Finally are you the type that uses exercise to look inward, a time to reflect and regroup, without pressuring yourself? Or are you goal oriented and need some external event, like a race or a wedding, to get and keep you going? The more you know about what makes you tick, the more you can create your best exercise time, places, and circumstances.
If You Only Do One Thing This Month
Follow the doctor’s orders. Here’s your very own prescription:
Name:____________________
30 minutes of cardio daily and 2 sessions of weight training
Refills: for eternity
My signature:_________________________________
Bleeding Edge Science
Want even more evidence of why exercise is medicine? A new study found that people who exercise are less likely to have a stroke and recover more quickly than those who are couch potatoes. A faster recovery makes sense, says the study’s lead researcher, because
a “brain that generally has good blood and oxygen flow from aerobic exercise will be in a better position to compensate for neurological deficits caused by a stroke." So get out there and keep that brain healthy!
It’s never too late to start. A recent study found of folks 45-63 found that you can significantly reduce your risk of heart disease by adopting a healthy lifestyle, including exercising 2.5 hours weekly. Unfortunately, people following a healthy lifestyle as I write about each month is actually on the decline, according to a brand new study in The American Journal of Medicine. Researchers compared people now to 18 years ago. In that time span, the percentage of adults aged 40-74 years with a body mass index greater than 30 has increased from 28% to 36%; physical activity 12 times a month or more has decreased from 53% to 43%; smoking rates have not changed; eating 5 or more fruits and vegetables a day has decreased from 42% to 26%; and moderate alcohol use has increased from 40% to 51%. The number of people adhering to all 5 healthy habits has decreased from 15% to 8%. Don’t be one of these statistics. Join with me to buck the trend and become Fit to Live!
Ask the Doc
Dear Dr. Peeke,
I’m 37 and I’m hell bent on a journey to get in shape. I’m sick and tired of overweight and tired and feeling so down about myself. So, I’m doing well with my first steps. I have your Body for Life for Women book and am following it. I’ll be honest and tell you that I’m not a big exerciser. Frankly I wish I could just do everything with diet alone. Can you light a fire under me and convince me why I have to sweat?
--Tammy, Kansas City
Dear Tammy.
Great to hear from you. Hope the info in this newsletter has inspired you. Now I’m coming locked and loaded with even more hot new research that says you better get up and move more. Researchers at Baylor and U of North Carolina have found that interestingly it’s women, not men, who seem to benefit more from exercise as it relates to decreasing heart risk. Their cholesterol is more positively affected. Cardio improves your energy level and your endurance. It gives you that bouncing out of bed in the morning experience, especially if you’ve eaten appropriately the night before. Weight training tones and strengthens you, resulting in more calorie burning muscle. You’ll be a dress size smaller faster if you do cardio (burn 400 cals at least 5 days of the week) and weight training (2 days a week) together as a one-two punch. Most importantly, research has shown that people who’ve dropped at least 70 pounds and kept it off for years, are able to maintain any weight reduction by doing regular physical activity.
These folks are burning an average of 2800 calories a week. You can do this. So, consider your fire lit and let’s get movin’!
--Dr. Peeke
Exciting Developments from Dr. P
More, Me--and You!
If you live in the greater New York area, join me on Monday, October 5th at More magazine’s Reinvention Convention in New York, a wonderful event with sessions for your mind, body, relationships, career, and even pocketbook. Visit more.com[create link] for more details and to sign up.
And you won’t want to miss a chance for your own personal Time Out with me and More magazine editors for a four day-getaway at the beautiful Miraval resort. Enjoy a little bit of health, happiness and heaven as you participate in editor meet and greets, fitness classes with me, yoga and Pilates, challenge activities, hiking and biking, luxurious daily spa treatments, gourmet meals, deluxe accommodations, free gifts and more!
Call Miraval to register at 1-800-232-3969 and ask for the special MORE group rate, Space is limited – sign up now! I want to see you there.
Start your healthy, mindful living today. If not now, when?
Pam Peeke MD, MPH, FACP
|
