Importance Of Being Fit

By Charles Bollmann August 07, 2014 0 comments

Dr Bollmann, Skin Care Specialist, Anti-Aging Expert

The other day my wife told me I was watching too much TV. And she is probably right. But I have learned to balance my life with other pursuits, including exercise. Recently my physical therapist (I had should surgery from a tennis injury) said something interesting. He said he had never treated anyone for joint problems who did Tai Chi.

I tried Tai Chi years ago, but now that I am older I am restarting. Old age catches up quickly. The body deteriorates, and joint disease is a prominent factor. Almost 90% of people 65 years or older have cervical spondylosis. And the best treatment is movement. Staying in shape is important if you don't want to spend the last part of your life in pain.

For those interested in Tai Chi, there is an excellent video on You Tube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kztoT6IWfnA

Staying fit will also protect you against disease. Researchers from Northwestern University (Illinois, USA) have identified physical fitness in one’s twenties as a potentially protective force to combat the onset of diabetes as one ages. The team studied 3,989 men and women for a period of 20 years, evaluating fitness by treadmill test up to three times during the study period. The researchers found that those subjects who developed diabetes during the study period experienced greater declines in fitness, as compared to those who remained diabetes-free. Women were at a 22% increased risk of developing diabetes and men were at 45% increased risk, for every standard deviation decrease from the mean fitness change. There also was a marked attenuation in the correlation between fitness and diabetes when adjusting for body mass index (BMI); that is, in two persons with a similar level of fitness, the person with a higher BMI was more likely to develop diabetes.