It’s 2010 and many of us have already embarked on our ‘Get Fit, Get Healthy’ New Years resolutions. We’ve dug out and dusted off those old trainers, or we’ve motivated ourselves by buying a new pair. But are our bodies ready?

No Obvious Warning Lights

We are all quick to notice if we hear an unusual rattling noise from our cars, and then worry for reasons of safety, cost or convenience. We would never take our car on a long journey if it had an unusual rattle or a warning light – not without getting it checked out or serviced. Yet, we can be tempted do it with our body. We have to remember that whilst our bodies are incredible, they don’t come fitted with obvious warning lights.

Most complex on the Planet!

The human body is an extremely complex structure – probably the most comprehensive, balanced organism on the planet, and far more complex than the car!

At any given time, there are over a billion functions operating so that the body functions as it is designed to. In order for the body to operate at its optimal capacity it must be very finely tuned. To achieve this, certain aspects of functioning should be regularly tested and fine tuned.

Importance of Health Screening

Regular testing and fine tuning for our bodies is just as important (if not more so) than our cars. Exercise and activity are vital to the optimal functioning of the body. If your body is making some odd sounds or been sitting in the garage for a while, it is important to get a professional view and health screen before embarking on a lifestyle change such as a new exercise regime. This will minimise any risk involved. A simple symptom or a mark on the body could be an indication of something a bit more serious.

How Fit Are You?

Cardiovascular exercise is the backbone of health and ensures the well functioning of the body. The important aspect of any exercise program is not actually what happens in the gym or the sports field. It is what has happened in your day to day life with lifestyle, food intake, sleep cycle, family history of genetics and disease.

Although exercise is a vital aspect of health, without knowing the risks or the things to focus on in exercise and health in your life, you can actually do more damage to your body with certain types of exercise.

A real life example of this is a patient of mine who was a keen sports person, going to the gym 5 times a week, doing cardiovascular training and weights. He seemed to be fit and healthy until he explained he would get headaches and heart palpitations intermittently - something that a 25 year old should not be suffering with that often. On review and following investigation, it transpired that this young person had a growth on his adrenal glands (just above the kidney) that over produced certain hormones in the body related to adrenaline. This condition could actually cause death if the body is pushed to extremes such as intense exercise.

So this young person who actually thought he was fit and doing well at exercise, was actually close to fatal death each time he pushed himself.

Our Body Remembers!

Our bodies are sort of like a very complex computer – far more complex than the one that now runs your car.

We have a strong skeletal and muscular structure to hold us together and to protect our organs and the vessels that supply them. We use an incredibly advanced electrical system to control all aspects of our movement – from intricate piano playing to massive movements like an athlete sprinting 100 meters.

Each time we wake up and walk to the bathroom, our joints and muscles remember the routine and remember how to fire certain neurons and electrical signals to make our body move. This is the same concept with regular exercise. The more we train and exercise, the longer we can swim or run or the heavier weight we can lift. This is because the body starts to change and adapt to the metabolic demand placed on it.

But It Also Forgets!

The brain is the most developed muscle in the body; it remembers exercise routines and ways of doing certain movements. However, the body’s other muscles are not as clever. Other muscles only grow and adapt in a liner fashion on stimulation. The muscles of the body, other than the brain, need movement and repetition to become stronger, thicker and function better

When an individual has got a history of exercise but has a long break, as we all do over the festive season, the body and its functioning needs gentle acceleration - a gradual re-introduction to the exercises, movements and strains put on it.

The Hidden Muscles

The important thing to remember is that muscles are not just on the outside of the body. The heart is a muscle and pump that is essential for the body to use. The lungs are an elastic collection of muscles and uses chest wall muscles that are vital for us to breath.

Whether you were engaged in regular exercise before or are new to exercise, you need to gradually wean into various exercises. It is vital that the heart and lungs are exercised in an appropriate manner. The function of the heart is to improve the blood flow through the body. The function of the lungs is to provide oxygen to the cells of the body.

These two muscles should be gradually weaned into an exercise mode over a period of weeks. As you do this, your stamina increases and you notice that you can increase the amount of exercise you do. The heart allows the muscles of all the body to receive blood. Blood contains the vital "food" for the muscles to feed on. The lungs allow the oxygen to be delivered into the blood stream. Muscles, tendons and joints take time to return back into an exercise routine – they are not used to regular strenuous movements. Without gradual introduction, the joints, tendons and ligaments will get damaged because the vital muscles are not providing the body with the nutrients to function. This is the whole basis of warming up before doing major sports or exercise.

This feature is sponsored by:

Galen Health,
Harley Street,
London.
(www.galen-health.co.uk)