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Head lines DR. M. MOSTAFA ZAMAN, The Independent Hippocrates believed that the state of mind held influence over the physical state of health. However, during his time little was known that a behaviour pattern can lead to the development of heart disease. In 1959, two cardiologists, Drs. Friedman and Rosenman, first proposed that "Type A" behaviour pattern may predispose one to heart disease. Thereafter the 'personality-heart disease' hypothesis became popular among both doctors and psychologists. This is also known as "Type A" personality pattern. A person with a "Type A" personality has the following constellations: * Chronic sense of time urgency, and high impatience. * Very competitive - even in noncompetitive situations. * Achievement-oriented obsession. * Frequently becomes hostile. Persons with above characteristics, tend to live in a state of chronic physiological arousal. Under these circumstances, the flight or fight stress reaction is frequently activated which creates excess wear and tear in heart and blood vessels. In contrast, there are people who have an easy-going lifestyle and is much more able to sit back and relax. They are "Type B" persons, also known as "Non-Type A". The Type A men are 2-3 times more likely to suffer angina, heart attacks, or sudden death than Type B men. Some studies, however, disputed these findings. To resolve this contradiction, the US National Institute of Health convened, in 1978, a panel of scientists to evaluate the medical research on type A behaviour. The panel of experts concluded that Type A behaviour was, indeed, a risk factor for heart disease. Subsequent researches have determined that the hostility but not all components of Type A behaviour places a person at high risk for developing heart disease. Hostility is a broad concept. It has connotations of anger, aggression, and a chronic negative outlook and so encompasses feelings, overt actions, and thoughts and attitudes. The cognitive components (those involving thoughts and attitudes) may include cynicism or mistrust, a desire to oppose others or a wish to do them harm. They often deliver a quick and abrupt stylistic speech, often interrupting others. The mechanism for Type A personality related heart disease include enhanced release of hormones (catecholamines) leading to elevated heart rate and blood pressure. These cause an increased turbulence and shear strain in blood vessels. As a result injury occurs on the inner lining of blood vessels and subsequent steps of platelet aggression and cholesterol deposition occur. This causes narrowing of heart arteries. When blood flow to an area of the heart is decreased through a narrowed artery, supply of oxygen and vital nutrients to the heart muscle is impaired . Heart suffers from an imbalance of supply and demand (ANGINA). If this continues further, heart artery will be completely blocked and the part of the heart muscle fed by that artery will die (HEART ATTACK). What to do: It is possible to make a positive change in hostile behaviour through positive thinking. Our beliefs and emotions may need to be changed to protect our heart. Development of self-confidence about our ability to cause a positive change is essential to become successful. We should make time to plan daily life, ant not to rush. Achievements in personal or professional life are important but not everything for a respectful living. Our goal should be realistic. Many events or circumstance that we find around us should not happen. These provoke a hostile response in a "Type A" person, but we should not become an easy-prey of this evil. Anger need to be controlled. Many of us love to oppose others without a valid reason. We should avoid it. Trying to avoid heart disease gives us a good reason to be nice to one another. Here are some tips: * Be physically active, e.g., walking * Practice deep breathing * Talk to someone you trust * Accept what you can not change * Take time out to play * Do jobs one at a time * Agree with someone for a change * Develop an absorbing hobby * Take time to relax daily * Be realistic about perfection and what you can achieve. (The author is a recipient of Bangladesh Academy of Sciences' Gold Medal Award 2002 for his research contribution. He is the founder of Ekhlaspur Center of Health (Matlab, Chandpur). Currently, he works for the World Health Organization, Dhaka, as a National Professional Officer. The views expressed here is the responsibility of the author but not of his employer.) AZIZ PASHA, The Independent So often we average folks read articles about the training regimens of elite athletes, bodybuilders, fighters, and other select professionals and fall into a mind-set of hopelessness about our fitness training. The fact is that the vast majority of people who exercise regularly have several other responsibilities each day and must work hard to fit in regular exercise. That is what makes professional athletes elite: their sole purpose is fulfilling their athletic dreams. While this is admirable it is not a reasonable standard for the masses of people interested in improving their health, feeling and looking better. These are 5 principles that will help those of us whose priorities include training but don't revolve around it. Evaluate how you THINK about your workouts Set realistic measurable goals (short and long term) Do what is most effective for you Let athletes inspire not frustrate you Don't think "all or nothing" Evaluate how you THINK about your workouts: This is most important, for the mind controls everything. Many people begin with the greatest of intentions; they know they should work out so they resolve to do it. A funny thing happens in the mind when we do something that we feel we "should" do. We view the thing with loathing. What separates those who stick with training from those who don't? The difference is often only perspective. Many people view exercise as a necessary evil that they squeeze into a day full of other things they "have" to do. During the workout the focus is on other things. You can change this! Look forward to exercising; view it as some personal time without distractions. Or if you are more of a socialite, work out with a group and enjoy the company of friends. Focus only on what you are doing, relax and don't worry about other things while you train. Soon workouts will be a refuge from the stress of everyday life, instead of another part of it. Be thankful that you have the necessary capacity to train. If you find yourself kvetching about your workout, think of the many people who would love to have the ability to work out but can't because of a health problem. Ask the guy who can't get out of his bed without assistance if he feels your pain. I bet he won't. Look at wheelchair racers, and martial artists who work around serious disabilities just to do what we take for granted. I personally have spent time in a hospital bed and face a world of diabetes related health problems (blindness, nerve damage, heart disease, limb amputation) if I don't perform appropriate exercise (and injections, carb counting and glucose testing). Set measurable goals: There are two things you'll want to do with goal setting. Look at the long-term, end result that you want to achieve (this can be modified as you go) and set short-term goals to help you get there. "I want to get in shape" is on the right track, but too vague. Define exactly what you want and write it down. Do you want to lose weight or gain weight? What kind of weight (fat of course is preferable to muscle or brain tissue)? So in the long term you may want to "lose x lbs of fat" or better yet "go from a size xxx" waist to a size xx" by this day in 2 years. Body composition is a better benchmark of fitness than weight; weight includes muscle (heavy and fuel efficient) as well as fat. You can aim for one size lower every 6 weeks. Then evaluate your progress. Adjusting the goal is fine; it's your goal! Maybe you want to pass a military fitness exam or join a sports team and there are requirements: 20 pull-ups, a 3-mile run in 30 minutes, and 100 sit-ups. So you determine what you can do now, how much time you have, and you start working to improve a little at a time. Plan to add 1 or 2 sit up's a week, and start walking a mile, building up a predetermined amount each time. Again writing down your progress is a powerful tool. Goals should not only be measurable and specific, but also reachable. Rome wasn't built in a day (but it sure burned fast!). This is why small short-term goals are so vital to the long-term success. Do what is most effective for you: One of the tremendous benefits of this information age is that valuable information is available to us all the time. Dolfzine® for example is a treasure chest of training information for all different kinds of needs, and is free of commercially driven bias. So once you decide on your goals you can research and find out the most appropriate steps to take. As working adults we have only a certain amount of free time to devote to our physical pursuits and athletic hobbies. So it is key to use that time in an efficient manner. If your goal is strength and muscle gain then hours of jogging are not the way to go, you must hit the weight room. Conversely if you want to lose fat then a 50/50 split between the weight room and moderate aerobic activity is a solid investment. Use the resources available to you and learn how the body works. Then you can decide what is best for you based on your own experience and understanding of the human body. The process takes time but is well worth it. Learning is vital to this, for instance if you have invested in a personal trainer, pick this or her brain and learn what you are doing, and why. The session will only last an hour, but the knowledge gained can pay off forever. You will be more efficient in planning your own program down the road. Let athletes inspire not frustrate you: A large part of having goals that you'll stick with is having a vision of the end result, the finished product. As an adolescent I was awed at the monstrous physiques of pro-wrestlers and like many others devoured the popular muscle mags to learn how-to. This created some vision and helped to inspire action (training) and learning (anatomy, muscle mechanics, metabolism). It can be beneficial to have role models (in a reasonable capacity) that help to create the vision of what we want to achieve. This is true for most any endeavor but especially for fitness. We must keep perspective however, and have our own goals using the resources that we have. Unfortunately instead of being inspired by the hard work of a female athlete who struggled against the odds, many women are discouraged by airbrushed glittery models. The same can be said of men who look at the long 2 times per day workout regimens of (chemically assisted) bodybuilders or pro-athletes. Our goal is to improve our well being by finding examples of what we want to achieve, not let our motivation decompose by holding ourselves to unrealistic standards. Look everywhere for inspiration. Maybe your 55-year-old neighbor who jogs every other day is your inspiration. Don't think "all or nothing" So due to unforeseen events you can't spend an hour and a half commuting to the gym, training, and driving home. If you can't do your entire workout you may as well scrap it and "start over" next time, right? Well, no. When it comes to exercise something is always better than nothing. A half hour of calisthenics and stretching may not be your ideal but it will still benefit you in 2 big ways. First some exercise is better than none, your body will still benefit from a little work. Second you have the major psychological advantage of knowing that you didn't "stop" working out. This is important. Remember the mind controls everything and your outlook is key. Stopping and starting is discouraging but even mild training will keep you on the path. Remember the concept of inertia "a body in motion stays in motion, a body at rest stays at rest". It is common and even cliché to backslide down the slippery slope of "starting over tomorrow" which of course begets only more half-hearted resolve and no consistency. These 5 principles will pay off when applied to your life. Having to balance your fitness goals and athletic pursuits with a career, family, school, and personal commitments makes you the rule, not the exception. Set reachable goals, find appropriate role models, enjoy your training, use your time efficiently and do the best you can with the tools and resources available and not only will you get where you want to go, but you'll enjoy getting there. |
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