Build a Fitness Legacy for your Family #FathersDay

Men's health is generally less talked about by awareness programs and by themselves than women's health. This is the observation from my professional experience of 16 + years. 

In this short write-up, I have tried to explain about-

Mistakes and Misconceptions men have about healthy habits and lifestyle modifications, especially in the context of fathers and prospective fathers. 

# Exercise:

- There is a proverb in the Marathi language "Khaeen tar tupashi nahi tar upashi". This Means either I'll have food cooked in ghee Or I'll better stay hungry. 

What does this mean here, men feel either they' 'll do Gymming Or do Nothing. So in between paths like yogasan, body-functional workouts are ignored or looked at them as feminine exercise. 

- Few remove some time for walking or swimming or some sports, but as their flexibility and strength were not focused most end up getting injuries. 

- Biggest population of men, just don't do exercise as they have no time for that. But this is the population either sitting 24*7 or are on their toes in field jobs travelling around 8 to 12 hours a day. This stiffness and exhausted body is actually starving for good exercise. 

# Healthy Eating:

- Women's mind is programmed to be body conscious. Also as they start showing hormonal disturbing signs at a younger age, it becomes a need for them to start eating correctly.

             But men on the opposite metabolically have high BMR, don't face any signs of hormonal imbalance, have stronger muscular skeletons and do not so look conscious; don't create a need to eat right. 

- Unless blood profile reports show warning signals or waistlines start increasing after age 40, or when someone from their social circle gets a heart stroke; men don't start focusing on correcting their food habits. 

- Most men don't have cooking skills and families don't expect them to learn. They don't take responsibility to plan or cook their healthy diet; when they need to stay outstation for work. 

# Positive Mindset and Peace of Mind

- To put this straight, as it's been nurtured to say "Mard ko Dard nahi hota", men take their mental health for granted. 

- Today's working fathers are equally vulnerable as working mothers. And this is worst in nuclear families. The stress level of working fathers is an undercurrent reason for stroke, diabetes, etc. 

- But unfortunately, the solution for men to fix this stress is lunch time smoking and (+ or) peg of whiskey (or any alcohol) after dinner or on the weekends. 

Metabolic Health Issues which majorly Men start facing especially when they are Young Fathers:-

Gall bladder or Kidney stones, Gout, Hernia, Fatty Liver, Prediabetes, Diabetes, Hypertension, High Cholesterol, Abdominal Obesity, Irritable Bowel Syndrome. 

Lifestyle Modifications For Working Fathers:-

- Smoking and Alcohol addiction need therapy. Take it before it becomes non-effective. They are a silent killer. 

- Learn and participate in healthy menu planning; if not for family but at least for yours. Learn basic cooking skills that minimize your dependency on outside food. 

- Reduce socializing over food. Excess empty calories every week increase visceral fat and digestion issues. 

- Dedicate weekly at least three hours for holistic fitness (Strength, Endurance, Flexibility). 

- Learn and Practice Meditation and Pranayam for inner calmness and bliss. 

- Simplify life to reduce unnecessary stress. 

         Remember, Alongside being an income earner, father is a role model and emotional support for his family's health. His every health choices make the destiny of his family. Every family deserves a healthy & fit father figure. Father's Health is the true Wealth of his Family. Value it.

Does Exercise Help in Weight Loss?

Exercise helps in Weight Loss. Two sides of a coin. Let's elaborate. 

# Yes.

- It does help. Contributing to around 20% weight loss needs. 

- If our food habits are correct, adding exercise definitely helps in fat loss. 

- If a person is obese with a sedentary lifestyle, adding exercise will be helpful to reduce the first 5 to 10 kgs extra weight. 

- Different intensity of cardio exercise uses 100 to 350 calories while doing exercise. So it demands more calorie usage than our daily routine work. Something is always better than nothing. 

- Weight training increases muscle tissue, muscles are like 24*7 active machinery which increases metabolism (24 hrs after effect calories burning). More muscle means the body is using calories continuously. 

# No. 

- Unless food & rest pattern improves which are contributing to around 80 to 90% weight loss needed, exercise alone can't contribute to sustainable fat loss. 

- Extra Calories output resulting from  exercise can get easily compensated with calories input from even a little incorrect food intake.

         Therefore, those who are doing only  exercise is good for improving their fitness (strength, flexibility, endurance) but without changing other lifestyle essentials one can't achieve belly or hip line fat loss, and over weight or obese person can't reach to their ideal bodyweight.

- Over-cardio exercise for the sake of weight loss leads to muscle & bone loss that in turn reduces metabolism and strength. 

- Weight training exercise increases muscle weight, but if there is no corrected food intake, body fat weight remains the same leading to an increase in body size and weight.

- Exercise without a healthy sleeping timetable and rest results in adrenaline fatigue i.e. increase stress hormones production. Stress hormones for example cortisol reduces metabolism and immunity. Stress hormones increase blood pressure and blood glucose. 

Conclusion:

# One theory of weight loss that is calorie output more than calories input is not a healthy & sustainable choice for weight loss as it may create a mindset of an unscientific exercise schedule (more cardio exercise, everyday weight training, two forms of exercises in a one day, no rest) and inadequate nutrition intake. 

# Another theory of weight loss that equips the body to improve metabolism and digestion that further prevents producing toxic metabolic byproducts, and improves hormonal functionality that synchronizes hormones like insulin - glucagon, ghrelin - leptin, cortisol - serotonin, estrogen - testosterone etc. And this theory is only possible with scientific scheduling of exercise for fitness (endurance, strength, flexibility), healthy sleep patterns, peace of mind and healthy eating habits.

# Exercise should not turn into exertion for the sake of calorie burning.

# Exercise with healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle is like the Cherry on Cake. 

# But exercise doing for weight loss without healthy eating and lifestyle is like a half-baked cake that can't enjoy. 

Therefore,  Do not undervalue or misuse exercise by doing it just for weight loss but do it for optimal fitness to stand, walk, run, dance, play, trek on our feet lifelong. 

 

How Mindprogramming & Media affect our Health

Today we know more about foods, nutrients, supplements, medicines, & their side effects than our own parents and grandparents did. Today we have gadgets, apps, health /exercise studios, and consultants a click away. 

But despite the flood of this information and relative services, millions around the world constantly struggling with minor or major health issues. 

Isn't this contradictory !! 

Growth in Health information/services availability and Growth in Sickness are unfortunately becoming directly proportional. 

When given a thought on this, the Reasons could be: 

1. Limiting Mindset:-(Mind Programming) 

# Ignorance:-  

As this information is easily & freely available in different media. And there is no value put on receiving this information, it just goes through our senses and is not received at conscious and subconscious mind levels. 

# Procrastination:- 

As information and services are there and will be there, some people don't have a sense of urgency. Becoming healthier gets delayed. It's generally opted when health starts deteriorating and not when we are at state of good health and want to take it to optimal. 

Education on health and its application is like insurance. We don't know when and whether we need it, but it's always the best investment decision. 

# Lack of Priority:-

We need to do exercise either by Choice now to improve fitness or at some point in life by Compulsion suggested by an Ortho doctor to repair /rehab the muscular-skeletal system. 

We need to start healthy eating in the discipline either now by choice to improve our body weight composition or at some phase of life by compulsion as part of medical nutrition therapy suggested for controlling metabolic challenges. 

Priority comes with a goal. There is a famous proverb "Pay now & Play later or Play now & Pay later".

# Confusion:- 

With abundant information, we get confused about what's there for us. 

Body science is not like mathematics 1+1=2.

Body's needs & responses change with genetics, gender, age, geography around and also emotional state. Therefore one pattern doesn't suit all and what suits a person at one phase of life may not suit him all time. Which seeks customizations & systematic applications of information. 

# Association:- 

Friends & Family

It is said that our income is an average of five people we mostly associate with. The same applies to our health. Our food and fitness choices are more dependent on the people we associate more. Even though we feel like doing something towards improving health; starting and remaining consistent in healthy eating and fitness habits purely depends on the friends and family we have around. If they prioritize fitness, we also do. If they don't, we also ignore. 

When it's said diabetes runs through family genes, it actually means it runs through our family lifestyle. 

Another point is the identity we built through our habits, is very difficult to break unless we are headstrong or our family and friends support us. When a gentleman decides to reduce going for weekend partying, our association either breaks us or makes us to follow it. 

2. Media

Time consumption in consuming entertainment content on media like television or web series, short video binging, etc takes away our valuable time on planning and executing a healthy lifestyle. 

Binge-watching also adversely affects our mindfulness, mental health and sleep quality. 

At the same time, an advertisement

 pop-ups of packed and junk foods,  influence us to consume unhealthy food options. 

3. One-sided Video Coaching:-

This is to put it as highlight here that although health content is freely and thoroughly available in the media, don't take counsel from videos. They are there for awareness. As we can't learn sports, swimming and car driving, etc. from videos unless there is a coach with us in the field. Same way Exercise and Diet Plans discussed in media are always a piece of general information, the speaker doesn't know your in-depth health and fitness status.  Therefore, taking counselling from it could be injurious to health. 

These short videos are just for our & their dopamine reward and should not be applied without checking with our personal coach and doctor. 

Information, knowledge and wisdom are different levels of learning in any field. 

Wisdom doesn't come with information but it comes with knowledge received from the right source in a continuous and progressive momentum backed by our own actions and applications. 

It's our choice whether & when to receive this wisdom and make wise choices for our and our family's health. 

This is then gradually reprogram our mind towards health.