Muovetevi che fa bene!

Let’s get moving!

The story of Theo (my barber!)

Don’t worry, this is not – yet again – another doctor’s lecture! After all, we all know it, don’t we?

Let me tell you an episode that happened to me some time ago. I was fully relaxed being groomed by my barber when he said if he could ask a medical question. Right, I said, shoot! He wanted to know if a medicine that was prescribed to him – a beta-blocker –  was right for him. I was rather taken aback…

Him, a young man in his early forties and well built: why had he been prescribed a medicine against high blood pressure or some types of arrhythmias?

In fact, he had had a bout of tachycardia and his blood pressure was slightly high. The indication to prescribe the medicine was correct…but there was an alternative.

I suggested to take up running again, which he had stopped a couple of years before, at moderate intensity (which means keeping a pace that permits you to speak) for at least 30 minutes, three times a week at the least. I nearly promised him that by doing so he could stop the drug within a few weeks.

Funnily enough, what I had anticipated became true: after two months his doctor stopped his medication. More than two years have passed since he started regular physical activity again and from then on his blood pressure has been normal and he has never had another bout of tachycardia ever since. Theo regularly runs, keeping the intensity on moderate levels (a.k.a: aerobic pace).

Regular physical activity has many health benefits. Listed hereafter are just a few: lowering of systolic and diastolic blood pressure (an average of 8-10 mmHg), improvement of fats’ profile in the blood (“lowers cholesterol”), lowering of risk of diabetes onsets or improvement of its management, improvement of arteries’ elasticity, lowering of inflammatory activity in the body, feeling of wellness and improvement of mood due to production of endorphins (a sort of natural antidepressants and painkillers), help in keeping the weight down and improvement of sexual activity.

Not bad, right?

There is just a small hitch: you must get down to it! However…there is no drug in the world with so many beneficial effects!!

Physical activity  as intended in this text is running, bike riding, fast pace walking, nordic walking, dancing, swimming, aerobic courses such as Zumba, running/walking in water, rowing, cross country skiing.

I would like to stress the importance of regularity (three times per week), of correct intensity (which is moderate, meaning that one has to sweat and get to a quick breathing but must be able to speak throughout) and the duration (30 minutes at least – small 1-minute breaks are allowed).

Should you have any questions you can either contact the Servizio di Cardiologia Preventiva e Riabilitativa of Cardiocentro Ticino or your doctor.