Exercise: 1. Running 2. Weights 3. Stretching

Running & walking helps heart & lungs, stretching relaxes muscles & joints, weight training improves balance.

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Health

Exercise has three components

13/03/2012
Dr Nithi Mahanonda

'Doctor, my whole body hurts! If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been out running for the last three days. I can't do this any more ... all this exercise. Just give me some medicine.

This was the gist of an outburst from one of my female patients, a rather plump lady who has high cholesterol levels. She got all those words out before I even had the chance to open my mouth. This woman is no fool, you see. She knew that as soon as I'd measured her weight, blood pressure and cholesterol, I would have lots to say to her. So she decided to go on the offensive and serve first, so to speak

Usually, people who are overweight, even if they're not yet suffering from heart disease, run a high risk of contracting artery diseases. I had insisted that the patient watch her diet and do more exercise, telling her that by keeping her weight within a healthy range she had a significantly better chance of fighting off a whole range of diseases, including diseases of the heart.

But this time she insisted right back, declaring that she wasn't going to exercise any more, that she'd had enough of exercising. But what she didn't mention was whether she'd had enough with restricting her food intake.

I could only smile at her because I'd seen it all before. I remembered feeling the exact same way when I myself started exercising 10 years before.

Nothing in this world is free - and that applies to good health, too. You have to work hard to make yourself healthy and sometimes it's not a sweet ride at all. The most important part is to realise the importance of staying healthy. If you exercise, you will, at the very least, experience an "exercise high" afterwards. When you exercise your body releases substances called endorphins which make you feel nice and relaxed and can even get you addicted to regular exercise.

However, for endorphins to be released you have to exert yourself to a certain level (at least half of your full capacity) and for a certain period of time. Three to five minutes of heavy exercise following 20 to 30 minutes of moderate-level exercise will do the trick. And the effect of the endorphins can be felt for 15 to 60 minutes after the workout ends.      

Light exercise such as walking doesn't really trigger endorphin release, so if you start by exercising lightly you won't get that natural "high". But when you challenge yourself to increasingly tougher routines, you will get to that point eventually

The right way to exercise is to start lightly and work your way up. If you have a heart condition, please consult your doctor first. That patient I mentioned earlier: she started out by going for runs and all that gave her, of course, was sore muscles rather than endorphins. So she felt discouraged and wanted to quit the fight.

Exercise also has other benefits such as keeping your heart strong, minimising the risk of diabetes, lowering your blood pressure and cholesterol level and making your bones stronger. It can even prevent some types of cancer. However, you need to exercise for quite a long time to achieve these benefits.

Another benefit of exercise is stronger muscles, which can be achieved by lifting weights - even light weights. Don't forget that there are three types of exercise. Aerobic exercise trains your heart and lungs, while stretching relaxes your muscles and joints, and resistance training strengthens your muscles (and also helps older people maintain their balance when walking). Sticking to an exercise routine that incorporates all three components is therefore very important.

When we lift something heavy we tend to take a deep breath and hold that breath. When the task is finished, we exhale. But this isn't the right way to do it, especially if you're suffering from heart disease. It should actually be done the other way around. I said this to one of my 80-year-old patients who went on a half-hour run every day without fail, but never did any resistance or stretching exercises. Being something of an exercise fanatic, he listened carefully to what I had to say and then promised he'd start incorporating all three types of exercise into his regular routine

He came back to see me, two months later, to tell me that he loved stretching before and after a run because it reduced the severity of muscular aching he experienced. Resistance exercises or weightlifting were also good, he said, because he now felt a lot more stable when he was out walking

However, he found exhaling while lifting a dumb-bell very difficult initially. It was only at that point, he confessed, that he realised he'd been breathing incorrectly for 80 years.

Dr Nithi Mahanonda is a consultant cardiologist and interventionist at the Perfect Heart Institute, Piyavate Hospital

(Source: Bangkok Post, Health, Exercise has three components, 13/03/2011, Dr Nithi Mahanonda, link) 

Health and Exercise Vocabulary

exercise - any activity with the body "that enhances or maintains physical fitness and overall health and wellness. It is performed for various reasons including strengthening muscles and the cardiovascular system, honing athletic skills, weight loss or maintenance, as well as for the purpose of enjoyment. Frequent and regular physical exercise boosts the immune system, and helps prevent the 'diseases of affluence' such as heart disease, cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes and obesity. It also improves mental health, helps prevent depression, helps to promote or maintain positive self esteem, and can even augment an individual's sex appeal or body image, which is also found to be linked with higher levels of self esteem" การออกกำลังกาย (See Wikipedia)

aerobic exercise - brisk physical activity such as jogging, running or fast walking that requires the heart and lungs to work harder to meet the body's increased oxygen demand (See Wikipedia and definition)

stretch - make longer
stretching - a form of exercise in which muscles are made longer for a short period of time, helps to reduce injury and increase flexibility and range of motion (See Wikipedia and Mayo Clinic demos and charts at Google Images)

strength training - lifting weights as a form of exercise  (See Wikipedia)
resistance training - Same as "strength training"
training - learning how to do an activity or job การฝึกฝน
lift - move something heavy off the ground into the air
lift weights
routine - the usual series of tasks that are done as part of work or some activity กิจวัตร
exercise routine
lungs - the organs in your chest that fill with air when you breathe ปอด
maintain - to keep; keep in good condition รักษา
balance - standing up or walking without falling over (when your foot hits something and you "trip" for example)
maintain their balance - keep balanced (even when it is difficult to do, with weak muscles or uneven walkign surface, for example)

components - parts

exercise has three components

gist - the general or rough meaning (not exact)
outburst - the sudden strong expression of emotion
the gist of an outburst - the general meaning of the outburst

female - of a woman สำหรับผู้หญิง
patient - someone who is receiving medical treatment คนป่วย, คนไข้
female patients - women that the doctor was treating for some disease or medical condition

plump - fat
a rather plump lady - a woman who was a little fat 

cholesterol - a chemical found in food, consuming high quantities over time is associated with heart disease (See Wikipedia)
high cholesterol levels
measured her weight, blood pressure and cholesterol

had the chance to - had an opportunity to, was able to do
before I even had the chance to open my mouth
she got all those words out before I even had the chance to open my mouth

..., you see - means: ..., I want you to understand this 
this woman is no fool, you see - I want you to understand that this woman was smart

go on the offensive - attack

'Doctor, my whole body hurts! If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been out running for the last three days. I can't do this any more ... all this exercise. Just give me some medicine. This was the gist of an outburst from one of my female patients, a rather plump lady who has high cholesterol levels. She got all those words out before I even had the chance to open my mouth. This woman is no fool, you see. She knew that as soon as I'd measured her weight, blood pressure and cholesterol, I would have lots to say to her. So she decided to go on the offensive and serve first, so to speak

fool - someone who does not behave in an intelligent or sensible way คนโง่ ตัวตลก
suffering - physical or mental pain or problems ความทุกข์ทรมาน
risk - danger, how likely or possible it is for a bad event that causes harm and damage ความเสี่ยง
contracting - hiring people or companies to do work for another person, organisation, company, etc
contracting - shortening หดตัว

overweight - weigh too much (should weigh less given their height, if they want to maintain good health) 
suffering from heart disease

contract disease - get a disease
artery - one of the thick tubes that carry blood from the heart to other parts of the body เส้นโลหิตแดง
run a high risk of contracting artery diseases

watch her diet - be careful about what she eats

insisted - say firmly that something must happen or is true, and will not change mind
insisted that the patient watch her diet and do more exercise

range - between two numbers or measurements
keeping her weight within a healthy range

significantly - in an important way อย่างสำคัญ
have a significantly better chance - be much more likely
had a significantly better chance of fighting off a whole range of diseases

fight off disease - when the body resists disease (through the immune system)
restrict food intake - eat less food

Usually, people who are overweight, even if they're not yet suffering from heart disease, run a high risk of contracting artery diseases. I had insisted that the patient watch her diet and do more exercise, telling her that by keeping her weight within a healthy range she had a significantly better chance of fighting off a whole range of diseases, including diseases of the heart.

But this time she insisted right back, declaring that she wasn't going to exercise any more, that she'd had enough of exercising. But what she didn't mention was whether she'd had enough with restricting her food intake.

I could only smile at her because I'd seen it all before. I remembered feeling the exact same way when I myself started exercising 10 years before.

endorphins - chemicals produced in the body "during exercise, excitement, pain, consumption of spicy food, love and orgasm, and they resemble the opiates in their abilities to produce analgesia and a feeling of well-being" (See Wikipedia)
release - to allow a substance to flow out from somewhere ปล่อย to allow someone to go free ปล่อยตัว
release endorphins
trigger - cause
trigger endorphin release - cause endorphin release

realise - to know about ตระหนัก รู้
realise the importance of - know that it is important
realise the importance of staying healthy - know that staying healthy is important

high - the good feeling produced by alcohol or drugs
exercise high - the good feeling produced by exercise
natural - found in nature (not made in a factory by humans) ตามธรรมชาติ
natural high - a natural high (not from drugs, but from chemicals in the body released when exercising)

addicted to - unable to stop doing something (addicted to alcohol, to drugs, to caffeine, to sex, etc)
addicted to regular exercise

Nothing in this world is free - and that applies to good health, too. You have to work hard to make yourself healthy and sometimes it's not a sweet ride at all. The most important part is to realise the importance of staying healthy. If you exercise, you will, at the very least, experience an "exercise high" afterwards. When you exercise your body releases substances called endorphins which make you feel nice and relaxed and can even get you addicted to regular exercise.

full capacity - the greatest amount of work that can be done ความสามารถในการทำงาน ความสามารถ (ความจุ) ในการจัดการ
exert yourself to full capacity
exert yourself to half of your full capacity
exert yourself to at least half of your full capacity

However, for endorphins to be released you have to exert yourself to a certain level (at least half of your full capacity) and for a certain period of time. Three to five minutes of heavy exercise following 20 to 30 minutes of moderate-level exercise will do the trick. And the effect of the endorphins can be felt for 15 to 60 minutes after the workout ends.      

moderate - neither very great nor very small in strength, size, amount or degree ระดับปานกลาง
challenge - something that needs a lot of skill, energy, and determination to deal with or achieve สิ่งที่ท้าทาย, การท้าทาย
routine - a set of things that you do regularly (example: work routine that you do everyday at work)
challenge yourself to increasingly tougher routines
eventually - at the end of a period of time or at the end of a process ในที่สุด
you will get to that point eventually

Light exercise such as walking doesn't really trigger endorphin release, so if you start by exercising lightly you won't get that natural "high". But when you challenge yourself to increasingly tougher routines, you will get to that point eventually

start lightly and work your way up
heart condition -
consult - ask for advise
consult your doctor first
sore muscles - muscles that hurt
she felt discouraged - she did not have a positive feeling about doing something (lack of motivation)

The right way to exercise is to start lightly and work your way up. If you have a heart condition, please consult your doctor first. That patient I mentioned earlier: she started out by going for runs and all that gave her, of course, was sore muscles rather than endorphins. So she felt discouraged and wanted to quit the fight.

benefits - goods things that can happen from an activity ผลประโยชน์
diabetes - a serious medical condition in which your body does not produce enough insulin to reduce the amount of sugar in the blood โรคเบาหวาน (See Wikipedia)

Exercise also has other benefits such as keeping your heart strong, minimising the risk of diabetes, lowering your blood pressure and cholesterol level and making your bones stronger. It can even prevent some types of cancer. However, you need to exercise for quite a long time to achieve these benefits.

incorporates - includes รวม
incorporates all three components

Another benefit of exercise is stronger muscles, which can be achieved by lifting weights - even light weights. Don't forget that there are three types of exercise. Aerobic exercise trains your heart and lungs, while stretching relaxes your muscles and joints, and resistance training strengthens your muscles (and also helps older people maintain their balance when walking). Sticking to an exercise routine that incorporates all three components is therefore very important.

tend - to be likely to behave in a particular way or have a particular characteristic มักจะ
tend to take a heavy breath
hold your breath
task - a piece of work that someone does หน้าที่ ภารกิจ
exhale -
fanatic - of someone who has very strong beliefs that often make them behave in an unreasonable way (beliefs are usually about religion or politics) ผู้คลั่งไคล้
exercise fanatic

When we lift something heavy we tend to take a deep breath and hold that breath. When the task is finished, we exhale. But this isn't the right way to do it, especially if you're suffering from heart disease. It should actually be done the other way around. I said this to one of my 80-year-old patients who went on a half-hour run every day without fail, but never did any resistance or stretching exercises. Being something of an exercise fanatic, he listened carefully to what I had to say and then promised he'd start incorporating all three types of exercise into his regular routine.

reduced the severity of muscular aching
stable - firmly fixed, not likely to move or change a lot, not likely to fail คงที่ ไม่เปลี่ยนแปลง คงที่, มั่นคง
he now felt a lot more stable when he was out walking

He came back to see me, two months later, to tell me that he loved stretching before and after a run because it reduced the severity of muscular aching he experienced. Resistance exercises or weightlifting were also good, he said, because he now felt a lot more stable when he was out walking

initially - at first ในเบื้องต้น
confessed - say that something is true (that is difficult to accept or say) 
realised - came to understand, learned something new (didn't know it before)

However, he found exhaling while lifting a dumb-bell very difficult initially. It was only at that point, he confessed, that he realised he'd been breathing incorrectly for 80 years.

cardiologist - a doctor who studies the heart and deals with the diseases that affect it แพทย์ผู้เชี่ยวชาญโรคหัวใจ

Dr Nithi Mahanonda is a consultant cardiologist and interventionist at the Perfect Heart Institute, Piyavate Hospital