A NEW YEAR, A NEW ME?

It's the first day of a brand new year. That means time to start working on your resolutions for 2013 if you haven't done so yet. For many of us this has become an annual ritual of reflecting on how successful or not we have been with the previous year's resolutions. The more cynical among us will say why bother? I say why not? We need goals to aim for, to challenge us so that we can do better.

Looking back on the 365 days that have passed, most of us can give thanks for all the good things that have happened to us, and for the lessons we have learned from the not-so-good experiences. One thing we can all be grateful for is the world didn't end on 21 December 2012, not that we believe in Doomsday.

This can easily be me or you, if we don't watch
what we eat, and don't exercise enough.

I have made only one personal resolution for 2013, and that is to take better care of my health. My top priority is to lose some weight. The mere thought of tipping the scales at 60kg (132 pounds) horrifies me. No, I am not obese or even fat. I would love to say I am far from it, but why wait till I am on the threshold of obesity? More pounds means more effort needed to get back in shape.

Being obese regardless of our age puts us at risk of multiple health problems as the diagram below shows.

Some may find this image offensive, but when it's a matter of life or death, it's better to be shocked into action than lulled into complacency.

We are all aware of the health risks when we allow ourselves to accumulate fat. Being aware is one thing, understanding the message is another. But as long as we don't lift a finger or a muscle to do anything about it, we will continue to remain as we are - overweight. Chubby is not cuddly, unless you are a baby. Neither is plump cute, unless you are a rubber doll.

And while we are on the subject of health, it's time for that annual blood test, and other medical check ups that are recommended for older adults. I recently had my blood tested, went for a gastroscopy and colonoscopy, CT-scan, ultra-sound, ECG, mammogram and a dental check-up.

I still need to go for a pap smear. I have been given a clean bill of health by the doctors. That's reassuring news. But that doesn't mean I can take it easy. Having been under the knife twice, I need to be vigilant about my health. So should everyone. We owe it to our children and grandchildren to live long and in good health.

Source: WebMD. Click on the link to calculate your BMI

A one-stop website for health and wellness that I would recommend is Dr Oz's 10-step Ultimate Health Checklist. Check it out. :-)

WALKING TO BETTER HEALTH AND LONGEVITY

It's been a while since I last stepped on the scales. So it came as a shock to me the other day when I decided to weigh myself. 57 kg! I had vowed never to exceed my ideal weight of 52 kg. What happened? How did I pile on the extra kilos?

I don't drive, so of course I walk - A LOT. I am very active - my calendar is chock-full of events and appointments. Ah, I know the culprit. It must be the hours I spend at my computer handling emails, doing research and writing articles. I have also been slack about exercising. I used to do road running, yoga, and aerobics quite religiously. After my second major operation in 2008, my exercise regime has dwindled to just weekly dance class. I definitely need to step up and shape up.

My work station. Walking the talk, and staying committed to exercising for good health.

Immediate Solution: I've put up reminders in front of my desk-top computer to get moving after an hour. To make sure I do just that, I've placed a clock right at my keyboard, and set the alarm to ring at hourly intervals. I vow to restart my daily 30-minute stretching and strength-training exercise. I shall continue to do this till I regain my ideal weight of 52 kg by my birthday in June.

When you are retired, it's easy to spend the days doing nothing except eat, sleep, and watch TV. Even if you don't watch TV, but spend hours reading or at the computer, it's still pretty much a sedentary lifestyle for many retirees. This is especially so for men. While the wives utilize the free time to sign up for classes, go on group tours or take up voluntary work, the husbands prefer to stay at home. Guys, is this true?



Research has shown that being physically active can add years to your life while a sedentary lifestyle actually speeds up the ageing process, and contributes to a host of health problems like obesity, heart diseases and diabetes.

The choice is ours to make. Walking is free and easy, and flexible too in terms of when and where you want to it, and with whom. Just 30 minutes will do.

So invest in a comfortable pair of walking shoes and start walking round the block or in the neighbourhood park. I'll be doing so this very evening.