Exercise or Die

Before I came to Thailand I was young, fit, and healthy. But when I arrived here I realized that going to exercise out in the pollution and heat would probably kill me faster than if I was unhealthy. There were no fitness clubs back then. So, I let my good habits slide until I ended up with a huge belly, overweight, and generally unhealthy. This took a toll on me that built up gradually.

First, my knees started aching because they couldn’t support the added weight. Then I found I was susceptible to any new illnesses going around. My sex life suffered. I started getting severe headaches. In short, my life was becoming a burden, rather than a joy.

Recently, the headaches got so bad that I decided it was time to find out what the problem was. My doctor ran a fully physical on me and found that I had high blood pressure, or Hypertension as it is also called.

Call it what you will, it can be a silent, deadly killer. People suffering from hypertension don’t even realize they have a problem unless their doctor alerts them. If you are over forty years old, it’s time to start having regular physical checkups at least once a year. Catching a problem early makes it that much easier to treat.

As soon as I was diagnosed with hypertension and the doctor told me I was going to have to take the pills for the rest of my life I decided it was time to do something about it. It was time to change my lifestyle and take control again.

My doctor prescribed some pills. I started taking them, but soon found I had water on the ankles and feet. They swelled up and became painful. I went back and he changed the pills. All went well at first. The swelling reduced for a couple of weeks, but then my feet swelled up again. By then, I had been exercising and changed my diet, so I decided to stop the pills and see what happened. I didn’t want to discuss this with my doctor, because most doctors have a vested interest in keeping us on pills, don’t they? Besides, my doctor didn’t give me any advice about how I could combat hypertension. He expected me to rely on the pills to control it. That’s not me.

To make sure that my decision to stop the pills would not threaten my life I went back to the hospital and started checking my blood pressure once a week. It was coming down! I went from 160/90 to 132/80 in six weeks. That is the low end of the danger scale; what they call Stage 1 hypertension. It doesn’t hurt to check more often.

So, what exactly did I do when I changed my lifestyle?

1. I started walking 2 miles a day. I walk around our block 5 or 6 times a day in two sessions: Once in the early morning, and again in the evening after dinner.
2. I'm doing 100 sit-ups a day now. My stomach has reduced in size considerably, although I understand that the sit-ups are not entirely responsible for this. It's essential to lose the body fat first so that the muscles are then defined by the exercise. Build up the sit-ups gradually. Start with 10 or 20 and increase the number gradually.
3. I’m eating lots of raw vegetables, including broccoli and green leafy vegetables. For salads, make your own mayonnaise using yogurt, olive oil, pepper, mustard, and some dried herbs. Delicious and good for you too. You can eat any meat as long as it’s not salted.
4. Eat plenty of fruit, including dried raisins and sultanas, and bananas. Bananas are an incredible health food; better than apples. Here's a good website for healthy advice: National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
5. Cut back on salt. Don’t put it on any food. There is plenty of salt already in many foods. And of course processed foods often have a lot of salt already. Slice a clove or two of raw garlic into your food at least once a day. Garlic helps thin the blood, break down fatty deposits, and facilitate better blood flow. And cut out carbohydrates; no bread, potatoes, or pastries.
6. Check weight and blood pressure to monitor progress. This helps me feel good as I begin to see results. It will help you too.
7. And finally I think a lot of one's good health comes from a good mental attitude. Be happy and be relaxed. Don't sweat the little things.

There are many fad diets around. But they don’t work if you are not exercising. In fact, with the exercise regime I am doing I have found I can eat almost anything and as much as I like and still lose weight. So far, I have gone from 98 kilos to 94 or 95 kilos (depending on whether I have my wallet in my back pocket) in just under two months. My goal is to get down to 86 to 88 kilos and stay there.

Take the time

Exercising takes a little time each day and a lot of effort, especially at first. The thing is, don’t be discouraged if you don’t see results at first. It takes time. Build up steadily and keep at it. Some people will tell you exercising three times a week is enough, or to take one day off per week. But the problem with that is that it’s easy to forget, or to say to yourself you will exercise ‘tomorrow’. I have found it is better to exercise every day. After you get into the habit it actually becomes a pleasure.

As you exercise, concentrate on your breathing. Take steady breaths in and out. This helps aerate the blood and it gives you an energy boost as well. If you start to get bored walking the same route every day, vary it. I’m lucky. The sois I walk around are filled with beautiful flowers.

The Benefits

Since I started exercising I've noticed quite a few benefits.

1. I was inspired to write yet another Soi story.
2. My ingrown toenails have stopped growing in. I guess the walks are forcing the nails to grow properly instead of meandering into the toe. Someone also suggested cutting a V in the center of the nail. I haven’t tried it, but it sounds like it might work.
3. My sore knees are getting much better. I can walk longer distances. Although the pain is still there, it's not anywhere near as bad as it used to be.
4. My blood pressure is coming down. Where it was 180/90, today it is somewhere between 138/80, and 143/80.
5. My weight has gone down and I feel lighter and more active.

So, after about six weeks of regular exercise and a change in diet, it looks like it is possible to combat high blood pressure by effecting a lifestyle change.

Would a doctor agree with me? I don’t know. But if hypertension is caused by being overweight and lack of exercise and an unhealthy diet, changing your lifestyle surely can’t hurt. It may even fully combat the problem as the arteries are unclogged and blood pressure is reduced.

It’s so easy to get into bad health habits in Thailand. The bars can be a big distraction. Nothing wrong with that. But if you start drinking too much exercise doesn’t sound very appealing does it? Trouble is, poor health can also affect your sexual performance. Cutting back and getting healthy can have positive benefits in that area.

If you don’t want to exercise outside join a health club. There are plenty of them around these days. And if you are single, they are a great place to meet women.

2007 © Marc Holt. All rights reserved by the author.