Regular exercise can keep lifestyle diseases away

New Delhi, April 5: Cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis - Indians are facing an unhealthy future burdened with a slew of lifestyle diseases. But instead of expensive medication and therapy, the cure lies in making exercise a compulsory part of everyday life, health experts say. “Indians are increasingly leading a sedentary and machine-dependent life, which may seem comfortable but has extremely adverse effects on health,” T.S. Kler, Head of the Department Cardiology, Fortis Escorts Heart Institute and Research Centre, told IANS. Kler said with increasingly hectic lifestyles, most Indians in urban areas nowadays do not walk to the neighbourhood store but rather order groceries on phone for home delivery or drive down. “We do not climb stairs any more, with lifts being omnipresent. Riding bicycles to work or to school is not cool in urban areas any more. Forget adults, this conditioning begins with children who prefer to stay indoors watching television or playing video games rather than spending time in the playground,” he added.

“We all know that cardiovascular diseases are today a major health concern in India. They are the single largest leading cause of deaths in the country, and relatively younger people are today afflicted by corory artery disease,” the noted cardiologist said. Various surveys done in India have shown that the incidence of corory heart disease is 8-10 percent in urban areas and 5-6 percent in rural areas. Kler said regular exercise can help prevent risk factors for cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension and type II diabetes. It also keeps the weight in check.

“Incidences of corory artery disease can be reduced substantially if the entire Indian population religiously takes to physical exercise. Even 30 minutes of moderate exercise daily can be immensely beneficial. We need a tiol focus on this less-talked about subject,” Kler said.

According to Rajeev K. Sharma, senior consultant orthopedics and joint replacement surgery, Indraprastha Apollo Hospital: “Adequate levels of physical activity decreases the risk of a hip or vertebral fracture and helps control weight. In fact, exercise is very crucial for maintaining good bone health, besides adequate intake of calcium.”

“WHO estimates that globally, one in four adults is not active enough while more than 80 percent of the world’s adolescent population is insufficiently physically active. This is a dreadful scerio as all these ictive people are making themselves vulnerable to several health issues,” he said. Osteoporosis-related injuries such as vertebrae fractures not only cause pain but also degrade the quality of life, curtail movement and increase dependence. Since the bone is a living tissue, it becomes stronger when subjected to exercise, Sharma said, adding that loss of bone mineral density that begins during the 30s can be curtailed by exercising regularly.  (IANS)