RETIREMENT from work gives us more time to be with our families, our grandchildren and allows us to have extra time for leisure and travel. It also opens up the chance to enjoy food we previously were not able to indulge ourselves as often as we wanted.
With some medical conditions associated with seniority and genetics, we need to have a kind of control on what we put in our mouths and the activities to balance it. Middle age is critical as we are mostly inactive and the impending outcome could be a complicated adjustment period for some as we had been used to our daily routines prior to leaving our jobs.
Health professionals said our waist sizes can be an indicator of our overall health. They say that women whose waists are larger than 35 inches and men with more than 40-inch waists have higher risks of getting obesity-related diseases like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.
Body fat adds inches to our waists and the best way is to burn more calories than what we consume. The fat around our stomachs wraps around our inner organs and it could lead to heart problems and high levels of triglycerides, aside from the previously mentioned medical issues.
Triglycerides are the major form of fats and oils in our bodies and it comes from the food we eat (and produced as well by our bodies) and too much is not good.
We now hear of the term “dad bod” where men with extended bellies are slowly gaining prominence. Let us be wary of the fad as the fat around our stomachs are what doctors call “visceral” fat which accumulates far deeper than under the skin. The gel-like substance, if unchecked, can wrap our vital organs like kidneys, liver, pancreas and arteries. The fat that we see under the skin of the lechon kawali is not visceral fat but “subcutaneous” fat. A big belly adds stress to our backs and strong muscles are needed to support our spines.
Abdominal exercises will tone our waistlines and it help us to lose the inches without losing weight. The muscles on our abdominal walls get stronger which improves our posture that could also give us a slimmer waistline. If we really make the scales grunt when we step on it, experts advise on a more comprehensive diet and exercise plan that would give us significant results. Two pounds is the ideal number to shed per week.
No two people are alike; the same is true with metabolism and lifestyles. Therefore, the number of calories to be burned varies per individual. One pound of fat is equal to 3,500 calories; it will be better to combine exercises and taking in less calories. There is a tendency for us to focus more on exercise without dieting or the other way around.
Again, health and fitness experts say our habits and lifestyles are the key to good health as genes are not a controlling factor in losing weight. Some people, because of genes, naturally carry more fat and to counter these genetic abundance, balanced nutrition and regular exercise are important and beneficial to overall good health.
Studies say that compared to women, men lose fat easier because of more muscle mass and a higher resting metabolic rate. Because women store their fats differently, they can be harder to shed as more of it goes to thighs, buttocks and hips. Likewise, female hormones promote the storage of calories as fat and they take up more space than muscles.
I am particularly interested in these subjects as I have T2 diabetes and hypertensive, and am three years removed from dual citizenship – Pinoy plus nearing seniority. In my own little way, at least I can share health awareness specially those who are in my age group./PN
