Time for damage control

NOW that we have stepped into a brand new year, many of us will have started to reevaluate ourselves and our priorities in life.
And then there are those who have gone through the triple treats (or threats, depending on how you look at them) of the festive holiday season – Christmas, New Year and the current Chinese New Year.
Over a month of almost continuous feasting and excess can play havoc with our bodies, no matter what new resolutions we may have made.
Perhaps we need a personal report card to document what we eat. Unlike the KPI (key performance indicator) that we may have for what we do at work, this one is for our health and fitness.
Here is what you can do to maintain a personal record for your own peace of mind.
A yearly health check
Your annual check-up should include a height and weight check, a blood pressure screening, a clinical breast exam for women, and any blood tests your doctor deems necessary.
These may include tests for blood sugar levels, blood count, hormone levels, and other crucial markers.
If you’re healthy and under 35, you don’t really require an annual check-up; having one every three years will suffice.
If you are between 35 and 45 years, and in good health, with no known risk factors, then a check-up every two years will suffice.
Beyond 45 years, an annual checkup is a worthwhile investment of some money and 20 minutes of your time. It could save your life!
Considering that cancer can reach terminal stage within one year, the earlier the detection, the less costly and painful the treatment.
The LBD test
LBD, of course, stands for that ‘little black dress’. For guys, you can try the LBP, the ‘little black pants’, test.
I have been keeping a favourite pair of trousers for the past six years as a tool to keep a check and balance on my waistline. I usually do a ‘fitting’ test once every two weeks.
Unlike your weighing scale where you can’t feel the subtle changes of a weight increase, there is nothing more depressing than when you need to suck it in to button your pants.
Go try it. It’s a reality check!
The fitness test
Fitness can be summarised by five components – strength, cardiovascular, flexibility, dexterity, and speed.
Now, it is a fact of life that we do lose certain capabilities as we age. Your 60-year-old self will not be as strong as your 20-year-old self.
Age-related decline in performance is estimated to be 1% every year after the age of 30, and that percentage increases past the age of 40.
Maintaining your personal fitness past the age of 40 has a direct impact in ensuring a better quality of lifestyle at a later age.
It doesn’t matter when you start. What is important is how long you maintain a regular exercise and fitness schedule.
The pizza test
Or you can also call it the Big Mac test.
I do remember a time some two decades ago where stuffing one whole medium pizza was a normal feat for a younger me, and not even worth worrying about the effects of heartburn.
Today, getting past the third slice is a struggle.
Actually, it’s still possible, but it will be costly. I will be feeling bloated the whole day, and will definitely suffer from indigestion.
The pizza test is really an analogy to remind you that your metabolism is not what it was before.
Every single calorie ingested needs to go somewhere, and sitting eight hours in the office isn’t going to help work off that slice of pizza.
Also, be calorie smart. Unless you possess the metabolism of a 20-year-old, or can be physically active throughout the day, you should eat sensibly to reduce your overall caloric intake.
Let’s be fit!
 
Jonathan Tan is the club manager of the Sports Toto Fitness Centre at Berjaya Times Square. He can be contacted at lifestyle.jonathan@thesundaily.com.