Dr Rajeshwari Janakiraman of Manipal Hospitals on our biological fitness

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Dr Rajeshwari Janakiraman Dr Rajeshwari Janakiraman

Biological fitness goes far beyond just body weight. For instance, when someone is overweight, losing just 5 to 7 per cent of body weight can bring several benefits—metabolism moves into the normal range, blood sugar level comes down, there is reduced dependence on medicines, cholesterol drops, blood pressure is normalised and thyroid fluctuation is in control. So if we have a 100-kilo man whose ideal weight is 60 kilos, losing just 10 per cent of his weight might not make much difference to his appearance or physical fitness, but, biologically and metabolically, there will be tremendous benefit. One need not go to the same extremes to achieve biological fitness as one does to get a certain physique.

Biological metabolism has to do with ensuring that the respiratory and cardiac parameters are in place, and breathing is normal. For instance, normal blood pressure is 125 and pulse is about 72. Maintaining a non-extreme exercise regime and a balanced diet goes a long way in establishing biological fitness. There is no shortcut. You cannot achieve it by drastic and sudden changes to your daily routine.

The parameters for gauging biological fitness are fairly simple: an adult must be able to walk at a speed of 5 to 7kmph. If you can do that, you do not have to go overboard with exercise. Biological or metabolic fitness means being able to do everyday activities without any stress. There is no need for excess muscle building using weights or high-protein diets.

A person might have abdominal obesity, but it might not hamper his day-to-day living. Having said that, it could also be damaging his biological fitness and he might not even know until it is too late. Ideally, adults must get around five hours a week of moderate exercise or two-and-a-half hours of more intense activity or a combination of the two. Going over that will not drastically increase one's health benefits. To give the most basic example, I would say that light to moderate runners have a lower risk of death (from fitness-related issues) than people who are sedentary, but those who run at an extreme pace many times a week have an increased risk compared with those who do not run at all. This is because an extreme endurance workout puts demands on the body's cardiovascular system. Too much intensity can undo some of the benefits gained from being active. After a round of workout, assess how you feel physically and emotionally, and you will know if you have been pushing it too hard.

The writer is consultant endocrinologist, Manipal Hospitals, Bengaluru

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