Prescriptions for Men’s Health

Written by David Stevens, M.D.

Last week Dr. David Stevens shared a report card on men’s health.  Here are his prescriptions for a long, healthy life.

God is concerned that you aren't taking care of your body. Admit it. You aren’t disciplined enough to do what Father has told you to do.

Don't misunderstand me. I'm not talking about having a Rambo-like body to get power, success, and admiration. God wants you to be healthy for your own good and to serve Him better – and longer. Your body is important to God, so it should be important to you.

Prescription #1 – Exercise Effectively

When you begin exercising, start slowly and coast through the first few exercise routines. The most common reason for stopping a program is sore muscles. Push only half as hard as you think you can, and back off from anything that starts to hurt or tremble for the first three weeks. After the initial three-week period, remember that easy exercise is not exercise. You have to push your limits. Warm up and stretch before starting and cool down as you finish.

An ideal program exercises every muscle group. Repetitions build endurance, and increased resistance builds muscle mass. Repetition – aerobic exercise – leads to long thin muscles like runners have. Progressive overload – lifting heavier weights – enlarges and rounds muscle. If you can only do one type, go the aerobic route. Aerobic exercise increases energy, causes fat loss, strengthens your heart, and makes you feel younger.

You need to exercise at least three to four times a week for 20 - 30 minutes.  Spend a good part of it in the aerobic zone. Avoid repetitive pounding and punching motions, as these can cause injury.

Prescription #2 – Diet Directions

Forget crash diets. If you lose 10 pounds, you will have lost 3 pounds of muscle and damaged the muscle that remains. Your metabolism will have slowed to conserve energy.

Eat a balanced diet with plenty of complex carbohydrates (fruits, vegetables, and whole grains should be almost two-thirds of your intake). Lean meat is fine, but keep it to 10 - 15% of your total calorie intake. Some fish oils are cardio-protective, so when you dine out, order salmon more often than a steak. Raw vegetables have more vitamins and roughage than cooked vegetables. Simple sugars, found in most desserts, should be less than 10% of your diet.

If you want to lose faster, cut down the number of calories you eat. Take half of your normal size portion of each food. Take more time to eat – this gives an opportunity for your satiety sensation, which signals that you've eaten enough, to kick in. If you eat fast, you tend to eat more.

The key to losing weight is to change your eating habits permanently. For that reason, rarely get on the scales. The goal is not focusing on your weight, but maintaining a good diet routine.

Prescription #3 – Work the Numbers

You need two important numbers as you work to get fit: your Body Mass Index, and your Aerobic Heart Rate Zone.

To calculate your Body Mass Index, grab a pocket calculator and follow these steps:

1. Multiply your weight in pounds by 0.45.
165 lbs. x  0.45 = 74.25

2. Determine your height in inches. (12 in. x  ft.) + in. = height in inches
5’9” = (12” x 5’) = 60” + 9” = 69”

3. Multiply your height in inches by 0.025.
69” x 0.025 = 1.725

4. Square that answer. 
1.725 x 1.725 = 2.98

5. Divide the answer from step #1 by the answer of step #4.
74.25/2.98 = 24.9

If your BMI is:
19-24 you have minimal health risk 
25-26 low risk  
27-29 moderate risk 
30-34 high risk
35-39 very high risk
40+    extremely high risk

Your Aerobic Heart Rate Zone enables you to determine whether you are exercising enough or too much.

1. Find your maximum heart rate. It is 220 beats per minute, minus your age. (220 – my age of 48 = 172)

2. Find your resting heart rate by taking your pulse for a minute before getting out of bed. Feel you carotid pulse in your neck with two fingers.

3. Subtract your resting heart rate from your maximum heart rate. If my resting heart rate is 72, this is 100. (172-72=100)

4. Take 60% of this number and 80% of this number. (60% x 100 = 60; 80% x 100 =80)

5. My aerobic zone is between 60 and 80 beats above my resting heart rate. (72+60 = 132 and 72+80 = 152)

To get the exercise effect you need, get your pulse into your aerobic heart rate zone and keep it there during a significant portion of your exercise routine.

Changing your health habits is hard work, but with persistence and God's help, you can succeed.

Dr. David Stevens is the Executive Director of the Christian Medical & Dental Associations.

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