The Malaysian Insider :: Features
The Malaysian Insider :: Features |
| Working out when to exercise in the cold and flu season Posted: 11 Feb 2013 02:05 AM PST  People run to a sauna during the European Sauna Marathon in Otepaa February 10, 2013. — Reuters pic Health and fitness experts advise to starve a fever of exercise. But feeding a cold moderately, with a brisk walk, may not be a bad idea. "The classic line from every sports medicine doctor is, 'If you can do it, do it. If you can't, don't,'" said Dr. Lewis G. Maharam, author of "Running Doc's Guide to Healthy Running." Usually if symptoms are confined to above the neck, exercising is OK, he explained. But if you're running a fever of 101 degrees Fahrenheit (38.3 degrees Celsius) or higher, skip it Body heat rises during exercise due to increased metabolism, explained Maharam, who practices medicine in New York City. If you start high, your body's way of cooling you down is out of balance. "If fever gets too high, you break down proteins, maybe in the kidneys or liver," he said. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that more than 425 million case of colds and flu occur annually in the United States. The average person has about three respiratory infections per year. Dr. David C. Nieman, a professor of health sciences at Appalachian State University, North Carolina Research Campus, said research shows that regular, moderate aerobic exercise strengthens the immune system, and that people who exercise report fewer colds than their inactive peers. Nieman said five days or more of aerobic activity per week was found to be a powerful factor in lowering the number of sick days. "Even three to four days was effective. To be avoided was being sedentary," he explained. But when animals infected with a systemic virus are forced to exercise in fever and pain, studies show that their symptoms are exacerbated, prolonged, and sometimes life threatening. 'BED REST' "It's very dangerous." said Nieman, who has written about the impact of exercise on the common cold. "If you have flu or virus with fever and pain, the best remedy is bed rest. The worst thing is to sweat it out with exercise." He said common cold and flu viruses can stay on objects, such as door handles, treadmills and computer keyboards, for hours. The main route to infection is through touching one's mouth or nose with unwashed hands. Patrick Strait, of Snap Fitness, a franchiser of gyms with locations worldwide, said this time of year fitness centres step up cleaning efforts because they see a lot more traffic and so many people catch colds and the flu. "It's a public place where a lot of people are sweating," said Strait. "We tell manager/owners to clean once an hour, wash down the equipment with bleach, etc." He urged clients to wipe down equipment and wash hands often. "And if you're sick, don't come to the gym," he said. Jessica Matthews, an exercise physiologist with the American Council on Exercise, said some day's symptoms dictate scaling back your workout or, if you're contagious, skipping the gym entirely. "Always listen to your body," she said. "It might be a good idea to exercise at home or privately." Nieman said that while moderate exercise strengthens the immune system, elite athletes will experience a rise in stress hormones and a dip in immunity after about 90 minutes of high-intensity activity. Maharam said the immunity of marathoners is decreased for up to 72 hours after a race. During that time, the athletes are more susceptible to colds, flu, and, most commonly, the so-called "marathon sniffles." He said symptoms usually subside within 48 hours. "At the end of a race, when you're all sweaty and they're all sweaty, you don't need to be hugging and kissing people," Maharam said. "Your immune system isn't as strong as it was." — Reuters |
| Vietnam calligraphers help welcome Year of the Snake Posted: 10 Feb 2013 06:33 PM PST HANOI, Feb 11 — Thousands of people visited Hanoi's Temple of Literature yesterday, the first day of the Lunar New Year, seeking to buy hand-drawn traditional calligraphy as part of the holiday celebrations. Lunar New Year calligraphers in Vietnam sell hand-painted characters, often done by special request, to passing homeowners who believe the uplifting words will help bring them good luck in the Year of the Snake.  Calligraphers write down wishes of a customer ahead of the Lunar New Year outside the Temple of Literature in Hanoi on January 20, 2012. — AFP pic Luoc, a calligrapher who specialises in Vietnam's ancient Chu Nom script — a pictorial language similar to Chinese which is almost obsolete in modern Vietnam — told AFP he was doing a brisk trade on the first day of the Year of the Snake. Chu Nom was used for centuries in Vietnam, but both it and Chinese script have been replaced for about the past 100 years by the Roman alphabet. But Luoc said traditional characters are still treasured. "In the spring, after a hard winter, people need to prepare for the New Year," Luoc said, as dozens of people lined up to commission a Chu Nom piece of calligraphy from him. "Buying ancient Vietnamese calligraphy, which encapsulates their past experiences and hopes for the year ahead, is a key ritual in people's lives." The calligraphers sit and paint side-by-side for more than 100 metres along the tree-shaded temple wall where their finished works hang. Their numbers have grown markedly since the Lunar New Year calligraphy tradition was restored 15 or 20 years ago. They set up in early February and will stay for about one month, through the first days of the new year. Known locally as Tet, the Lunar New Year is Vietnam's most important annual festival. This year the country has a nine-day public holiday for the festivities. The respect for Chinese-style calligraphy contrasts with the wariness with which Vietnamese in general regard their giant neighbour, which occupied Vietnam for about 1,000 years. — AFP-Relaxnews |
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