Health24.com | South Africans are living longer, but there’s bad news

Posted on 15/09/2017 by Boris Clair

The latest Global Burden of Disease study data shows that South Africa continues to battle with HIV, road injuries and violence as well as diseases related to obesity.

“Life expectancy in South Africa is rapidly increasing, but that doesn’t mean we’re enjoying healthier lives,” said Professor Charles Shey Wiysonge, Director of Cochrane South Africa and a co-author of the study in a statement.

Fewer healthy years

“Communicable diseases like HIV, car accidents, and waves of violence are taking the lives of far too many South Africans, especially young people. South Africa is one of the few countries in the world where the number of healthy years that men and women can expect to live has fallen over the past 25 years,” he said.

The study, published in the medical journal the Lancet, is a peer-reviewed analysis of global data on causes of death, disease and risk factors to health loss is in its 20^th edition. It is based on research from more than 130 countries involving the work of over 2 500 collaborators.

Globally, 2016 was the first time in modern history where fewer than five million children under the age of five died in one year. In 1990, for example, 11 million died.

‘A lot of work to do’

The study warns that the “triad of troubles” of obesity, conflict and mental illness, including substance use disorders is threatening and preventing progress.

Excess body fat is associated with a range of health risks. A high body mass index (an indicator of obesity) is the fourth largest contributor to loss of healthy life, after high blood pressure, smoking and high blood sugar.

Furthermore, poor diet is associated with one in every five deaths in the world.

Said Wiysonge: “We have a lot of work to do.” – Health-e News.

^{Image credit: iStock}

Amy Green

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Health24.com | Burn crazy calories with these 30-minute cycling workouts

Posted on 15/09/2017 by Boris Clair

Riding is about so much more than burning calories. But let’s face it, there are times when the clock is ticking and you just need to go out and get it done so you can stay strong and lean to enjoy all those longer rides. Here are three workouts that will torch more than 350 calories in 30 minutes.

Read more: 4 great time-saving workouts

Note: Calorie burn is calculated for a 68kg rider. Lighter riders will burn fewer calories, while heavier riders will burn more. Exertion levels are on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the absolute hardest.

1. Rock the Block

These sustained tough efforts increase your calorie burn while helping build your tolerance to riding above of your comfort level. (Calories burned: 373.)

Warm up for 2 to 3 minutes (exertion level 3-4)
Ramp up to threshold effort for 10 minutes (exertion level 8)
Dial back down to easier tempo effort for 4 minutes (exertion level 5-6)
Ramp up to threshold 10 effort for minutes (exertion level 8)
Cool down for 2 to 3 minutes (exertion level 3-4)

2. Ramp Jump

Don’t worry, this isn’t about catching air. It’s about ramping up your effort to full throttle, keeping it in the red for just a little longer, bringing it back down to recover, and then doing it all over again.

These ramping intervals not only boost your calorie burn, but also help you hang on in a pack when the pace gets peppery. (Calories burned: 396.)

Warm up for 2 to 3 minutes (exertion level 3-4)
Turn it up to tempo pace for 6 minutes (exertion level 6)
Crank up the exertion to threshold for 4 minutes (exertion level 8)
Finish strong with 2 minutes max effort (exertion level 10)
Spin easy for 2 to 3 minutes (exertion level: 3-4)
Turn it up to tempo pace for 6 minutes (exertion level 6)
Crank up the exertion to threshold for 4 minutes (exertion level 8)
Finish strong with 2 minutes max effort (exertion level 10)
Cool down for 2 to 3 minutes (exertion level: 3-4)

Read more: Power-boosting core workouts!

3. Flick the Switch

Lace up the gloves and get in the ring for this punchy calorie burner. These repeated full-gas efforts suck up tons of energy (aka calories) and help raise your fitness ceiling so you can ride faster and longer, with less fatigue. (Calories burned 355.)

Warm up for 5 minutes (exertion level 3-4)
Repeat the following two intervals 15 times, for a total of 16 interval blocks (set a timer for 24 minutes):
Push it full throttle for 30 seconds (exertion level 10)
Spin out and recovery for 1 minute (exertion level 3 to 4)
Cool down another 1 to 2 minutes as needed (exertion level 3 to 4

^{This article originally appeared on www.bicycling.co.za}

^{Image credit: iStock}

Selene Yeager

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Health24.com | Lymphoma survivor: ‘The doctor told me it was just the flu’

Posted on 15/09/2017 by Boris Clair

Topday, 15 September, is World Lymphoma Day and the plight of patients like Klaas Meyer, a Hodgkin’s lymphoma survivor, is the focus of this awareness day.

Meyer said that in March 2014 he started to get sick.

“I had a fever, night sweats and headache which resulted in me losing weight. I went to a doctor and he gave me some medication and told me that it was just flu,” Meyer said, adding that the symptoms persisted.

12 cycles of chemotherapy

“I went back to the doctor and he referred me to Baragwanath Hospital and I was admitted. Two days later I was discharged without a diagnosis.”

Meyer went to several clinics, but did not get better. So he turned to private doctors who referred him to Netcare Garden City Hospital for tests.

“But I could not be helped because I did not have medical aid. So I was given a referral letter for Baragwanath Hospital, and they took two weeks to diagnose me.”

Meyer’s first chemotherapy took place in July 2014.

“I was given 12 cycles of chemotherapy and on 17 February 2015 I was in remission. And it has lasted until today,” he said happily.

‘I thought about my children’

Felicity Jethney (32), who was diagnosed with cancer four years ago, said, “I was devastated by the news. I could not understand how a young person like me could get cancer. I always thought of it as an older person’s disease.”

Jethney said that she always feared that she would not survive, as many people have lost their lives to cancer.

“I thought about my children, and if they would have to grow up without a mother. I promised them I was not going to die, and I intend to keep that promise,” she said.

A global day

World Lymphoma Day will for the first time be a globally-branded event launched by Campaign for Cancer.

Speaking at the pre-launch media briefing for World Lymphoma Awareness Day in Johannesburg, Lauren Pretorius, CEO of Campaigning for Cancer, said, “This is the first time that there has been a globally coordinated campaign.”

Centred on a Twitter chat

She said 64 countries including South Africa will participate in creating a worldwide network of lymphoma patients, their caregivers and loved ones, and healthcare practitioners.

“It’s a step in the right direction to a global effort to create awareness about lymphoma and advocate for access to treatment for patients,” said Pretorius.

The activation of this network will centre on a Twitter chat on September 15 at 2pm South African time. The chat will focus on the unique hashtag, #EverythingChanges.

According to Pretorius the warning signs of Lymphoma can be similar to other less serious illnesses, and can sometimes be mistaken for ?u or fatigue.

“We believe it is essential that members of the global Lymphoma community stand together raising a collective voice that tells the world that we need to focus on this disease,” Pretorius added.

Support for people living with lymphoma

Campaigning for Cancer has established a Lymphoma Patient Advisory Board (PAB) and together Campaigning for Cancer and the PAB have worked to understand the needs of South African lymphoma patients.

People can show their support for people living with lymphoma simply by engaging with them in the global social media chat on Friday at 2pm. – Health-e News.

^{Image credit: iStock}

James Thabo Molelekwa

Health24.com | Sprinter Akani Simbine’s training schedule might surprise you

Posted on 15/09/2017 by Boris Clair

Akani Simbine
Age: 24
Athlete Type: Sprinter
Height: 176cm
Weight 74kg

Shoulder and core work

There’s quick, and then there’s keeping up- with-Usain-Bolt quick. While Akani Simbine finished 5th in the 100m final of the IAAF World Championships recently, just milliseconds separated him from the dominant Jamaican sprinter. Going into the year, Simbine told the press he was gunning for that number-one spot. And that would involve “taking down a lot of big names”. Chief among them: Bolt, who has reigned over the track for the better part of a decade.

Watch Simbine carefully when he’s setting up at the starting block. Here’s a man who wants to become a wrecking ball. That’s the mentality. But that needs to be backed up by the right training. And you’d be forgiven for thinking the runner’s workout schedule is nothing but leg days and track time. It’s the exact opposite.

“I focus on developing muscle in my arms and shoulders, because that’s what I use to drive and create moving force,” says the sprinter. “If my arms can move efficiently, my legs will follow.” That’s the thing about sprinting: the power starts in your upper body.

To power up those muscles, Simbine has two special weapons.

First, the standing shoulder press. Second, the standing dumbbell row.

Akani Simbine exercise

Both moves build superhuman strength while still working the core. And that latter muscle group is just as important for Simbine. “A strong core is where you get your stability and control from,” he explains. “When you’re sprinting, you need to be able to stablilise all that power and speed coming from your arms and legs. Without it? You can’t run fast. You’re wasting so much energy on just staying upright.”

It’s why he weaves in crunches, jackknifes, hanging leg raises, leg drops, leg raises, Swiss ball crunches, back extensions and hip lifts, topping it all off with a few plank variations. He wants a core that can withstand anything. Look, chances are you’re not about square off against Usain, but Simbine’s approach translates into all-round better fitness, whether you’re a runner, cyclist or gym rat, you name it.

While Simbine is a big advocate for pushing your body to its limits, he also preaches a cautious approach. “Hit the gym,” he says. “But don’t rush to pick up the weights. Too many guys go straight into weightlifting. You need do some cardio, some core work, and build those smaller stabilising muscles before you even think about picking up your first weight.” That’s a strong baseline to aim for, especially if you haven’t worked out in a while. Think of that as rule number two.

Rule number one? “Walk into the gym with the mentality that you’re going to achieve your goals. There’s no point going in and bailing before you’ve finished the work,” says Simbine. “Complete your session, especially when it’s tough. That’s when the real results come.”

Up for a challenge? Here’s how you can train like an olympian

^{This article originally appeared in www.mh.co.za.}

^{Images credit: Sean Laurénz}

Kieran Legg

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Daily Archives: 15/09/2017

Health24.com | South Africans are living longer, but there’s bad news

Type 2 diabetes plan targets those at high risk

Health24.com | Burn crazy calories with these 30-minute cycling workouts

Health24.com | Lymphoma survivor: ‘The doctor told me it was just the flu’

Health24.com | Sprinter Akani Simbine’s training schedule might surprise you