If you happened to be strolling along the river in Kingston upon Thames recently, you might have caught a glimpse of me – tomato-red and gasping as I plodded towards the finish line of my first ever half marathon. The first 10 miles went surprisingly well, my lungs and legs working in harmony while I passed the time listening to a cheery podcast about a US surrogacy scandal.
The last three were hell – my thigh muscles were screaming and my feet felt like they had been encased in concrete. Yet, as I limped through the grounds of Hampton Court Palace on the final stretch, I felt an almost ridiculous rush of triumph. After months of training, I was officially a runner.
For most of my life, I believed I simply did not possess the “sporty gene”. I knew exercise was linked to myriad health benefits, but each time I considered trying to increase my physical activity levels, I’d feel overwhelmed and change nothing.
It’s for this reason that a recent paper by three psychiatry researchers in Canada struck a chord with me. They argued that rather than being a throwaway suggestion during a GP appointment, exercise should be formally prescribed. Just as a physician specifies the dosage, frequency and duration of a drug, they should prescribe exercise with the same clinical precision.
The benefits of getting more exercise that I’ve experienced include better digestive and mental health. But you don’t need to subject yourself to 13.1 miles of strain to reap the biological rewards.
Writing in the Genomic Press medical journal, the experts pointed to evidence that as little as 75 minutes of moderate activity (brisk walking, cycling, dancing, hiking) per week can improve mood and reduce depressive symptoms. Exercise has also been linked to lower risk of cognitive impairment and dementia.
A report from the Commons Health and Social Care Committee in May similarly suggested that advice and social prescribing of physical activity should become a core, routine offering to older people from their GPs and other clinicians.
For people like me who have the ability to be more active but struggle, the biggest barrier is not always pure laziness. Sometimes, it’s inertia, overwhelm and fear of embarrassment.
The NHS offers exercise referral schemes in some areas, but they depend on local arrangements and are not routinely used by most people who could benefit. Giving many more patients a detailed, realistic plan might just be the most potent prescription the health service could write.
As Dr Nicholas Fabiano, from the University of Ottawa’s Department of Psychiatry, says: “The starting point does not have to be impressive. It has to be possible.”
Why you should eat (all of) your greens
Eating the peels, skins, stalks and seeds of fruits and vegetables could benefit both our health and the planet, according to researchers. A study from King’s College London found “root-to-tip” eating could boost fibre intake for the estimated 96% of us not meeting the 30g daily recommendation.
Dr Rachel Gibson, a reader in nutrition and dietetics says the goal is not to force people to eat unpalatable food but to recognise the value in components we have been conditioned to discard.
I can’t promise that the team’s suggestions of watermelon rind, butternut squash seeds and pineapple core will become staples of my diet. But broccoli stalks in stir fries seem like a reasonable place to start.
Dad’s DIY dentistry confession
In the latest horrifying example of England’s growing dentistry crisis, my dad informed me this week that he’s been filling his teeth with Milliput. The versatile epoxy putty can be used for repairs on materials including metals, plastics, wood, glass, ceramics — and now teeth, according to my father.
His NHS dentist does offer emergency treatment for broken fillings but only after a weeks-long wait. These makeshift repairs are “just easier” and last for around a year, he says.
To be clear, the Express does not endorse DIY dentistry. But with an estimated 14 million people struggling to access NHS dental care, it’s no surprise that some are taking matters into their own hands.
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
