Let’s talk METs
One MET is the energy you spend sitting at rest — your resting or basal metabolic rate. So, an activity with a MET value of 4 means you’re exerting four times the energy than you would if you were sitting still.
A brisk walk at 3 or 4 miles per hour ( 5 km/h ) has a value of 4 METs. Jumping rope, which is a more vigorous activity, has a MET value of 12.3.
Classification of activities
- Sedentary—Uses 1.5 or fewer METs. Examples are sitting, or lying down.
- Light intensity—Uses 1.6-3.0 METs. Examples are walking at a leisurely pace or standing in line at the store.
- Moderate intensity—Uses 3.0-6.0 METs. Examples are walking briskly, vacuuming, or raking leaves.
- Vigorous intensity—Uses 6.0+ METs. Examples are walking very quickly, running, taking an aerobics class, or CrossFit training.
Current guidelines
The guidelines are recommending 150 minutes of aerobic activity per week at 3 METs and/or 75 minutes of activity at 6 METs. That can be translated into 450 MET-minutes per week, at any intensity higher than 3 MET. (MET-minutes are the MET value of an activity multiplied by the time you’re doing it, so 3 MET * 150 minutes = 450 MET-minutes; similarly 6 MET * 75 minutes = 450 MET-minutes.)
Please note that although 450 MET-minutes is “enough,” the “optimal” amount of exercise is around 900 METs.
How about the 10,000 steps?
10,000 is actually just a random number, but 10,000 steps is simple, memorable and measurable with a cheap pedometer.
What do I enjoy doing?
Studies suggest that you are likely to continue exercising if you really enjoy the activity, so decide what you like best and stick to it!
Remember: Anything is better than nothing!
Why exercise?
-It controls your weight
-Protects against chronic diseases
-Improves mood, concentration and overall brain function
-Boosts your energy levels
-Builds strong bones
-Improves balance and coordination
-Reduces anxiety and depression
-Promotes better sleep
What are nerve block injections?
They are anti-inflammatory and local anesthetic injections administered around the root of the nerves exiting the spinal canal.
What to expect during the procedure?
It is a quick and simple procedure, carried out in the OT under local anesthesia. We clean and sterilize the affected area and then use the ultrasound to accurately find the affected nerve root. Then the medication is administered and you are ready to go! No down time or any restrictions at all.
Who will benefit from nerve block injections?
Any patient who has persistent neck, upper back or lower back pain, diagnosed with disc bulge/hernia, or significant paresthesia of arms/legs.
You may book your online consultation or call for a consultation appointment at the hospital
HORSE RIDING
Is it cardio or strengthening exercise?
Horse riding is a great exercise that checks all the boxes, fun, outdoor, and strenuous. It strengthens your coremuscles, improves your balance, and provides a cardio workout when performed at higher intensity levels. Still, even light riding provides exercise, and it’s fun!
Unlike many sports, horse riding requires the athlete to remain as stable as possible, so the idea is to move as little as possible. That does not mean the muscles are not working! When we ride, there is tension in a muscle, but where there is limited movement at the joint, a certain type of muscle work occurs. This type of muscle work is known as isometric muscle activity. This type of muscle activity increases blood pressure and thus also heart rate, but not overall energy requirements such as demand for oxygen. This will explain why your heart rate elevates, perhaps as high as when you go out jogging, but doesn’t ‘feel the same’.
Are you familiar with METs?
A MET is the metabolic equivalent of a task and measures how much energy is used during that movement, compared with being still. Sitting quietly is a 1 MET activity.
Horse riding is classified as 5.5 METs.
For comparison, other activities at or close to 5.5 METs include recreational badminton and playing golf if you walk the course, pulling your bag of clubs.
The METs change with your mount’s gait. Riding a horse at full gallop is a 7.3-MET activity, according to the compilation, similar in intensity to recreational roller blading or squash. The required exertion is a bit less than that if the horse is trotting, to 5.8 METs, and it falls drastically when riding a walking horse. That requires only 3.8 METs, the same as bowling.
Can I ride if my back hurts or if I have a disc bulge?
If you suffer from an acute injury or your pain is moderate to severe, it is recommended to avoid riding and seek medical advice on how to properly treat your back problem and safely return to riding.
Always wear your helmet and proper riding clothes/boots. Warm up and cool down as you would do with any other sport!
Happy Riding!
Osteoporosis
Most of us know that strength training (with free weights, weight machines, or resistance bands) can help build and maintain muscle mass and strength. What many of us don’t know is that strong muscles lead to strong bones. And strong bones can help minimize the risk of fracture due to osteoporosis.
A combination of age-related changes, inactivity, and inadequate nutrition conspire to gradually steal bone mass, at the rate of 1% per year after age 40. As bones grow more fragile and susceptible to fracture, they are more likely to break after even a minor fall or a far less obvious stress, such as bending over to tie a shoelace.
Osteoporosis should be a concern for all of us. An estimated eight million women and two million men in the United States have osteoporosis. It is now responsible for more than two million fractures each year, and experts expect that number will rise. Hip fractures are usually the most serious. Six out of 10 people who break a hip never fully regain their former level of independence. Even walking across a room without help may become impossible.
Numerous studies have shown that strength training can play a role in slowing bone loss, and several show it can even build bone. This is tremendously useful to help offset age-related declines in bone mass. Activities that put stress on bones can nudge bone-forming cells into action. That stress comes from the tugging and pushing on bone that occur during strength training (as well as weight-bearing aerobic exercises like walking or running). The result is stronger, denser bones.
And strength training, in particular, has bone benefits beyond those offered by aerobic weight-bearing exercise. It targets bones of the hips, spine, and wrists, which are the sites most likely to fracture. What’s more, resistance workouts — particularly those that include moves emphasizing power and balance — enhance strength and stability. That can boost confidence, encourage you to stay active, and reduce fractures another way — by cutting down on falls.