Health

Why Exercise and Physical Fitness Really Matter

Dr. Derek Berry Thorpe

For those of us adults who think Exercise and Physical Fitness is merely a fleeting endeavor for the young athlete or the influential folk… well, it’s not.

Let me tell you why.

There are many differences, but the one major thing which separates us humans from trees and plants is that we have the ability to move short or long distances. Oh, how the plant world envies that we can move away from danger. I sometimes think this explains why they are so green, but I digress.

Deliberate, repeated, muscular contraction against one’s skeletal frame is a big deal, yet 80% of adults can’t wait to be comfortably lying or sitting in the pursuit of a sedentary lifestyle. Indeed, there are few things that are better predictors of longevity than our degree of fitness, strength and stability. A recent North American study revealed that if a senior citizen, male or female, aged 65 or older fractures their hip/thigh bone, 40% of them will be dead within a year.

Let’s start with the obvious. It takes energy to exercise; riding, jogging, swimming… That food energy is taken from one of your many fat stores and converted into chemical energy (ATP). Thus is the simplified basis of weight loss, and in an overweight person, this is always a good thing.

Nervous System

The effect on the overall nervous system responding to even moderate exercise is quite remarkable. It stimulates the ‘chill’ part of your autonomic nervous system and sends signals to your blood vessel linings instructing them to relax. What results is a period of lowered blood pressure. In the world of a hypertensive, this is golden.

Further, studies show the brain itself responds positively to an inevitable by-product of muscular activity. We are all familiar with that muscular ‘burn’ resulting from repetitive strenuous activity. This sensation is physiologically normal, but the molecule that is created to quell this discomfort, lactate, travels through the circulation producing beneficial effects in the brain, heart and liver. Lactate, as a signaling molecule, protects the brain from dementias, improves cognitive brain function, promotes a feeling of well-being and improves sleep.

Skeletal Protection

Maintaining one’s muscle mass as we age turns out to be a significant factor in the prevention of chronic ailments and accidental falls. The muscle itself is excellent in regulating carbohydrate storage and insulin sensitivity, thus keeping diabetes at bay. For menopausal women especially, the risk of progressive bone density loss leading to osteoporosis, is real and a proven weapon against this is Vitamin K2 along with resistance weight workouts. It turns out that our bones sense the repeated pull and strain from our tendons and responds by laying down a stronger bony matrix. Am I suggesting mature folk join a gym and lift weights? Without hesitation, if the pocket allows it, I say Yes. If a gym membership is not on the cards, there are many ways one can use your own body weight in a calisthenic workout at home. Remember the statistic I quoted earlier about hip fractures. Forty percent over 65 years may die in a year, but the remaining 60% do extremely poorly as well in terms of quality of life.

Even if we are not serious athletes, we should all be familiar with the term VO2 max. What is this? Basically, it’s an indicator of cardiorespiratory fitness. It measures the maximal extraction of oxygen from the blood per minute per kilogram under your most strenuous activity. Accurate assessment can only be done under lab conditions with monitors and tubes going hither and tither, but respectable estimates are possible to calculate nowadays given one’s age, gender and weight. Bottom line is that as your fitness improves the better your VO2 max becomes.

Pay attention to this statistic. The risk of dying from any cause is 200% less when compared to those who are in the lowest 25th percentile of their predicted VO2 max versus those who are just in the range of their 50-75th percentile. So how does one climb the ladder of improving your VO2 max? The common denominator here is the health and concentration of your own mitochondria. I’ve spoken about these mighty ATP producing organelles in previous articles. And how do you go about improving your own stock of mitochondria? Simply, stress them with consistent exercise (hormesis leading to mitophagy).

To be sure, all the complete benefits have not been included in this article, but this is why Exercise and Physical Fitness matter, folks. In some ways I’m sorry trees aren’t able to run away from lumberjacks coming to cut them down. At least we’d have less furniture around for us humans to laze about on.

Dr. Thorpe is a nuclear medicine and functional medicine physician with post graduate degrees from Cornell School of Medicine and the University of Florida. He mentors his clients through the ketogenic diet and treats pain and injury through optimism of blood flow.

Health

More Nurses Arrive From Ghana

Barbados’ nursing complement has been boosted with the arrival of 155 nurses from Ghana at the Grantley Adams International Airport, yesterday.

The nurses, who were accompanied by Ghana’s Deputy Minister of Health, Adelaide Ntim, were greeted by Minister of Health and Wellness, Senator Dr. The Most Honourable Jerome Walcott, and other officials.

This is the third cohort of Ghanaian nurses to be dispatched to Barbados since 2020, to address the local nursing shortage. Ninety-five nurses came in the first group during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, while 120 more arrived in 2022, some of whom are still employed here and have made Barbados their home.

Minister Walcott explained that the nurses would be assigned to various specialty areas of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and the Ministry of Health and Wellness’ primary care facilities. These areas include cardiology, accident and emergency theatre, midwifery, psychiatric medicine, and geriatrics.

“So, we’re looking for these nurses to help improve the overall delivery of our healthcare,” stated Dr. Walcott.

Ms. Ntim said Ghana had a surplus of nurses, some of whom were not even employed. She said she welcomed the partnership with Barbados.

The Deputy Minister of Health added that nurses from the previous cohorts proved that they were more than capable of doing their jobs, and expressed confidence that the most recent cohort would also “deliver”. (PR/GIS)

Caption: Minister of Health and Wellness, Senator Dr. The Most Honourable Jerome Walcott, in discussion with Ghana’s Deputy Minister of Health, Adelaide Ntim, at the Grantley Adams International Airport yesterday. Senator Walcott was on hand to welcome 155 Ghanaian nurses to Barbados

Health

CHANGES TO HEALTH CARE SYSTEM

The Ministry of Health will soon roll out a number of changes to the island’s primary healthcare system, in order to drastically address the high numbers of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) seen among the Barbadian population.
This announcement was made by Senior Minister of Health and Wellness, the Most Honourable Dr. Jerome Walcott, as he presented a token of appreciation to Dr. Trevor Hassell in recognition of his outstanding efforts in educating Barbadians on the importance of addressing non-communicable diseases NCDs.
Walcott said, “I have a personal mandate that we should try to reduce the premature adult mortality from NCDs by a third. It is not impossible, it can be done, and in the course of the next few weeks, you will gradually see a roll out of parts of this process.”

He stressed “You will see the plans for primary healthcare; everybody is focused on QEH and tertiary healthcare, but the fundamentals of healthcare have to do with primary healthcare. The ability of early prevention, detection to get better health outcomes. We are looking at that in a project to be discussed soon.”
The Health Minister also revealed that additional screening for a variety of NCDs and cancers will also be made available.
“Within the ministry we are looking at a number of screening processes. We are looking to roll out before the end of this month a colonic screening process initially in two polyclinics, and thereafter we expand. We are looking at a cervical cancer screening process; we are looking at providing mammography services within the QEH again as was previously done up until 2008 where persons can have access to mammograms again for early detection and treatment for cancers.

Health

BMCLA Hosts Inaugural Bajan Cannabis Conference

Barbados is forging ahead in the medicinal cannabis industry with innovative solutions, despite the challenges being faced.

Acting Minister of Agriculture, Food and Nutritional Security, Wilfred Abrahams, stated this last Friday, while addressing the inaugural Bajan Cannabis Conference, at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre, Two Mile Hill, St. Michael.

Noting that this country is charting an exciting future for the sector, with a focus on transforming healthcare, empowering local entrepreneurs, and embracing digital innovation, he said this will allow Barbados to position itself as one of the leaders in the Caribbean in this lucrative and fast-evolving global industry.

Mr. Abrahams disclosed that “11 applicants, representing 33 licences”, had been approved to date. He added: “And we are committed to moving this industry forward. This announcement marks a major step in Barbados’ drive to develop a thriving medicinal cannabis industry that will contribute to both healthcare and wellness tourism.”

The Minister praised the Barbados Medicinal Cannabis Licensing Authority (BMCLA) for its efforts in assisting local entrepreneurs to join the growing industry by introducing a flexible payment plan. “This plan allows licensees to pay 60 per cent of their licence fee upfront, with the remaining 40 per cent paid in instalments over the first three years, … either monthly, quarterly, or annually,” he stated.

Meanwhile, acting Chief Executive Officer of the BMCLA, Shanika Roberts-Odle, pointed out that the industry continues to face significant challenges, particularly with the banking sector’s reluctance to support cannabis-related businesses.

To deal with this and other issues, she said three Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) were signed, which sought to overcome key hurdles and advance the development of the medicinal cannabis industry in Barbados.

The CEO noted that one of the most pressing challenges has been the lack of banking solutions for businesses in the medicinal cannabis sector, not only in Barbados but globally. To address this, she said the BMCLA partnered with M Money, a digital banking platform, to develop solutions that will facilitate local transactions for cannabis businesses.

Ms. Roberts-Odle pointed out that traditional financial institutions have been hesitant to support the industry due to regulatory concerns, and this had slowed investment and growth.

“While we haven’t completely solved the banking issue, this brings us closer and allows us to move money locally. Banking has been one of the biggest stumbling blocks, particularly in terms of facilitating investment in the industry,” she said.

The CEO disclosed that the BMCLA had also entered into a collaboration with Export Barbados, which is designed to support the marketing, testing, and manufacturing of medicinal cannabis products, ensuring that products are developed to the highest standards and marketed internationally. “It’s not just about growing the plant; it’s about marketing these products internationally and manufacturing them to the highest standards,” Ms. Roberts-Odle explained.

Also recognising the need for regional collaboration, she said the BMCLA signed an MOU with the Caribbean Cannabis Forum, which reinforces the need for a united Caribbean approach to cannabis policy, particularly when dealing with international regulatory bodies such as the World Trade Organization and the United Nations.

“Barbados has always recognised the importance of moving together as a Caribbean region. It has been crucial in protecting our interests on the international stage,” said Ms. Roberts-Odle.

She noted that the partnership also ensures that Barbados and its Caribbean neighbours continue to advocate for policies that reflect their unique relationship with cannabis, while also promoting responsible usage and industry standards.

She added: “We recognise the frustrations that people have expressed, but the transition from growing cannabis informally to producing medical-grade cannabis for immunocompromised patients is a vast leap. The BMCLA is committed to ensuring that our industry meets these high standards.” (PR/GIS)