Don’t forget to get physical during the holidays and beyond–dr .Tayag

WHEN someone calls you the next chairperson, he may not be referring to you as being the top honcho in a company or organization. The reference may be something like you’re being “horizontally challenged.”

That means calling someone a couch potato may be passé already.

Dr. Enrique Tayag, Undersecretary of the Department of Health (DOH), said that during the almost three-year Covid-19 pandemic and the various states of lockdown, much has indeed changed, particularly in the physical activity and sedentary behaviors of people.

“A lot of studies showed that physical activity levels decreased while sedentary behavior levels increased during the Covid-19 lockdown across all reviewed populations except for eating disorder patients. Public health strategies should include the promotion of physical activity and also effective guidance on how to decrease sedentary behavior,” Dr. Tayag said during the latest TV UP webinar “ngayong Pasko Maging Aktibo: Galaw, Sayaw, Hataw!” organized by the University of the Philippines (UP), the UP Manila NIH national Telehealth Center, and the Up-philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH).

Physical activity for the young and old alike

SINCE the majority of people were unable to move about like they used to prior to the pandemic, the Covid-19 lockdowns certainly created an impact on both the young and the elderly. Since they were not allowed to go out and there’s no school, physical activities of kids were stunted. Luckily, lockdowns are already a thing of the past and children are now moving about, at home or at school.

For senior citizens, however, Dr. Tayag said that just because they are old does not mean they shouldn’t move anymore. The World Health Organization, he said, published evidence-based recommendations for older adults to improve health through at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic physical activity or at least 75 minutes of vigorous intensity aerobic physical activity per week.

Mitigating risks of Covid-19

THE risk of getting Covid-19 is not just about age anymore but whether one’s immune system has been compromised or weakened or there are underlying health conditions. So what should be done to mitigate these risks? Dr. Tayag said we must make sure that we are vaccinated, get tested at the right time and get treatment. If one had Covid and got vaccinated then that’s a good situation.

During the pandemic’s early days, Dr. Tayag said self-guides have been published to teach people how to decrease risk, like the length of time they should stay in a place, or if there were people with active symptoms at the time of the exposure, whether they wore masks, plus the issues on ventilation, filtration and social distancing.

But are people really safe if they choose to be active? He reiterated that doing nothing is still not an option but people should also realize that getting into physical activities in whatever form or manner should also take into consideration the place, whether outdoor or indoor venue, both of which have different avenues of risks.

“Whether it’s martial arts, yoga, swimming, basketball, volleyball or even triathlon, just remember that you may be at the highest risk or at the lowest risk of contracting Covid-19. What if you’re not actually being active and enjoying yourself with games and sports but you’re only a spectator? Unless you follow health protocols you might find yourself at risk going to these venues,” he said.

Dr. Tayag also mentioned a risk assessment that became the basis for all these recommendations, such as the risk analysis done for the English Premier League football that was published so that everyone is guided about specific risks.

“It’s not enough to know your risk. The guide provides an algorithm so that you can be guided if you take into consideration the time you spend exposing yourself, the distance between you and a possibly infected person in the same venue,” he said.

Is sitting the new smoking?

SO is sitting the new smoking? Dr. Tayag emphasized that smoking still gives us the greatest risk in getting ailments such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, those diseases that people fear when they age. While sitting is also a risk factor, Dr. Tayag said succinctly that there’s actually no comparison because smoking gives the greater risk.

There were also some debates or arguments about the benefits of high-intensity training and lowintensity exercise.

“You can choose but what’s important is you remain active during these holidays and for months to come even when the pandemic is over. But you actually don’t need to leave the comforts of your homes just to exercise. You can do it virtually if you have the proper gadget and good internet connection that can allow you enjoy any scenic view any time you like and make exercise not just healthy but also more fun,” he said.