If you were walking beside the river in Kingston upon Thames recently, you may have seen me: tomato-red, short of breath and trudging towards the finish line of my first half marathon. The opening 10 miles had gone unexpectedly well. My lungs and legs were working together as I listened to a cheerful podcast about a US surrogacy scandal.
The final three miles were another story. My thighs were screaming, my feet felt as though they had been cast in concrete and every step became an effort. Yet, as I limped through the grounds of Hampton Court Palace on the final stretch, I was hit by an almost absurd wave of triumph. After months of training, I was officially a runner.
For most of my life, I had assumed I simply lacked the “sporty gene”. I understood that exercise was associated with a long list of health benefits, but whenever I thought about becoming more active, I felt overwhelmed and ended up doing nothing.
That is why a recent paper by three Canadian psychiatry researchers resonated with me. They argued that exercise should be formally prescribed, rather than offered as a passing suggestion during a GP appointment. Just as doctors specify a drug’s dosage, frequency and duration, they should set out exercise plans with the same clinical precision.
Since becoming more active, I have noticed improvements in both my digestive and mental health. But you do not need to put yourself through 13.1 miles of physical strain to gain those biological benefits.
Writing in the Genomic Press medical journal, the researchers highlighted evidence that as little as 75 minutes of moderate activity a week — including brisk walking, cycling, dancing or hiking — can improve mood and ease depressive symptoms. Exercise has also been associated with a lower risk of cognitive impairment and dementia.
A report published by the Commons Health and Social Care Committee in May likewise recommended that advice on physical activity, along with social prescribing, should become a routine part of care offered to older people by GPs and other clinicians.
For people like me, who are capable of being more active but struggle to get started, the main obstacle is not necessarily laziness. It can be inertia, feeling overwhelmed or worrying about looking foolish.
The NHS runs exercise referral schemes in some areas, but availability depends on local arrangements and they are not routinely used by everyone who might benefit. Providing more patients with detailed, achievable plans could prove to be one of the most powerful prescriptions the health service can offer.
As Dr Nicholas Fabiano of the University of Ottawa’s Department of Psychiatry puts it: “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 fruit and vegetables could benefit our health as well as the planet, researchers say. A King’s College London study found that “root-to-tip” eating could increase fibre intake among the estimated 96% of people who do not reach the recommended 30g a day.
Dr Rachel Gibson, a reader in nutrition and dietetics, says the aim is not to make people eat food they find unpleasant. Instead, it is about recognising the value of parts we have been taught to throw away.
I cannot promise that watermelon rind, butternut squash seeds and pineapple core — all suggested by the researchers — will become regular features of my diet. Broccoli stalks in stir-fries, however, seem like a sensible place to begin.
Dad’s DIY dentistry confession
In the latest disturbing sign of England’s dental care crisis, my dad told me this week that he has been filling his teeth with Milliput. The versatile epoxy putty is designed for repairing materials such as metal, plastic, wood, glass and ceramics — and, according to my father, teeth.
His NHS dentist provides emergency treatment for broken fillings, but only after a wait of several weeks. These improvised repairs are “just easier” and last for about a year, he says.
To be clear, the Express does not recommend DIY dentistry. But with an estimated 14 million people struggling to access NHS dental care, it is hardly surprising that some are attempting to deal with dental problems themselves.
