Are You Really Fit?

One of the hot topics being discussed in various gatherings nowadays is physical fitness and healthy habits. A lot of emphasis is laid on morning walks and going to the Gym. Friendly neighbourhood parks are being equipped with Air Walkers and Mini-Gyms. Yoga clubs are brimming with new members and started working out in shifts in these parks. Publication of varied views on use of Coconut oil and Olive oil on the one side and consuming Millets on the other, can be found in all reading mediums and videos. Some of these grains were uncared for two years ago, but have reached their life time high prices now. Multi-Millet Dosas and Bisi Bele Bath have caught the imagination of fitness freaks. Coconut oil was considered as villain some time back but has now come back into circulation with a vengeance. A half litre bottle of "VIRGIN Coconut Oil" now costs Rs. 375 and yet is in great demand. 

Diagnostic units have started coming to houses, collect blood samples etc. and dispense reports online. Preliminary checkup camps are seen in public parks frequently. Ayurveda and home medicine aids have found acceptance once again. Tablets and tonics are available at great discounts when bought on the net. Charges for Annual Health Checkup packages are being revised upwards every year. Anything can sell now under the name of fitness aids. Overall, it is a wonderful time for reviewing one's own fitness, whatever fitness may mean. Today fitness finds similarity with The Supreme, as each one sees it in his/her different way.

It is in this background that two recent news items draw our attention. One is indeed alarming while the other is a success story of a startup. Both are interesting for different reasons and deserve some discussion in the context of fitness programs.

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EduSports is a Bengaluru-based organisation working for implementation of programs on physical education and sports in schools. A recent study conducted by this organisation has brought out that the present generation of schoolchildren in India seem heading towards an unhealthy future. This is so among all age groups and no gender bias in this. The study covered more than 100,000 children aged between 7 to 17 years in 287 schools across the country, in 85 cities and 23 states. The fitness levels were indeed alarming at all levels. The assessment included anaerobic exercise capacity, flexibility, lower and upper body strength and body mass index (BMI). Nearly half the children lacked a healthy BMI and endurance which is attributed to lack of physical activity and outdoor games.

Children in all the regions of the country were found equally unfit with average BMI of about 40 per cent. Children in rural areas were slightly better off than their counterparts in cities. Modren amenities are taking its tolls in cities as it seems. Nevertheless, such high unfitness levels are indeed a serious cause of concern. Addiction to video and mobile games and lack of outdoor activity is identified as the prime reason for this state of affairs. There are also reports of diabetic cases from the younger age groups as well. Fit India Movement has indeed a daunting task before it. 

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Fitbit is a 12-year old San Francisco based company dealing in health and fitness based  products. Started in 2007, the company announced last month (November 2019) of it being acquired by Google for 2.1 billion US Dollars. The company's two founders realised that the tremendous advancement in sensors and wireless technology can be used to bring in amazing experiences in fitness and health. A wearable product coupled with modren technology can produce fantastic results, they thought and worked in that direction. Today more than 28 million users of Fitbit products allover the world have made the company grow to such levels. The company manufactures various products for monitoring fitness activities and provide multi-dimensional data to users about their fitness activities and analysis. It has so far sold over 100 million such products.

There are many other companies selling similar fitness monitoring products. The cost of such wearable product, most of them replacing wrist watches, varies from Rs. 2000 to Rs. 15,000 (US Dollars 30 to 200+) and can be purchased online as well. These devices provide many streams of data to the user on a continuous basis. The devices are connected generally to a mobile and data can also be accessed on laptops. Wireless technology provides for real time updating the user's activities for reading and arriving action points. The devices also provide links to articles and blogs that give enhanced learning points and assist in understanding and analysing one's physical activities. 

While these devices draw and process data from the user on their own in respect of certain parameters, they also provide for manual feeding of certain types of data which the devices cannot measure on their own. The devices are expected to be used round the clock but allow manual feeding of data if it is not on the body of the user for some reason. Data relating to consumption of liquids (volume), food items (calorie values), weight gain or loss etc. can be fed manually as the devices would not be able to measure these parameters. However, data relating to number of steps walked or distance covered, number of floors climbed, calories burnt during the day, number of active minutes, pulse or heart beat rate (not BP) etc. are measured by the device itself.

These devices have readymade fitness parameter programs a user can choose from. They also provide for a user to customise one's own fitness programs suiting individual requirements. Devices provide encouraging inputs when some goal is in sight even if the user loses sight of due to other preoccupations. "Only 120 steps to go!", "You have conquered one more frontier", "Overachieved your goal!" are examples of such messages. A weekly summary of the activities and comparing the data with the previous week's achievements is also available. For further encouraging the users, companies send badges for crossing some milestone under each parameter. Users can also form their own groups and share the data to encourage each other which may find fancy with the younger age group users.

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What are the measurable data that help in evaluating a fitness program? What are the basic goals suggested by these devices? How would it help the user?  Are these plans really practically possible or wishful thinking? Is it not possible to go through a fitness program without using such devices? Are not these devices only money making tools for those manufacturers? Is it not possible to be disciplined without use of such tools? These are the most likely questions that may emerge out of fitness device discussions. 

The following points give an insight into these queries:

1. Number of steps traveled in a day is a major parameter. 10,000 steps a day is the suggested minimum as this translates to about 5 miles for most of the people. The steps also depend on the occupation of the person. A waiter or a nurse takes many more steps in a day than an office worker or at home person. The average steps for a person in India is said to be about 5,000. A program with 10,000 steps gives a fillip to fitness initiatives. 
2. Number of stairs climbed during a day is another indicator. The devices track such movements on their own. This goal helps in avoiding waiting for elevators even for one floor and improves blood circulation in the legs.
3. Distance covered by walk is another goal. This happens simultaneously with the number of steps. 5 miles a day is the normal suggestion.
4. Number of calories burnt during the day is another major goal. A person burns about 1,500 calories a day even when remaining inactive due to functioning various organs and activities like breathing, eating, digesting etc. A goal of 2,500 calories per day would improve the fitness level. This can be increased further according to individual requirement.
5. Number of continuous active minutes is another major parameter. A minimum of 30 active minutes a day like walking, running or outdoor play etc. is suggested.
6. The devices also recommend taking some 250 steps each hour for periods ranging from six to nine hours each day. This provides movement on regular basis especially for office workers and those spending long hours before computers.

All the above goals can be modified according to individual needs. Device manuals and websites provide many more activities and suggestions to choose from.  

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One important watchword in any management jargon is "Anything that cannot be measured cannot be improved". Are there any real benefits in using such devices? There certainly is if they are regularly used and not thrown in a corner after initial euphoria of the first few days. Regular usage brings lot more discipline in managing one's fitness. Many users have benefited by reducing blood sugar levels from 30 to 80 points as well. 

What are the deficiencies in such devices? There are many. One common observation is that steps taken when the hand wearing the device is not moving are not counted. Similarly, mere swinging of hands also count as a step even if the person is actually sitting in one place. Travelling in a fast moving vehicles or rough roads also runs up step count or stairs climbed. There are other objections as well. 

While there are certainly some merits in the objections to the usage of devices due to such events, the benefits of their use far outweighs the drawbacks. One can use the device on trial for a few days (may be by borrowing from an understanding or obliging friend or relative!) if necessary.

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An interesting piece of information that came out while preparing for this blog post is about Cardio Fitness Score. It is an estimate of VO2 Max, which is the maximum amount of oxygen one's body can use during exercise.

A VO2 score of around 40 to 45 is considered excellent for a normal person. This of course depends on the age, height and weight of a person. Trained athletes have much more VO2 scores. The devices suggest the likely improvements in this score with reduction in weight for overweight persons. Ryan Hall, US Marathon Record Holder has a VO2 score of 81. How does Rafael Nadal muster strength even while fighting in the 4th and 5th sets of a Grand Slam event? Many top sportsmen, and tennis players included, have wonderful VO2 scores. Constant training improves and enlarges their hearts so that they can hold and pump more blood to meet the needs of heightened activities.

Nadal has a VO2 Max score of 85 and his pulse rate can go up to over 200 as against an average of 60 to 70 and a maximum of 150 for most people. Thus he can still hold the energy to win a point from hopeless situations and finish longer rallies when his opponents are gasping for breath. This is not a surprise when you watch him on the court!