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SATURDAY, JUNE 29, 2013
This is the first of an eight-week series to prepare you for the ST Run. The weekly stories will come with a running schedule you can use regardless of what distance you signed up for. So, watch this spot every Friday.
REGULAR running has been shown to slow the effects of ageing. In a study published in 2008 in the journal Archives Of International Medicine, Stanford University researchers tracked more than 500 runners aged over 50 for more than 20 years, starting in 1984. Elderly runners were found to have fewer disabilities, a longer span of active life and are half as likely as ageing non-runners to die early. Running not only slowed cardiovascular deaths, but was also linked to fewer early deaths from cancer, neurological disease, infections and other causes. Nineteen years into the study, 34 per cent of the non-runners had died, compared to only 15 per cent of the runners. At the beginning of the study, the runners ran an average of about four hours a week. After 21 years, their running time declined to an average of 76 minutes a week, but they were still seeing health benefits
Improve cardio fitness with regular runs COMPLETE a 5km, 10km or 15km run in eight weeks? Yes you can, and The Straits Times will help you get there. The paper is set to organise its first ever running event, The Straits Times Run in the Park, on Aug 25 at Punggol Waterway. Distances of 5km, 10km and 15km will be offered to cater to all fitness levels. To shape you up for the big day, we will be rolling out an eight-week training programme specially designed by Mr Ghana Segaran, the national coach behind Singapore No. 1 marathoner Anne Qi Hui. We have also assembled a panel of experts headed by Tan Tock Seng Hospital’s (TTSH’s) Sports Medicine and Surgery Clinic team, who is joined by Pure Fitness instructors. The coach has drawn up a programme for beginners based on running three times a week, with progressively increasing mileage. Complete rookies are advised to attempt the 5km challenge: The workouts incorporate both walking and jogging, and build up to a maximum weekly total mileage of just 10km. “Running is not an exercise that requires particular skills,” says Dr Jason Chia Kok Kiong, head and consultant of TTSH’s Sports Medicine and Surgery Clinic. “It’s low-cost and flexible in terms of exercise venue and tim-
LOW-COST WAY TO GET FIT Running is not an exercise that requires particular skills. It’s low-cost and flexible in terms of exercise venue and timing. It also caters to runners of different capabilities through its plethora of races of different distances. – Dr Jason Chia Kok Kiong, head and consultant of Tan Tock Seng Hospital’s Sports Medicine and Surgery Clinic
ing. It also caters to runners of different capabilities through its plethora of races of different distances.”
There are many health benefits too. Aerobic exercise, such as running, improves cardiovascular fitness, says Dr Chia. The lack of cardiovascular fitness is closely linked with death and disability due to cardiovascular diseases. “This is probably due to the positive effect of exercise on risk factors for cardiovascular disease such as hypertension, diabetes and dyslipidemia,” he says. “It also has direct effects on circulation, which reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease.” Raising cardiovascular fitness, especially in the unfit, increases functional capacity, Dr Chia adds. This means you will find it easier to walk up stairs or run after the bus, which in turn helps you to burn more calories through daily activity (apart from running). As a high-impact exercise, running – in moderation – can also help boost bone health, says Dr Chia. Regular running has also been shown to slow the effects of ageing. Several studies have been done which prove this (see box). With all the haze problems, remember also to check the air quality levels before training. If the PSI is high, run on a treadmill or do other cardio activities indoors, or just rest (it will do you more good than running in bad air). Overall, a moderate amount of vigorous exercise is good for health, say researchers in an editorial published online in the journal Heart last November.
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Running regularly slows ageing: Study
WEEK 1
By JEANETTE WANG
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SATURDAY, JUNE 29, 2013
from running. As for injury, the elderly runners did not have any greater rates of osteoarthritis than the non-runners. “Most healthy adults can manage running as a form of exercise for health,” says Dr Jason Chia Kok Kiong, head and consultant of Tan Tock Seng Hospital’s Sports Medicine and Surgery Clinic. “But when you start concentrating on running for performance and with increasing distances and intensity, then it places more stress on the body. “The risk of injury or aggravating pre-existing medical conditions then rises.” Dr Chia recommends taking precautions depending on your medical profile, age, family history and if there are any present symptoms. Screening can help identify musculoskeletal problems and also cardiovascular conditions that may be aggravated by vigorous exercise. JEANETTE WANG
The ST Run takes place on Aug 25 at Punggol Waterway (left).
ST PHOTO: ASHLEIGH SIM
Let the training
BEGIN
Over the next eight weeks, we will be running training schedules that should get you ready for any of the three distances the ST Run is offering – 5km, 10km or 15km. If you are running one of the two longer distances, you should have some base-level fitness. More importantly, be sensible about your training. It might be a good idea to check with your doctor about your medical condition before you start.
WEEK 1 Day Tuesday
Date July 2
Thursday
July 4
Saturday Total
July 6
5KM Walk 1km Jog 500m Walk 1km Jog 800m Jog 1km 4.3km
10KM 3km
15KM 6km
2km
4km
3km 8km
6km 16km
The optimum amount of running, according to a study that followed 52,600 people for up to three decades, is two to five days a week, a total of 8km to 32km a week, at a speed of 9.7kmh to 11kmh. “At rest, the heart pumps about 5 litres per minute; with strenuous aerobic exercise, the cardiac output can rise five- to sevenfold, pumping up to 25 to 35 litres per minute,” said Dr James O’Keefe of Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas City, Missouri. “This massive increase in cardiac work is what the heart is designed to do for short bursts, or even for up to as long as 30 or 50 minutes continuously.” The Copenhagen City Heart Study showed similar results. After following 20,000 Danes since 1976, they found the optimum amount was jogging at a slow to
average pace, for one to 2.5 hours total a week, over two to three sessions. Joggers lived about six years longer than non-runners, with a 44 per cent lower risk of death during the study. “The relationship appears much like alcohol intakes – mortality is lower in people reporting moderate jogging than in non-joggers or those undertaking extreme levels of exercise,” says study director Peter Schnohr. About two years ago, Mr Saikat Chatterjee was overweight, completely sedentary and a smoker of about a decade. But with plans to start a family, he knew it was time to kick the habit. Desperate to control his withdrawal symptoms and increasing fidgetiness, he decided to fill his spare time by walking at a park near his home. Gradually, he started jogging loops around it. Before he knew it, he had signed
up for a few 10km races, and then a couple of half-marathons. “Those early days were tough,” recalls the 34-year-old financial journalist. “I used to tire very easily and there was always the desire to quit running for an air-conditioned gym. But I soon started to enjoy these occasional jaunts, and even began to look forward to it. Away from the running track, I found that my concentration increased and I simply became more productive.” Now trim, fit and smoke-free, the father of one gets fidgety if he misses a run. He has cut his half-marathon time down from over three hours to 2hr 40min in just a year, and plans to do a full marathon next year. We hope The Straits Times Run in the Park will inspire more Saikats. Worldwide, it is estimated that physical inactivity causes
PHOTO: WONG HO FAI
Seasoned runner
Miss Singapore Global contestants (from left) Jennifer Huang, Michelle Qiu and Jody Liu want to promote their chosen causes. ST PHOTO: LIM SIN THAI
JEANETTE Wang (above) is a former ST Sports Desk journalist who is now based in Hong Kong as health editor for an English daily newspaper. Overweight in primary school, the former Singapore national triathlete picked up running seriously at age 18. Her achievements include 5th place at the 2013 Vibram Hong Kong 100km trail race (13h 46min), 1st in the women’s senior (age 23-39) category at the 2012 Trail Verbier-St Bernard 110km trail race in Switzerland, and twice winning the Sundown Ultramarathon 84km in Singapore in 2008 and 2009.
Using their beauty for a greater good
6 to 10 per cent of the major non-communicable diseases, according to a study published in The Lancet last year led by Dr I-Min Lee of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. These diseases include coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and breast and colon cancers. Ministry of Health statistics from the 2010 National Health Survey show that about two in five Singaporeans aged 18 to 69 are physically inactive and 11 per cent are obese. Singapore, it’s time to lace up and get moving. jeanettew13@gmail.com
By NATALIE KUAN BEAUTY is not the only feature that voters are looking out for in the new Miss Singapore Global contest. Its nine contestants will also be putting forward their cherished good causes in a bid to represent Singapore at the Miss Global pageant in Jamaica – and lead a fund-raising event for their chosen cause. Voting is under way via Facebook and iPhone app Ms SG Global, which will make up 60 per cent of the votes. The rest will come from a judging panel at the contest’s finale on Aug 31 at the Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel. About 50 women applied for the contest, which is open to anyone residing in Singapore. It is organised by past Mrs Singapore World winner Vanessa Tan, 33, who said: “Of course, looks are important because we need to meet our requirements for the international competition. But that comes later. “First we shortlist them based on those who already have
a passion to do something on their own, for a greater good.” Contestant Jody Liu, 23, who works at an environmental non-profit organisation, wants to raise awareness about food wastage and educate the public about composting. She said: “I really need that added push to spread my message.” Ms Jennifer Huang, 25, came to Singapore from China on a scholarship seven years ago and is aiming to promote equal opportunities for children in developing countries. She said: “A lot of children in China do not have access even to primary school education. This is something very close to my heart. Since I’ve been blessed with a scholarship to study in Singapore, I want to give back.” Fifteen per cent of proceeds from the competition will go to the Mother and Child Project, a social enterprise set up by the Singapore Anglican Community Services, which advocates the welfare of disadvantaged women, such as those recovering from psychiatric illnesses. knatalie@sph.com.sg