As the year ends, the temptation builds to a crescendo. I don’t break the rule often, but I just can’t help myself tonight. A top-12 list? I know that succumbing to temptation implies weakness. Top-anything lists are surely not very literary, intellectual or hard-edged. But reflecting on cycling in the midst of winter when one […]
Category: Exercise
It is risky. Stay fresh. Avoid repeating yourself. Don’t rant. Never preach. These would be the ‘rules’ of supposedly good blogs. And, of course, doctors that dare to take a stance on health issues risk being perceived as pretentious. I get this. So it is with trepidation that I write a follow-up to last week’s […]
Dear Endurance Athletes, Accept an apology in advance. You have endured so much from me. Sorry. Let’s at least start by agreeing that I can’t control the data. Yes, you guessed it. There is unfortunately more bad news pertaining to the deleterious effects of endurance exercise on the human heart. Again, I am sorry. Maybe […]
Here is a doc who has it going on… Dr Mike Evans hits it out of the park. (Stent-ers, listen with caution at 7:20) I am now a follower of Dr Mike Evens (@docmikeevans) Good job, Doc. JMM
Patients often ask what’s more important: exercise or losing weight? As winter rolls through the Northern Hemisphere, maintaining fitness seems a timely and relevant topic. Heck, maintaining or gaining fitness should always be a relevant matter! A recently published study seems worth a comment on Cycling Wednesday. In this math-heavy publication in the journal, Circulation, […]
There was a very controversial presentation made at a recent meeting of heart doctors in Canada. I’ve been stewing about what to say about it for a week. The title speaks to its inflammation: Fat, unfit, unmotivated: Cardiologist, heal thyself The presenter that made the stir, pediatric cardiologist, and IronPerson, Dr Brian McCrindle (Toronto) argued […]
In recognition of our family’s empty “Candy Cauldron,” what else would a heart doctor write about on Halloween? Acquired heart disease in children? Say it isn’t so! It used to be easy to skip over studies on heart issues in children and adolescents. Come on. Kids are health. They are nimble, twitchy, energetic, and definitely […]
I recently wrote about the incredible sensations that come with vigorous exercise. Perhaps it was the post ride cannabinoid flurry, but it’s possible that I went too far in suggesting that ‘we’ (doctors, patients, the whole of Western Society) default first to pills before healthy living. Two commentors called me out on this snark. They […]
I offer this post as an olive branch to the many who find my views of over-indulgence in exercise inflammatory. It’s important not to confuse my criticism of chronically inflaming oneself in the pursuit of something lofty as personal perfection, or knowledge of, or participation in the quintessential and most healthy of sport. My passion […]
Imagine if there was an emerging epidemic of slow cyclists. It wasn’t always like this. Despite their lack of feather-light bikes, carbon-soled shoes, wind-cheating lycra, people used to go really fast on their bikes. Are you still imagining? Imagine if people spent more money on “things†that might make them faster: they buy better equipment, […]
The tweet said that experts were debating the merits of a polypill? I had to click that link. Yes. I was right; there were actually “eminent†cardiologists suggesting that a pill containing 4 different medicines (a statin, aspirin, beta-blocker and an ACE-inhibitor) “might change the face of cardiovascular medicine.” The direct quote from Dr Salim […]