The exercise breakthrough of the century

Amanda Ross
Editor of Nutrition & Healing

According to a brand-new study, it only takes 7 minutes of exercise PER WEEK to dramatically improve your health.

Researchers from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, England, investigated the effects of short spurts of exercise on the blood sugar levels of 16 "relatively out-of-shape" volunteers (i.e. normal people). The participants rode an exercise bike for 30 seconds, between four and six times a day, three days per week - for a grand total of 7 minutes - or less!

After just two weeks, the researchers found that the subjects had a 23% improvement in their bodies' ability to use insulin to regulate blood sugar levels. And these effects appeared to last for up to 10 days after the subjects had exercised.

This discovery definitely borders on "too good to be true." And there are a couple of things to bear in mind…

First, the volunteers in this study were all in their 20s, so we don't know for sure how the results will translate to those of us who are well past that.

Also, the 30-second spurts of exercise on the bike weren't at a leisurely pace: The subjects were instructed to sprint. Of course, that term is a bit hard to define, since different people have different ability levels. Basically, you should be putting your maximum amount of effort in for 30 full seconds.

And, finally, the results of this study don't necessarily mean that you shouldn't aim for more than 7 minutes of exercise per week. But they do prove, once again, that even a little bit can go a long way.

So set yourself a goal to do a minimum of 7-10 minutes of exercise per day, your body will thank you for it for years to come!

Soothing sciatica

Dr Jonathan Wright
Nutrition & Healing

Q: I've always assumed there was nothing that could be done for sciatica pain. It comes and goes for me. I try to do exercises to strengthen the area when the pain isn't too bad, but I don't think it's doing much good. Do you know of something I could try?

Dr. Wright: There is a treatment for sciatica pain that many Tahoma Clinic patients have reported using with great results: Daily injections of 100 milligrams of vitamin B1 and 1,000 micrograms of B12. Eventually the dose is tapered down according to the patient's response.

It's not a treatment that works 100% of the time, but most people who try it do get relief. There's even a study that backs up my clinical experience. It clearly showed that this simple therapy works, even though most patients with sciatica don't have a deficiency in B vitamins.

Of course, I'm not discouraging regular exercises and building and maintaining your strength. But it's good to know there's a treatment that may relieve your pain when your sciatica becomes more acute.

(Your very best bet would be to work with a physician skilled and knowledgeable in natural medicine who will be able to help you manage your sciatica naturally. To locate one near you, contact the Society of Integrated Medicine on (021) 887 5364 or email lucia@integrativemedicine.co.za)

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