Something magical happened during the Q&A portion of Dr. Kachmann's lecture Tuesday night. A man named David stood up to tell everyone about how his 88-year-old father had been in decline after his wife of 63 years passed away. David, however, was not ready to give up on his dad, so he started attending Dr. Kachmann's lectures and sharing what he learned.
You can see David's father in the picture here. He's lost weight, regained his strength enough to start doing yoga, and--amazingly--has gone off his diabetes meds.
What a wonderful testimonial! And it was completely spontaneous.
Also magical and amazing was the fact that this was the same man who ended up winning the Ninja blender provided by Sheila Walker of Three Rivers Pharmacy in the night's raffle (though I have some suspicions about Dr. Ahmed's possible involvement--he was seated pretty close, and he's a pretty great guy).
Now, on to the substance of the lecture. Exercise is all about energy intake and expenditure. One of the key takeaways was that what you eat is usually far more important than how much you work out when you're trying to be healthy and lose weight.
If you are going to exercise, remember it doesn't have to be anything extreme. In other lectures, Dr. Kachmann has recommended simply increasing your Activity of Living (AOL), which is simply how much you move around when you're not deliberately trying to exercise. You can do this by parking farther away and walking. Taking the stairs instead of an elevator. Dancing while you're doing the dishes. Taking the dog for an extra walk or two.
But for those who want to do something about the 3 pounds of muscle you lose every decade after age 30, he recommended a practice called High Intermittent Intensity Training (HIIT). Don't be too intimidated. That just means alternating intense bursts of exercise with more relaxed stretches. You can use the same principle whether you're an Olympic sprinter or an 88-year-old on a walk. The latter can simply walk really fast for a time before slowing down to recover... and then repeating the cycle.
"Exercise like a Hunter-Gather" one of the slides read:
1. Take walks.
2. Alternate hard days and easy days.
3. Alternate speed-walking with regular walking.
4. Exercise outdoors.
5. Exercise in a social setting.
These last two will make working out more fun, making your exercise habit easier to maintain.
So there you have it. Now get off your butts and get out in nature with your friends.
Special thanks to all who attended!
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You can see Dr. Kachmann's Access TV Shows Mondays at 6:30 pm or Wednesdays at 6:00 pm on Comcast channel 57.
You can hear him on the radio at 95.7 WELT on Tuesdays at 12:00 pm and Thursdays at 8:00 am.
You can attend one of his monthly evening lectures at the Kachmann Auditorium in Lutheran Hospital (check Facebook for event details).
Or you can visit him after 9:00 am on Fridays at Three Rivers Pharmacy on North Anthony, where he gives free consultations.