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Health

Jun 20 2023
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Preventing Sarcopenia: Guide to Preventing Muscle Loss With Lee Ke Wynn

By Fitness, Health, Muscle, Press

In collaboration with Lee Ke Wynn, our Rehab Exercise Professional at Ke Wynn Medical Fitness Center, we explored the silent threat of Sarcopenia – age-related muscle loss.

While Ke Wynn has shared some key insights via our #AskExpert session, let’s delve deeper into understanding Sarcopenia and effective strategies to prevent and manage it.

Understanding Sarcopenia

As we age, our bodies naturally start to lose muscle mass and strength. This phenomenon is called sarcopenia. While it’s a natural part of the ageing process, it can significantly impact your quality of life. Sarcopenia affects balance, slows down metabolism, and decreases physical stamina, increasing the risk of falls and fractures.

 

According to Lee Ke Wynn, the risk of sarcopenia increases with a sedentary lifestyle. Therefore, the key to fighting this muscle loss is regular resistance training. But before we jump into its solution, let’s first understand how to identify our risk of developing sarcopenia.

Identifying the Risk of Sarcopenia

preventing sarcopenia is important

To comprehensively identify the risk of sarcopenia, a thorough assessment is needed. This assessment may include evaluating the patient’s muscle mass, strength, and physical function.

By conducting this comprehensive assessment, healthcare providers can better understand a patient’s risk of sarcopenia and develop targeted interventions to prevent or manage this condition. There are a few established methods for diagnosing sarcopenia, as shown below:

  • Gait Speed: The speed at which an individual walks is one of the indicators that may point towards the presence of sarcopenia.
  • Handgrip Strength: Assessing handgrip strength is another common method used to diagnose sarcopenia.
  • Skeletal Muscle Index (SMI): The SMI measurement from BIA devices provides a comprehensive view of muscle mass distribution, playing a critical role in sarcopenia diagnosis.

 

SMI for sarcopenia detection

Determining your current muscle mass and Skeletal Muscle Index (SMI) using the BIA test is an effective way to identify your risk of sarcopenia. If the SMI is less than 7.0 kg/m^2 for men and 5.7 kg/m^2 for women, there is a higher risk of developing sarcopenia.

It’s never too late to start monitoring your muscle health. Early detection of sarcopenia can lead to better management and prevention strategies.

Battle against Sarcopenia: It’s Never Too Late

Remember, it’s never too late to start building muscles. Regardless of age, our bodies are capable of muscle growth and strength improvement. Although muscle building can get more challenging as we age, with proper resistance training, we can effectively be preventing sarcopenia.

workout like pushup to prevent sarcopenia

Resistance training exercises, such as weight lifting, resistance band workouts, or body-weight exercises, are recommended to promote muscle strength, balance, and coordination. It’s important to start slow and gradually increase the intensity to avoid injury. Consulting with a trained professional like Lee Ke Wynn can also ensure a safe and effective training plan tailored to your needs.

Nutrition’s Role in Preventing Sarcopenia

The importance of nutrition can’t be overstated in our fight against sarcopenia. High-protein foods, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamin D play a crucial role in muscle growth and recovery.

A balanced diet containing lean meats, dairy products, eggs, and plant-based proteins can help increase your protein intake. Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids like fish, walnuts, and chia seeds aid in muscle health. Vitamin D, which can be obtained from exposure to sunlight and foods like fatty fish and fortified dairy products, is also essential for muscle function.

In conclusion, age-related muscle loss, or sarcopenia, may seem inevitable, but with regular resistance training and a balanced diet, we can keep our muscles strong and healthy. Remember, it’s never too late to start building muscles and improving your quality of life. Consult with a professional like Lee Ke Wynn and start your journey towards better muscle health today.

To learn more about preventing sarcopenia and other health-related topics, stay tuned to our #AskExpert series, where we collaborate with medical professionals to bring you reliable and practical health information.

May 27 2023
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Senior people with sarcopenia

ECW Ratio: Sarcopenia’s Unseen Predictor You Need to Know

By Body Composition, Health, Medical

Sarcopenia: A Silent Thief of Muscle Mass

Aging brings about numerous changes in the body, one of the most alarming of which is sarcopenia. This age-related decrease in muscle mass and strength can contribute to functional impairment and a decline in the body’s overall water composition.

Most of the water inside cells is stored in muscles. This process affects muscles directly, highlighting the importance of maintaining muscle mass for staying healthy at the cellular level.

Malnutrition and Sarcopenia

Compounding the problem of muscle loss is malnutrition, which can further accelerate the decline in muscle mass by depriving the body of essential amino acids and nutrients required for muscle maintenance and overall cellular health.

This deprivation can lead to a reduction in intracellular water (ICW), which is vital for proper cellular function, and cause an increase in the extracellular water (ECW) ratio, a measure of fluid accumulation outside of cells that can further impact tissue health and function.

Causes of deccreased in ICW

ECW Ratio: A New Marker for Sarcopenia

The most common method for diagnosing sarcopenia is through measuring muscle mass, usually via dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) or bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). Other methods include measuring muscle strength, using handgrip dynamometry, and assessing physical performance, such as gait speed.

The ECW Ratio, an indicator of the proportion of extracellular water in relation to total body water, has emerged as a key marker for sarcopenia and malnutrition.

The Role of Inflammation in Sarcopenia

In recent years, studies have suggested a possible association between sarcopenia and inflammation. Specifically, inflammatory cytokines have been shown to stimulate muscle wasting by prompting protein catabolism and suppressing muscle synthesis.

There’s also evidence that chronic low-grade inflammation, also known as “inflammaging,” contributes to sarcopenia. Inflammaging is when there are more inflammatory molecules in your body that cause swelling as you get older. This can damage your tissues and make you more likely to get age-related conditions like type 2 diabetes, osteoarthritis, and sarcopenia.

Older adult with sarcopenia

According to a study, individuals with low grip strength had a 1.63 times higher Extracellular Water (ECW) Ratio than healthy individuals. The ECW Ratio is expected to be an effective indicator for tracking physical function under newly revised sarcopenia criteria.

The ECW Ratio’s connection to sarcopenia emphasizes the importance of monitoring this measurement to better understand the impact of inflammation on muscle mass and overall health.

ECW Ratio and Survival Rates in Cancer Patients

Even more compelling is the application of the ECW Ratio in predicting survival rates among cancer patients with sarcopenia. Studies have shown that the ECW to Total Body Water (TBW) ratio can be a better predictor of survival than other indicators.

Cancer patients with a high ECW/TBW ratio (>0.395) and a high Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) exhibited a 3.84-fold increased risk of mortality.

This could be a useful tool for predicting survival rates in cancer patients with sarcopenia indicators, and its application can greatly benefit hospitals and geriatricians.

For instance, early identification of changes in the ECW Ratio can provide critical insights into the progression of sarcopenia, allowing for earlier intervention and potentially better outcomes for hospitalized patients.

In other words, the use of the ECW Ratio in predicting survival rates among cancer patients with sarcopenia can help healthcare professionals make more informed decisions about treatment options and potential outcomes.*

Application of ECW Ratio for geriatrician

Conclusion: The Importance of Monitoring the ECW Ratio in Sarcopenia Patient

The association between sarcopenia and the ECW Ratio underlines the importance of monitoring this key health parameter. The early identification of changes in the ECW Ratio can provide critical insights into the impact of inflammation on muscle mass and overall health, promoting better management and possibly even prevention of sarcopenia.

While sarcopenia and the ECW Ratio are related, an increased ECW Ratio may be caused by factors other than sarcopenia, such as inflammation. If you want to learn more about the connection between inflammation and the ECW Ratio, check out this blog post for insightful information on how inflammation affects body water balance and the ECW Ratio.

*Disclaimer: Please consult your healthcare professional for interpretation of the results and diagnosis.

Feb 08 2023
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An elderly man wonders how to measure muscle mass.

How to Measure Muscle Mass Accurately: A Gym Beginner’s Guide

By BIA, Blog, Body Composition Analysis, Health, Muscle

Congratulations on taking the first step towards your fitness journey by subscribing to a gym membership! Building muscle and seeing progress can be exciting, but it’s also important to track your progress accurately. This beginner’s guide will cover how to measure muscle mass over time, including a particular focus on using an InBody device.

Download the guide to get an accurate InBody test.

Gym beginner works out with coach

How to measure muscle mass?

There are several ways to keep tabs on your progress, each with its advantages and drawbacks. Some of the most popular approaches are listed below:

1. Visual Inspection

The simplest way to track muscle growth is through visual inspection. This usually involves looking in the mirror or taking photos of your body to see if there is any noticeable change in muscle size. This is why so many gymgoers enjoy posting their accomplishments on social media.

This method is quick and straightforward, but it is also somewhat arbitrary. If you’ve just started working out, it might be difficult to see changes in your muscles within a few weeks.

Even though you are making gains in muscle, it may let you down if the changes aren’t immediately visible in the mirror.

Gym builder inspecting his progress in the mirror

2. Tape Measurements

Taking body circumference measurements using tapes, such as bicep and thigh circumference, is another way to track muscle growth. This method is more accurate than visual inspection.

However, the tape measurement result may be inaccurate, especially if you are overweight. According to research, even medical professionals may struggle to prevent tape measurement errors for their obese patients.

3. Weightlifting Progress Tracking

Monitoring the progression of your weightlifting can help you observe your muscle mass growth. This can be done by recording the weight lifted, repetition count, and set quantity for each workout.

You may download progress-tracking apps like InBody and Strong to assist you. If you see an increase in the weight you can lift or the number of reps you can perform, it is likely that your muscles have grown.

4. Body Composition Analysis

Body composition analysis is a more advanced method of tracking muscle growth.

There are numerous methods for body composition analysis, ranging from a DXA scan, which is one of the gold standard measurements, to a body weighing scale that claims to be able to check your body’s muscle mass.

💡 As one of the high-accuracy alternatives to DXA scanning, InBody devices would be appropriate and cost-effective tools for you to track muscle mass over time.

The InBody devices are currently being used in a growing number of gym settings. Consider finding a convenient location to take an InBody test and track your muscle growth.

Where can I get the InBody test?

An elderly man wonders how to measure muscle mass.

Tips to help you effectively track your muscle mass:

1. Be consistent with your tracking methods.

Always remember that it’s crucial to track your progress using the same method and device. This is due to the fact that different devices may use a different technological and algorithmic approaches to measuring muscle mass. In progress tracking, comparing your results with different devices every month would be misleading.

2. Be mindful of the precautions and steps of measurement.

Many gym goers are not concerned about when to measure and what to look for during the measurement. However, improper posture and measuring right after workouts and meals, for example, definitely lead to inaccuracies in measurement. Your efforts in the workout may be disguised by inaccurate measurement results.

Download the guide to get an accurate InBody test.

3. Track progress regularly, such as every two to four weeks.

Tracking your progress consistently will help you see how far you’ve progressed since the baseline. Knowing whether your current workout and diet plan are appropriate for your specific situation is important. If the results do not match your expectations, you may know it’s time to review your fitness approach.

How frequently should you track your fitness progress?

4. Discuss your progress with an expert.

Discuss your workout plan with a professional regularly. If you receive an InBody result, as shown below, it will be easy for both you and the expert to understand your current progress.

The image above from InBody results clearly illustrates the muscle mass in different body parts.

This can make it easier for you to communicate with an expert, like a physiotherapist or personal trainer. They can give you a lot of personalized advice and point out areas where you can improve.

5. Celebrate your progress, no matter how small.
You might think your progress is insignificant after scrolling through the attractive physique photos posted by gym enthusiasts. This could be demotivating somehow.

However, they put in a lot of work and it takes them years to succeed. And yet, it’s not surprising to hear that they’ve already been through what you’re going through. It’s worth a blast of celebration even if you discover that you broke your Personal Record (PR) or that you gained 0.1 kg of muscle.

A women is happy with her gains

Conclusion

Measuring muscle growth is an important step in tracking your progress toward your fitness goals. With the right tools and mindset, you can have an idea of how to measure muscle mass accurately and reach your muscle growth goals sooner.

By using these methods and tips, you’ll be able to effectively measure your muscle growth and track your progress toward a stronger, healthier you.

 

 

 

Jan 31 2023
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A mother is watching her daughter having meals

5 Ways to Prevent Childhood Obesity: A Parent’s Guide

By BIA, Body Composition, Body Composition Analysis, Children, Health

Maintaining a healthy body fat percentage is essential for a child’s growth and development. In order to prevent childhood obesity, parents and healthcare providers should monitor body fat and educate children on healthy lifestyle choices.

Don’t be worried if your child has more body fat than expected. The good news is that you can help your children maintain a healthy body fat percentage by taking a few simple steps.

A child try to take a strawberry from the table

Healthy food choices to prevent childhood obesity

Food choice is the most important factor determining your child’s health and growth. It’s important for you to help them develop healthy eating habits and limit calorie-rich temptations.

This means avoiding processed foods and sugary drinks. Instead, introduce more nutrient-dense foods like fruits, vegetables, lean protein, and whole grains into your child’s daily diet.

💡 One of the examples would be keeping a supply of nutritious, ready-to-eat food at home.

These include a variety of fruits that can be consumed raw, like apples, grapes, and bananas.

You could include more dairy products, such as low-fat or flavor-infused milk, cheese, yoghurt, whole-grain snacks, or low-sugar biscuits. Remind your children to pick these foods if they are hungry and in a hurry.

A mother is watching her daughter having meals

Monitor the meal frequency and portion size

Start by encouraging regular meal times and limiting snacking between meals. You’re helping to regulate their appetite and making sure they’re getting the right amount of nutrients for optimal growth and development.

And don’t rush through meals; encourage your child to eat slowly; this way they can learn to recognize when they’re full and prevent overeating.

You should be conscious of the portion sizes you serve your children. To make sure your child eats enough food throughout the day, you may schedule 3 main meals and 2 snacks. If you plan your child’s meals thoughtfully, you can address both the budget and the nutrients needed at the same time.

To ensure that the menu you planned is suitable, you may refer to the checklist below:

  • Is your child eating a variety of foods for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day?
  • Does he consume foods from all food groups?
  • Does he drink milk and plain water on a daily basis?
  • Do you make an effort to prepare meals using healthy cooking methods such as steaming, baking, or roasting on a daily basis?
  • Is the food selection being repeated too frequently? For instance, fried chicken 5 times per week.
  • Is the meal you made high in nutritional value/nutrient density?

Tips to prepare a healthy menu for your children

Parent having outdoor activities with child to prevent childhood obesity

Get your kids to be more active

Parents should also try to limit the amount of screen time that their children are getting, as excessive screen time has been linked to an increased risk of obesity in children.

Instead of nagging your kids to stop spending too much time on their phones or iPads, you should suggest an engaging activity to do together as a substitute for playing games on the phone.

Here are some helpful exercise ideas for you and your kids:

  • Take family walks or play active games together to incorporate physical activity into your family’s daily routine.
  • You could get your kids some new sports equipment that promotes physical activity.
  • Take the kids to places where they can be active, like public parks, community football fields, or basketball courts.

How much physical activity do children need?

A child is sleeping

Make sure your child gets enough sleep

A study that followed nearly 1,000 children from birth to age 15 discovered that earlier bedtimes can have a long-term impact. The researchers discovered that preschoolers who went to bed before 8 p.m. had half the risk of obesity as those who went to bed after 9 p.m.

Given that inadequate sleep is closely related to childhood obesity, it’s important to establish a regular sleep routine with your children.

Stick to the routine as much as possible to ensure your kid gets adequate sleep. This should include a consistent bedtime routine, such as setting a bedtime and wake-up time.

The most important thing is that before they go to sleep, your kids aren’t kept up by things like their favorite iPad movies. To achieve optimal sleeping quality, you are responsible for creating a comfortable and dark sleeping environment for them.

Keeping soda away before bedtime can also be beneficial. The extra sugar and caffeine from soda may also play a factor in poor sleep quality.

How much sleep should your children get?

Keep ‘Percent Body Fat’ on track

Your children’s body weight is increasing most likely from a combination of bone growth, lean muscle development, and fat accumulation.

However, it can be challenging to tell if your kids are gaining the necessary amount of weight. Weight gain could sometimes be a result of higher body fat levels due to an unhealthy lifestyle.

Check the impact of high body fat on your child’s growth.

💡 Most parents may believe that as long as their children do not appear to be overweight, everything is fine. However, there may be unseen risks arising in your child that are not visible to the naked eye.

This is how InBody reveals the “hidden” body fat of a child with a normal BMI.

Childhood Obesity with Normal BMI

The ideal objective should be to concentrate on bone and muscle growth rather than excess body fat. By assessing Percent Body Fat (PBF) on a regular basis with the InBody device, you will be able to determine whether your child’s lifestyle is healthy while under your care.

Get your child an InBody test now.

Summary

Parents are the biggest influence in children’s lives. They look up to you and tend to follow your lifestyle as part of their learning process.

However, simply telling them to live a healthy lifestyle may not be enough. To truly instill healthy habits in your children, you must set a good example as a parent.

Monitoring your child’s body fat and growth consistently to prevent childhood obesity will undoubtedly require some effort.

However, if you discover that your child’s body does not respond well to the effort you put in for their lifestyle changes, a consultation with your family doctor or a pediatrician will definitely be necessary. By doing so, you’ll be able to better comprehend the risks that come with childhood obesity and take measures to prevent them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

May 10 2022
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Can you be too old for weight training?

By Health, Muscle, Nutrition

“Sarcopenia” is the gradual loss of muscle mass that begins for most people after age 35. Contrary to popular belief, this decline in muscle mass and strength is not only due to aging process; rather, it’s due to inactivity.

However, current dogma around resistance training among elderly women has been a barrier. Sarcopenia is the loss of muscle mass and strength that occurs as a result of “normal ageing.” It is not entirely due to sickness but is also a normal aspect of the ageing process. This is not to be confused with cachexia, which is the uncontrollable loss of muscle and/or body fat mass. While cachexia is most commonly associated with malnutrition caused by illnesses such as cancer, sarcopenia is defined as a progressive loss of muscle mass caused by changes in nutrition and physical activity. This is significant because sarcopenic people can keep their fat mass, resulting in a “thin fat” body composition. Sarcopenic obesity has more serious health effects, as we will discuss in another chapter.

“Few would argue that some form of resistance training should not be part of a complete exercise program; however, the bulk of literature on the cardio-protective effects of aerobic exercise has continued to make this form of exercise preeminent and the central focus of many physical activity guidelines in Canada, the United States, and many other countries.”

Studies show that resistance training is the best way to prevent and reverse the loss of muscle for older adults. For women, in particular, resistance training is an effective long-term strategy to preserve muscle and positive changes in body composition.

The science is clear: improving your muscle mass is something anyone can (and should) do.

May 10 2022
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Can women gain the same relative amount of muscle mass as men?

By Body Composition, Body Composition Analysis, Fitness, Health, Muscle

If you’re like most women, you’re curious about whether doing the same routine as the men in your CrossFit class will give you the same results. On average, baseline muscle mass in men is 36% greater than in women. In terms of muscle distribution, women tend to have less upper body muscle mass compared to men.

Men have a slight genetic advantage over women because of their higher baseline muscle mass, particularly in the upper body. However, that doesn’t mean that women will gain less muscle mass than men, despite lifting the same amount of weights.

When men and women exercise for the same amount of time, they can accomplish the same amount of gains in muscle mass. While the increase in size was similar between men and women in the study, the relative strength of women actually increased more than men because they were starting with a smaller overall body size.

In addition, it’s worth noting that muscle mass gain may be more affected by individual variations in terms of sensitivity of resistance training responses rather than gender differences.

Does Weightlifting Causes Women To “Look Bulky” ?

What This Means For Women:
It’s possible to gain as much muscle mass as men, but it may take more work on your end because of your slightly lower baseline muscle mass. However, if you’re worried about getting too big, it’s also unlikely to happen due to differences in testosterone (we’ll cover that later,) and how you train.

The first step toward achieving enough amount of muscle mass is to do a body composition analysis to determine how much you have. Click here to read more about the various types of BIA devices that analyse body composition.

May 10 2022
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Does Weightlifting Causes Women To “Look Bulky” ?

By Body Composition, Body Composition Analysis, Health, Muscle

Many women believe that resistance exercise causes weight gain and a “bulky appearance”. Yes, strength training can lead to weight gain. You can almost certainly count on that. That is, nonetheless, totally acceptable.

If the gains you’re seeing are in Lean Body Mass, your weight may stay the same or even rise, but you’ll appear more lean and toned.

Women muscle from the back

Understanding How Muscle is Gained

To begin, let’s be clear about how muscle is gained. Muscle growth occurs when the rate of muscle protein synthesis exceeds the rate of muscle protein breakdown.

In other words, you can only gain muscle through a process in which resistance training breaks down muscle fibers and then repairs them with enough nutrients from diet and rest. As a result, the muscles will grow in size, resulting in [muscle hypertrophy](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6950543/#:~:text=Muscle hypertrophy occurs when muscle,muscle protein breakdown [8].).

It is important to note, however, that muscle hypertrophy occurs at different rates for different people. Building “bulky” muscles take time and effort, and it is not a common result able to be achieved through weightlifting for the majority of women.

Women’s Muscle and Hormone

Women and men muscle difference

It’s understandable that seeing selfies of men in the gym with massive muscles while scrolling through social media can be frightening. And you might worry that working out in the gym will only lead to a bulky appearance.

Contrary to popular belief, women do not have the same level of testosterone as men, which is the primary hormone responsible for muscle hypertrophy. In general, women’s bodies only contain 10% to 20% as much testosterone as men’s bodies. As a result, women are much less likely to gain significant muscle mass from weightlifting.

Can women gain the same relative amount of muscle mass as men?

Have You Eaten and Lifted Enough?

Women cooking for her meals

You might have to eat more calories than you needed to in order to appear “bulky.” This is due to the fact that gaining muscle requires a calorie surplus.

Several studies have shown that women tend to have low-calorie diets and, worse, low protein intake. This dietary habit was strongly linked to sarcopenia or progressive muscle loss. Instead of being concerned about gaining too much muscle, the problem of muscle loss should be prioritized among women.

Aside from that, muscle building requires progressive overload in weightlifting. This is because muscle gain will adapt to the same weight carried during your exercise routine. To achieve greater muscle gain, you must gradually increase the weight lifted.

Learn how much muscle you can gain in a month

The Benefits of Weightlifting for Women

women having a rest after weightlifting

Not only does weightlifting not lead to significant increases in muscle size for women, but it also has numerous other benefits.

Weightlifting can improve bone density, which is particularly important for women as they are more prone to osteoporosis than men. It can also improve balance, coordination, and flexibility.

In addition, weightlifting can boost metabolism and help you burn fat. This is because muscle tissue burns more calories than fat tissue, even when you’re not exercising. As a result, incorporating weightlifting into your fitness routine can help you achieve your weight loss goals.

Think of weight training as an investment that pays serious dividends down the road. The more muscle you have, the more visceral fat in your body can burn over time.

How to Safely Incorporate Weightlifting into Your Fitness Routine

Women training with coach

Before starting a weightlifting routine, it is important to consult with a certified fitness professional. They could guide you with proper form and technique, which are also crucial to avoiding injury and getting the most out of your workouts.

It is also important to gradually increase weight and intensity and to incorporate rest and recovery time into your routine. This will keep you in good condition and allow you to perform weightlifting exercises safely.

The Importance of Tracking Progress

One of the keys to success in any fitness or nutrition journey is tracking your progress. This is where a body composition analyzer like the InBody machine can be incredibly useful.

Track muscle mass with InBody

By measuring your body composition, you can see how much muscle mass you have gained and how much fat you have lost. This information can help you fine-tune your nutrition and exercise plan so that you can keep making progress toward your goals.

Start tracking your progress with an InBody machine today and see the difference it can make. Find the nearest location for an InBody test here.

Summary

To summarise, weightlifting is a safe and effective form of exercise that will not make you “look bulky” in the majority of cases. Weightlifting is a valuable addition to your fitness routine because of its numerous benefits, including increased bone density, metabolism, physical strength, and mental health.

By incorporating weightlifting into your exercise routine and dispelling the myth of “bulky muscles,” you can meet your fitness goals while also improving your overall health and well-being.

So, jump off your treadmill and give the free weights a try! By doing so, you’ll not only dispel this myth but also reap the numerous benefits that weightlifting has to offer.

Mar 08 2022
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Outcome-Based Wellness Program: Self-Care Zone in Workplace

By Corporate Wellness, Health, Press

In Malaysia, the rising health-related issues and problems faced by the corporate workforce currently is the ever-increasing medical cost, the increase number of critical illnesses reported, and the continuation of an exceptionally unhealthy lifestyle of business professionals.

These core issues, mainly because most people do not practice healthy lifestyle and conduct regular medical checkups to understand their health condition.

Thus, lack of health awareness has became a major challenge for the corporate workforce as they struggled to lead a good corporate wellness program, and improve employees’ health consistently over time.

 

 

Outcome-based Wellness Program

Most employers start a wellness program to improve employee health, improve employee productivity, or reduce their health care costs.  The goal of every wellness program should be to help employees adopt and maintain healthy behaviors. If wellness programs are successful, they will improve employee health and reduce healthcare costs. Since every company with a wellness program is trying to produce one of these outcomes, so here comes to the next question for Human Resource Department…

“Is your corporate wellness program successful? How does HR justify if the outcome is successful despite of using the participation rate?”

These aren’t just the challenges that most of the companies are facing, by just implementing a wellness program for the sake of organizing.  The purpose of any wellness program should be to improve the health of employees, sustainably. That means the program should be focused on behavioral change in lifestyle, and we all know, it takes long time make this as a company’s culture.

Some corporates use incentives to motivate employees to improve their health. Any kind of incentives-based program that are being used in the nation is only to create a short-term gimmick but it might not be able to make a sustainable healthy workplace.

Hence, this is the reason why many of the HR nowadays looking for a better solution which it can be successfully integrated into an incentive strategy and still able to increase health awareness through a routine health evaluation tool.

InBody Self-Care Zone in collaboration with PMCare

PMCare and InBody sought to address these issue by finding a creative way to administer and empower the concept of self-care among the corporate workforce. InBody Self-Care Zone is a product of an intellectual collaboration between PMCare and InBody as the primary solution to promote self-care with outcome-based program that shows evidence of employees’ health by improving body composition as the basic of overall health assessment. With this initiative, PMCare and InBody sought to support Malaysia’s transformation in cultivating a healthier lifestyle and becoming a renowned Vibrant Living Nation.

The Self-Care Zone is a special area equipped with InBody proprietary state-of-the-art health devices that enables employees to track their health parameters such as heart rate, muscle mass, fat percentage, segmental lean & fat analysis, and more in the body compositions. The devices are also integrated with the InBody Mobile App that streamlines the measurement records on the devices with an internal data system, which can be used by employees to monitor their health parameters and track any improvements from time to time. Besides, the human resource department can also use the LookinBody Web to manage data of employees’ measurement analysis in order to have a complete picture of overall health status changes in the organization.

On top of that, the Self-Care Zone is a great catalyst for the corporate workforce to encourage and empower their employees to adopt a healthier, active lifestyle – act as an self-motivational tracker. Serving as the main health empowerment area of any corporate office, it provides the right atmosphere and environment for employees to take a more active control in the management of their personal health. Setting up this InBody Self-Care zone at PMCare office enables their employees to also track their progress regularly, helping them to continue a sustainable overall health journey.

PMCare and InBody had also run this self-care zone program for the employees in Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia  . Watch the review from  Ms Christina – Head Of Human Resource shared about her point of view in HR about their experience in this program.

For more corporate solutions, please feel free to contact our Corporate Wellness Specialists or email us at info@inbody.com

 

 

Feb 16 2022
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Why men are more prone to heart disease?

By BIA, Blog, Health, Nutrition, Press

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading causes of death in Malaysia. Heart disease is responsible for nearly 1 out of every 4 deaths in Malaysia.  Malaysians in their 20’s and 30’s are currently suffering from heart attacks. Ischaemic heart disease, which can lead to a heart attack, was the leading cause of death among males in Malaysia in 2018, accounting for 17.8% of all deaths.

It is important for men to understand what heart disease is, the risk factors and symptoms, and how to prevent heart disease.  

What is heart disease? 

Cardiac disease encompasses a wide range of heart disorders, including coronary heart disease (CHD) or coronary artery disease (CAD), arrhythmia, heart failure, and heart attacks. Coronary heart disease develops when the arteries that deliver blood to the heart and body harden and narrow due to plaque buildup.

This plaque is composed of components found in the body such as cholesterol and other fatty lipids. Atherosclerosis is the term used to describe the hardness and constriction of the arteries. When this plaque accumulates, blood flow is constricted, resulting in a reduction in the amount of oxygen delivered to the heart. This can eventually lead to a heart attack.

Why men are more prone to heart disease?

Men have an elevated risk of heart disease. According to National Health & Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2019, hypertension affects men 3 times more than women under the age of 30.

Other risk factors for heart disease include being overweight or obese, having a poor diet, high cholesterol, physical inactivity, and having diabetes.  

Symptoms of heart disease  

The symptoms of heart disease can often be “silent,” and go undiagnosed until someone experiences the signs of a heart attack or arrhythmia. Symptoms of these events may include:  

  • Chest pain or discomfort
  • Pain in the upper back or neck  
  • Heartburn or indigestion  
  • Nausea or vomiting  
  • Dizziness  
  • Shortness of breath  
  • Extreme fatigue  
  • Palpitations or feelings of fluttering in the chest  
  • Swelling in the feet, ankles, legs, neck, or abdomen  

It’s important to note that not all people who have heart disease experience signs or symptoms. Half of the men who died suddenly of coronary heart disease had no previous symptoms or warnings. 

High blood pressure and heart disease

Having high and uncontrolled blood pressure can lead to heart disease. Over time, high blood pressure taxes the blood vessels and heart by making them do more work less efficiently. The friction and force that come from high blood pressure will do damage to the delicate tissues lining the arteries. Plaque forms along with these tiny tears and lesions. As more plaque builds up, the narrower the arteries become, raising blood pressure even more. It becomes a vicious cycle.   

Many people have no symptoms of high blood pressure until it is too late. It is important to regularly check your blood pressure to make sure it is within the healthy range.  

How can you lower your risk for heart disease?  

  1. Check your BP: regular monitoring of your blood pressure will help you stay informed and in control of your blood pressure. If you suffer from high blood pressure, it may be helpful for you to keep a log of your blood pressure readings and take them to review with your doctor.  
  2. Quit smoking: Smoking is known to increase blood pressure and can greatly increase your risk of heart disease.  
  3. Check cholesterol and triglyceride levels: Work with your doctor to regularly check your cholesterol and triglyceride labs to make sure you stay within a healthy range.  
  4. Eat healthy food: Eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains has been tied to a lower risk of heart disease. Limit red meat, fried foods, high sodium foods, and sugary drinks and desserts.   
  5. Stay active: Regular physical activity can help keep your blood pressure in check and keep your arteries relaxed and pliable. Find an exercise that you enjoy doing and aim to get about 30 minutes of exercise per day.  
  6. Limit alcohol: Excess alcohol intake is tied to an increased risk of heart disease. Drink in moderation which means 1-2 drinks per day. 
  7. Lower stress: Too much stress can tax the heart and blood pressure even more. Find healthy ways of relaxing like taking a walk, reading a book, listening to calming music, or spending a few moments in quiet meditation or prayer each day.  

Men need to bear in mind their risk for heart disease and the associated risk factors. It’s advisable for men to keep their regular check-ups with their doctors, and complete the recommended labs. Checking your blood pressure regularly may also be beneficial, and those who struggle with high blood pressure or have a family history of hypertension may want to consider an at-home blood pressure monitor. Let’s have a look at our clinically validated kiosk type blood pressure monitor, BPBIO 750 Blood Pressure Monitor.

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