Wednesday, May 10, 2006

Getting Physical (1 Year Later)

As per usual, I took the physical examination for students at Tohoku University yesterday. The results are the following:

BPM= 69/min
BMI: 21.5
Blood pressure=118/69

Last year's results are the following (link)

BPM=60/min
BMI:21.5
Blood Pressure=107/63

Comments: This year's physical condition is worse than last year's, my resting heart rate increased and so did my blood pressure, though my blood pressure is still in the healthy range. I can probably explain the origins of these physical changes.

Last year, since comming to Japan, I was without scooter for atleast a month and cooked all of my own meals (all of which were light in oils and fat). In my first month in Japan, I determined that I walked approximately 4km/day and averaged it out to about 100km in a month. Back then, my physical condition was reasonably good, in the sense that I could easily run 2 km straight from the dorms I lived straight into class. However, since last year, my physical fittness has deteriorated.

Since last year, I have acquired a scooter and use it almost everyday. At current, I only ride my bycicle on average 1 every 1~2 months and go to the gym with that kind of frequency. I went to Hokkaido last week and decided to do some light hiking and realized that after running 500 meters that I broke out gasping for air rather quickly and a power walk up a mountain was very straining on the legs and body. My former physical condition (the healthier one after a month comming into Japan) was likely achieved after 1 month's worth of consistent of exercise... I hypothesize that my current physical state is the usual state I am when in University.

As for increased blood pressure, I think I can pin that down to my change in diet since entering University. Since my current diet currently consists of 2 meal/day at the university cafeteria consisting of tofu, salad, rice and a fried dish of some sort has led to my increased blood pressure with my increased in take of greasy foods.

Updates on Hokkaido pending. Some company people are comming on Friday and I need to get some material prepared for a meeting with them --> some joint research might ensue.

4 comments:

Paladiamors said...

Um, I thought I did say that my blood pressure was related to the intake of greasy foods :P.

But yeah, I need more exercise to bring down my bp. Summer is comming up, gotta be looking good for the summer!

Anonymous said...

Was that a one time reading or the average of several? Cause it varies moment to moment by as much as 10-15 mmHg. Well, anyway...ur readings are pretty good though overall. Still alive and kicking. =) Cindy

Paladiamors said...

It was a single reading :) Glad to hear that I'm still alive and kicking, sometimes I wonder otherwise :P

Paladiamors said...

I stand corrected :P