Important health tests you can do at home

In line with our current series, this week we have more self assessments. So far, we’ve covered movement tests and physical measurements and now, we get to some important health screening.

In 1995, for around two years this used to be a big part of my job. I was a liaison officer for GP referral schemes in Hampshire, UK. Basically, when somebody went to the doctor with an illness or injury, rather than a regular prescription for meds or to get on a waiting list for physio, they were given a prescription for exercise (a ten week programme with fitness testing and workouts).

Every person received a 20 minute assessment with me on week one and again on week ten. This part was free and to join in with the exercise classes they only had to pay £1 a go. It was a great initiative and I literally saw hundreds of people during that time, many of which had a remarkable turn around for their health including reversal of disease such as high blood pressure.

It was only a ten week prescription and the client’s only took one or two exercise classes per week, yet still saw great improvement in their follow up test. They always felt better and the health tests proved their subjective feelings.

I tell this sorry because many of the those fitness tests inspired last week’s cluster and we have more below!

Why measure these health markers?

Well, it’s a bit like eating a healthy diet even when you don’t have an illness or inflammation. You do it as a preventative measure to avoid getting sick. Or you are consistent with working out now so that you avoid frailty, inflexibility or joint pain later in life.

In other words, here’s another way to be proactive about your health and staying one step ahead of illness.  And what’s really important is that you’re involved, you’re the one taking action and…

you’re caring for yourself (that’s Dojiva).

Please don’t really entirely on others for your health and wellbeing.

With good lifestyle practices and regular assessments you really can prevent many health concerns. But, if you do come to experience illness or disease, I believe you are more likely to catch it early and necessary interventions can then be taken.

Notes for this week’s three health tests:

1 - Blood pressure

As with most things, the right amount of pressure helps us get stuff done! Too little pressure in life (from self and surroundings) and we end up in a state of lethargy. 

Too much however and you’re more likely to feel uptight and more prone to stress. And prolonged stress so often lands us with some kind of physical or mental illness.

Your body has a remarkable system of moving blood around the body. An inbuilt pump that’s actually a muscle. It contracts and relaxes about 70 times a minute and beats over 100,000 times every day. Yes were talking about your heart!

The tireless organ pumps blood (along with vitamins, minerals, hormones, essential nutrients and gases) along channels around your body. These start as wide arteries that eventually become tiny capillaries that reach everywhere. 

We can measure the efficiency of this blood flow with a piece of inexpensive equipment… a blood pressure monitor.

Although very low blood pressure can cause problems with dizziness and fainting, it is thought to be an advantage to have it on the low side as that means your heart is more efficient at its job and your arteries are more likely to be in good shape. Hypertension (high blood pressure) though is a big concern for your health.

When your arteries are healthy, flexible, and dilated, blood flows smoothly; however, if they become narrow and stiff, blood pressure increases, the heart is overworked, and the arteries can sustain damage.

The challenge is that you often cannot feel it, and heart disease may take decades to manifest symptoms, earning it the label ‘the silent disease’.

Many factors affect if you are likely to have high blood pressure and some of these include:

•  Excess weight (especially adipose tissue (fat) around the middle)
•  Age
•  Family history 
•  High stress
•  Poor diet - proceed foods (think seed oils, refined carbs and sugar)
•  Too much/too little exercise
•  Smoking and drinking
•  Lack of sleep
•  Certain medications 
•  Race
•  Other health issues such as diabetes and a poor metabolism

What are the two readings?

With a blood pressure machine, an inflatable cuff automatically occludes the upper arm and then releases the pressure to get two readings. These are:

Systolic pressure which measures the pressure against your arteries when your heart is pumping blood around your body.

Diastolic pressure shows how much pressure is in your arteries when your heart relaxes between beats.

Depending on your lifestyle, blood pressure can vary from day to day and week to week. However, what you don’t want is it to be consistently high. Back in college, I learned that the normal was said to be 120/80. However from what I gather now that is at the upper range of where you want it and as mentioned above, lower is better. Hypotension (low blood pressure) is considered lower than 90/60.

So, optimal blood pressure generally ranges between 90/60 and 120/80, with readings below 120/80 considered ideal for most adults. If you regularly have readings around or above 140/90 this is considered high blood pressure and it’s time to speak with your doctor and consider some lifestyle changes. However this is age dependant and those enjoying time in their later years can expect figures slightly higher. (You still want that lower figure under 90 though).

As with most measurements, this is an individual thing and once you have readings you can compare with yourself in the future.

Taking the test

To be consistent, best keep to a regular schedule but you could also get a morning and an evening reading. Do your best to avoid the following before you take your measurement:

• Smoking
• Coffee or other caffeinated drinks
• Dynamic exercise
• Stress/emotional times
• Poor sleep
• A full bladder

Sit well and comfortably with both feet flat on the floor. Rest your arm (with clothes removed) on a supportive surface, such as a table, with the upper arm approximately heart level. Be sure to fit the cuff well and see my video or other online videos for the correct position (the end of the valve goes just above the crease of the elbow). 

Press the button and let the machine do the rest. The cuff will tighten and this will continue until the reading is complete. Do the measurements twice with a one minute break in between. Make a note of results including your pulse.

Initially, do this for two weeks and get in touch with your health care provider if you have any concerns. You can also message me for lifestyle and stress management tips that can help optimise blood pressure.

2 - Peak flow (also called PEF - peak expiratory flow)

A simple and inexpensive way to measure lung volume in litres per minute involves blowing hard into a small handheld device. This is often used to help diagnose asthma.

You can join in with me on this week’s video, but in brief you set the small arrow to zero, sit with good posture, take a deep breath in, seal your mouth around mouthpiece and blow as hard and fast as you can. Do this three times and make a note of your highest score. 

The result is relevant to you and something to compare in the future.

3 - O2 oximeter

Here is our third and final inexpensive health measuring device. It’s used by paramedics and medical professionals in hospitals, but you can check yours at home. Like the electronic blood pressure machine, an oximeter measures pulse but also measures oxygen saturation levels. Or in simple terms, how well your blood carries oxygen.

However, the device is not as accurate as blood gas measurements that also note CO2.  By clipping it to your finger, the oximeter measures how efficiently oxygen in the blood is getting to the extremities including your arms and legs. The test doesn’t have to be taken at rest and sometimes I use the oximeter to check my O2 levels and pulse during a workout!

To take a reading:

•  Choose a finger without jewellery or nail polish
•  Sit relaxed, with hand rested in your lap
•  Place the device on your finger and press the button
•  Jot down your percentage of O2 saturation and your pulse

Note, it may take a moment for the device to give you a reading.

A level between 95 and 100 percent is considered normal for most healthy people, but if it goes below of 92 percent, that can indicate (hypoxemia) low levels of oxygen in the blood. As with blood pressure, if you're unsure about your result, check back with your doctor. 

Notes for results:

Today’s date:

What are your top two health goals:

1

2  

Blood pressure - first measurement am:            Pulse:         Bpm
Blood pressure - second measurement am:      Pulse:         Bpm
 Blood pressure - first measurement pm:            Pulse:         Bpm
Blood pressure - second measurement pm:      Pulse:         Bpm

Peak flow:

O2 oximeter:         %      Pulse:       Bpm

* * * *

Well done, that’s it for this week, let me know if you have any questions with these tests.
You can hit me with a reply email.

 thanks for reading.

Take care

Danny

Members can login here and for the ten day Dojiva trial - click here