Monthly Archives - June 2017

Dr Andy Wee is currently at the Sririraj Hospital in Bangkok sharing his expertise in shoulder surgery with surgeons from all over the world. He is the only Singaporean shoulder surgeon who is invited as part of the international faculty by the SICOT association (International Society of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology) to speak at this meeting.

Dr Andy Wee was speaking about the prevention and treatment of common netball injuries to a group of netballers at Parkway East Hospital over the weekend. He has treated several high-level competitive netball athletes over the years, with knee injuries ranging from anterior cruciate ligament tears to meniscus tears.

Riding a bike can help you lose weight, recover from injury, and even get smarter!

Dr Kevin Lee shares about 8 ways that one can benefit from cycling.

1. Getting Smarter Some recent studies indicate that the brain processes information more efficiently after exercise. One study that measured the neural functioning of ADHD-diagnosed kids after exercise found that their brains looked more alike to those of kids who didn’t have the disorder. Exercise seemed to provide a cognitive boost.

2. Recover From Injury A recent study found that elderly patients with knee pain and osteoarthritis actually improved their condition when cycling was introduced to their routines, proving that as we get older, taking time to exercise—even just spinning a few minutes a day—can be hugely beneficial.

3. Improve Your Heart Cycling is also great for your heart—although not just because you love riding so much (though that’s a great reason too!). A recent study in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise spent five years looking at the activity of 1,500 subjects. Those who were active daily were 31-percent less likely to develop high blood pressure.

4. Feel Sexier A survey of 600 men and women commissioned by The British Heart Foundation found that cyclists were perceived as 13-percent more intelligent and cooler than other people, and a whopping 23 percent said a cyclist would be their preferred blind-date athlete.

5. Lose Fat Weight loss is one of the big benefits of regular cycling, but it bears repeating. The media is often quick to promote the idea that diet is the only way to shed fat, but science is proving otherwise. A recent study showed that older, diabetic women could only drop visceral fat if exercise, along with diet, was introduced into their routine. The same was proved true for younger women.

6. Help Prevent Cancer A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association recently looked at nearly 14,000 men and concluded that those with a higher fitness level as they approached middle age were at a lower risk for lung and colorectal cancer.

7. Feel Better About Yourself Exercise in general (and cycling in particular) helps improve your self-esteem. After finishing a hard workout, your body will release a whole bunch of feel-great hormones that will make you feel like you can take over the world.

8. Live Longer According to one study of Tour de France riders from the past, cycling increased their longevity. On average, the former pros lived to 81.5 years compared to the general population’s 73.5 years: a 17-percent increase! Another study suggested that even casual bike commuters benefit: For individuals who shift from car to bicycle, it was estimated that three to 14 months could be gained compared to the potential downsides of bike commuting.