每天慢走半小時 年逾70一條龍 (Slow Walking to Longevity)

转载自:台湾聯合晚報／記者林進修／台北報導(2008/08/30)

「我媽媽今年已經90歲了，不僅能走能跑，腦筋還好得很。有她當榜樣，我當然也要活超過90歲才行囉！」花蓮門諾醫院暨相關機構總執行長黃勝雄生性樂觀，雖已年過七旬，他卻從不覺得自己老，每天仍像個年輕小伙子般，活得很帶勁。

黃勝雄早年在美國匹茲堡大學醫學院任教，是享譽美國的腦神科外科專家，更是美國雷根總統當年指定的隨行醫師，年薪超過百萬美元，可說功成名就。15年前，他深受花蓮門諾醫院前院長薄柔纜「美國很近，花蓮卻很遠」這句話感動，毅然放棄一切，像條迴游的鮭魚，返回故鄉台灣，到後山接掌門諾醫院。

身體好沒秘訣 只要一直走

這些年來，他既要為醫院的長遠發展而四處奔走募款，也要為腦部創傷病患施術。他往往在手術檯旁一站就十幾個小時，沒有過人體力，根本就辦不到。問他保持充沛體力的方法時，他笑得燦爛，「很簡單，只要一直走、一直走就行了。」

這些年來，他每天清晨起床後，就到附近校園的操場「慢走」三、四十分鐘，回家沖個澡，吃過早餐後，再出門上班。顧名思義，「慢走」就是慢慢地走，不求速度，也不在意距離，能走多遠，就走多遠。

長期走下來，黃勝雄也走出了心得，每次出門走路都走到微微冒汗的程度，心跳則高出正常值三成左右，也就是說若正常心跳為每分鐘70下的話，就走到每分鐘心跳90下上下，既可達到運動效果，也不至於對身體造成太大負擔。

如果覺得早上走得不過癮，晚上下班回家，吃過晚飯後，換上輕便服裝，他還會再出門走幾圈。碰到下雨天，那裡也去不了，他就跳上走路機，把一天的運動量補齊。

運動量不大 堅持下去就見效

黃勝雄曾算過，每次出門慢走一趟回來，大約可消耗2百大卡熱量，雖不多，長久下來卻相當可觀。為了檢視運動成果，每次回家沖過澡後，他就站上磅秤，只要體重超過BMI(身體質量指數)的正常標準，接下來的幾天裡，他就從日常飲食中變花樣，少吃高熱量食物，務必將體重拉回正常範圍內才行。

「這真是斤斤計較！」黃勝雄認為，美食當前，大多數人都把持不住，結果飽餐一頓下來，往往也帶給健康一些負面影響，唯有堅持正確且健康的飲食原則，才能永保安康。結果他逐漸偏向素食，但在台灣吃素容易缺鐵，因此他選擇「方便素」，只吃一點點的紅肉，多吃魚類及蔬果。

黃勝雄說，這幾十年來，他接觸過的中風病人不知凡幾，深知中風對個人及家庭、社會的傷害。所以他特別在意血壓及血脂的升降，加上每天慢走及盡量素食，不讓中風等急重症有可乘之機。

常保樂觀心 趕走自由基

黃勝雄認為，還要常保一顆樂觀的心，因為唯有敞開心胸，才可以減少自由基對健康的威脅，「不要說90歲，長命百歲也沒問題。」

黃勝雄表示，自由基無所不在，看似難以應付，但只要生活規律，不暴飲暴食，不抽菸，不酗酒，加上養成規律運動，自然能將這個危害健康的因子壓到最低。但他強調，健康不可能不勞而獲，一定要有實際行動，再配合堅強的意志力才行。

A brief overview by the Blogger:

Dr Peter Huang, a Taiwan's well-known physician, brain surgeon, public leader and Christian missionary worker (education: John Hopkins University MA & MPH, U.S. Thomas Jefferson University Hospital Neurosurgery Residency Trainee, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Neurosurgery & Microsurgery Research Fellow) was once a designated physician to the late U.S. President Ronald Reagan and is currently the CEO of Mennonite Christian Hospital in Hualien, Taiwan.

He mentioned that his mother is now 90 years old, and not only can she move around freely, but she also has a sharp brain. Being born optimistic, Dr Huang who is now 70 + years old believes that he would follow his mother's example and live beyond 90 years of age.

The ways to longevity are:

1. To walk slowly for 30 to 40 minutes every morning after waking up. “Slow walking” means walking at one’s own pace, without any specific speed or distance, and to walk as much as possible.

2. To walk until the body moderately sweats and the heartbeat exceeds 30% of the normal rate.

3. To continue to walk a few rounds after dinner, if the morning walk is felt not enough. Treadmill to be resorted to in a rainy day.

4. To take “convenient vegetarian food”, ie. little red meat and mostly fish, vegetables and fruits.

5. To maintain a happy-go-lucky attitude towards life so as to minimize the threat of “free radicals” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free-radical_theory) to health.
6. To maintain a disciplined lifestyle, e.g. no overeating, no smoking, no alcoholism and to insist on regular physical exercise.

(Abstract from http://walking.about.com/od/weightloss/a/slowwalk0605.htm:

Walking slowly not only burns more calories per mile, it may also save wear and tear on the joints of those who are obese. Researchers at the University of Colorado at Boulder confirmed that people burn more calories per mile walking a very leisurely 2 miles per hour than walking a moderate to brisk 3 to 4 miles per hour.)