Health Essentials
‘Bad roads, deadly car tyres’(1)
• Bad tyres conbribute to road accidents
Our roads have been turned into battlefields. Lawlessness reigns supreme. Lives and property are destroyed or lost without anyone losing sleep.
What I am referring to as roads are in most places stretches of land where manholes and potholes compete for prominence. Sometimes mother luck smiles at us and we have strips of tarred areas reminding us that once upon a time there was a road or a semblance of a road there.
Imagine dodging these craters and competing with people totally drunk yet in charge of a steering wheel. Add a good dose of noise pollution from blarring horns and do not forget our car tyres and road (or is it battle-field) worthiness of our vehicles.
Today we have Abenaa Antwiwaa Adusei (AA) who will tackle a vital part of our road safety that we so often take for granted. Abenaa practiced as a nurse for six years before pursuing an MSc in Occupational Hygiene, which in her opinion positions her to prevent injuries and ill-health rather than wait to see patients at the hospital.
KCE: I am glad you made valuable time to share vital information with my readers.
AA: Same here. Thank you and your readers for allowing me to share this with you.
KCE: You are extremely passionate about etiquette and safety, what motivates you?
AA:The results of ignoring safety is always expensive, in terms of cost of compensation, repair/replacement, loss of corporate image, accidents, disability, loss of lives and properties. All these are most of the time easily preventable by observing safety rules, hence my extreme passion. The popular saying is that ‘prevention is better than cure’ and I totally agree; why cure at an expensive price when you can prevent with just a little!
KCE: Our roads could be described as death traps, dodging these holes has caused many accidents and people have been maimed or precious lives lost. What is your take on safety on our roads?
AA:Safety on our roads, indeed, leaves much to be desired. A lot is being done by the National Road Safety Commission to improve safety on our roads but there is more room for improvement.
Almost everyone has lost a family member or a friend or knows someone who has been disabled through road accidents. So many factors come together to contribute to poor safety on our roads. Unfortunately, the next victim to poor road safety could be you or me.
KCE: You believe that beyond the poor roads, drunk drivers, poor sight etc., there is another major factor that makes life on our roads even more dangerous. Kindly enlighten us
AA: Generally, causes of road traffic accidents (RTA) have been grouped into 3 main components; the human factor, road/environment factor and the vehicle factor. Human factor deals with actions and inactions on the part of drivers, passengers, pedestrians and road safety law-enforcement personnel. Road/environment factors deals with the nature and designs of our roads, lighting systems, traffic calming measures, speed limits, pedestrian facilities etc. Vehicle factor takes a look at design/size of the vehicle, roadworthiness, braking system, tyres, restraints/seatbelts etc.
KCE: Which of the factors you have listed is in your opinion the most important?
AA: According to an approach called the Human – Environment – Vehicle Interface which looks at the percentage contribution of each of the factors as well as their combinations to RTA; human factor alone is said to contribute about 57%.
This approach makes this factor most important but I guess we can critically look at the vehicular factors with specific emphasis on tyres.
KCE: Which of the factors can easily be corrected with our new found knowledge?
AA: Human factors could be improved upon with continuous education, this may take some time but a simple vehicular factor like poor condition of tyres could be corrected easily. It does not take much to do this.
KCE: Have we lost the fight to have safe roads even before we started?
AA:Yes, to some extent but I guess there is hope. We all have roles to play.
KCE: What practical steps may be taken to ensure that our car tyres are much safer?
AA: i. Proper Inflation/Pressure: Maintaining proper air pressure is the single most important thing drivers can do for their tyres. It is important to check air pressure regularly, to make sure tyres are neither under- nor over-inflated.
One can find the correct tyre pressure for one’s vehicle in the operating manual and in most cases either under the fuel cap, on the inside of the door or glove compartment. Correct pressure values are often different for front and rear tyres and are higher for fully loaded vehicles.
Under-inflation causes increased tread wear on the outside edges (or shoulders) of the tyre. It also generates excessive heat, which weakens components and reduces tyre durability. It reduces fuel economy by increasing rolling resistance – soft tyres make vehicles work harder.
Over-inflation is also detrimental to the tyre. Too much air pressure causes the center of the tread to bear the majority of the vehicle’s weight, which leads to faster and uneven wear. Any kind of uneven wear will shorten the lifespan of tyres.
AS ALWAYS LAUGH OFTEN, ENSURE HYGIENE, WALK AND PRAY EVERYDAY AND REMEMBER IT’S A PRICELESS GIFT TO KNOW YOUR NUMBERS (blood sugar, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, BMI)
Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel
Health Essentials Ltd/Mobissel
(www.healthessentialsgh.com)
*Dr. Essel is a medical doctor, holds an MBA and is ISSA certified in exercise therapy, fitness nutrition and corrective exercise. He is the author of the award-winning book, ‘Unravelling The Essentials of Health & Wealth.’
Thought for the week – “Whatever you practice grows stronger. What will you like to see grow stronger in your life?”
Resource Person: Abenaa Antwiwaa Adusei Her References:
1. Basic Tyre Fundamentals, GOOD YEAR PLUS, www.goodyearplus.com
2. ABC News: http://abcnews. go.com/Blotter/story?id=4988518
3. Rubber Manufacturers Association: http://ww.rma.org
4. The telegraph, www.telegraph. co.uk
Abenaa may be reached on: healthandsafetygh@gmail.com or 0500777 775.
By Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel
Health Essentials
At Easter should Spiritual Wellness be the only form of Wellness?
Many of us have already packed our Easter season with so much work and back-to-back programmes we hardly have time to breathe.
The little time we can squeeze out is used to stuff ourselves with food and drinks, but for this season and beyond we may be able to spend five minutes even on extremely busy days to make a difference in our lives so that we can have time to sing, dance and worship God as we remember his unparalleled sacrifice to us.
My-in-laws who reside on the mountain are busy trekking up and dragging their friends and colleagues with them. Any idea why the Kwahus revel in Easter? Has it always been that way or is it a conscious effort to show Ghana and the world what they have?
We all wish our favourite exercises will give us the same benefits as all other exercises but the truth is that some exercises are “more equal than others” just as happens in every aspect of life.
This does not mean if you are unable to perform the most effective exercises, you should exert yourself and cause injury to your body. Remember, Cobba’s First Law of Exercising is “DO NO HARM”.
These exercises may just help you stay afloat this Easter:
• Squats
• Plank
• Push-Ups
• Walking & Dancing
Squats
Every single rep (repetition) in this exercise is worth the effort.
Squats target the quadriceps, hamstrings and gluteals, which in simple language refers to the thigh muscles and buttocks.
It is important to learn the right technique and since it exercises large muscle groups, you are able to burn a lot of calories with squats.
In every exercise session, it is important to work large muscles before the smaller ones.
Steps
1. Keep feet shoulder width apart
2. Back should be straight (standing posture)
3. Bend knees and lower your rear till your thighs are horizontal.
4. Return to the standing position
5. Repeat steps 1-4
6. Remember to stretch the muscles used after the exercise.
If you have difficulty following the steps above, place a chair behind you and with your back straight try to sit on it. Do not let your buttocks touch the seat, then return to the standing position and repeat. As your technique improves, you may remove the chair.
As one gets stronger you may even carry some weights while doing squats but as always start with caution. You may do only 3 reps at a time (properly). Gradually, add some more.
When to avoid squats
• Severe knee pain irrespective of cause
• Knee injury even if no longer painful (you will need professional supervision)
• Acute back pain (you will later do back slides which is similar to squats and helps strengthen back muscles)
This exercise benefits almost everyone with a lifestyle disease. Hypertensives (those with high blood pressure) even get a bonus since it causes peripheral pooling of blood and helps to lower the blood pressure over time.
Plank
Arguably, the safest exercise for strengthening abdominal muscles and also has the added benefit of strengthening lower back muscles. Especially for people who sit for long hours (you shouldn’t anyway) this is great news for helping your back.
1. Start by getting into a push-up position
2. Bend your elbows and rest your weight on your forearms and not on your hands
3. Support your lower body on your toes
4. Your body should form a straight line from shoulders to ankles just like a plank of wood
5. Engage your core (midsection) by sucking your belly button into your spine
6. Hold this position for the prescribed time. This may vary from 5 seconds to 1 minute. Repeat.
Push-ups (press-ups)
This is probably the first exercise most people try out; well apart from laughter and walking I presume, and everyone is familiar with it.
Go ahead and squeeze a minute a day in there.
Walking & dancing
Before you set out to exercise your muscles remember to walk at least a minute before you start and a minute after you are done.
You may even walk while in one place, what matters is moving your legs and arms and getting your heart to pump.
Use every opportunity during the day to:
• use the stairs instead of the elevator
• walk while you talk on your cell phone
• Walk to a colleague’s desk at the office instead of using the phone or sending someone else.
• Pick your own stuff for cooking instead of sitting and getting people to assist with even the trivial errands
• Dance with your heart whenever you have a chance; during your Christmas programmes, while watching TV and even while you take a shower.
A minute each for Squats, Planks and Push-ups and two minutes of walking every morning, afternoon or evening may just be enough to get you through the season and certainly it will not tamper much with your tight holiday schedule. Do not forget to smile often, breathe deeply to relax, enjoy some sunshine, pray, praise and worship God and you will be on the right path especially if you keep an eye on your finances and learn to unplug several hours each day.
In my opinion, every aspect of Wellness is important at all times and we should try to keep a balance. Neglecting all other aspects (Physical, Social, Mental, Digital, Financial & Spiritual) and focusing only on Spiritual Wellness will mean we will not be able to perform at our very best and certainly our Maker needs the best version of us.
AS ALWAYS LAUGH OFTEN, ENSURE HYGIENE, WALK AND PRAY EVERYDAY AND REMEMBER IT’S A PRICELESS GIFT TO KNOW YOUR NUMBERS (blood sugar, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, BMI)
Dr Kojo Cobba Essel
Health Essentials Ltd/ Medics Clinic
(dressel@healthessentialsgh. com)
*Dr Essel is a Medical Doctor with a keen interest in Lifestyle Medicine, He holds an MBA and is an ISSA Specialist in Exercise Therapy, Fitness Nutrition and Corrective Exercise. He is the author of the award-winning book, ‘Unravelling The Essentials of Health & Wealth.’
Thought for the week – “For heart health you need to relax and have fun as well; schedule time for leisure, sing praises to God, laugh often, learn to breathe deeply and maybe get a pet.”
References:
• The Gym Bible
• www.webmd.com
• 30dayfitnesschallenges.com
By Dr Kojo Cobba Essel
Health Essentials
Hijab (Islamic Veil) as an Act of Worship
Alhamdulillah (all praise is due to Allah), the Creator of the heavens and the earth, the One who guides us to the straight path.
We bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah alone, and we testify that Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is His servant and Messenger.
May Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, his family, and all who follow him in righteousness until the Last Day.
Introduction
Dear respected brothers and sisters in Islam, today’s khutbah addresses an essential act of worship that embodies submission, modesty, and obedience to Allah: the “Hijab”.
While the Hijab is an explicit command from Allah, it is also a human right protected under local and international laws.
It is imperative that Muslim women are allowed to observe Hijab freely, especially in public institutions such as universities, banks, ministries, public health institutions, and government agencies.
Definition and Meaning of Hijab
In Islam, Hijab refers to modesty in appearance and behaviour. For women, this includes covering the body, except for the face and hands, in non-revealing clothing (not skin-tight), while for men, it includes covering from the navel to the knees and dressing modestly.
The Hijab extends to lowering the gaze, avoiding indecent speech, and conducting oneself with dignity.
Allah commands:
“And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and guard their private parts and not to display their adornment except that which [ordinarily] appears thereof and to wrap [a portion of] their headcovers over their chests.”
(Quran 24:31).
Essence of Hijab as an Act of Worship and Modesty
The Hijab is an act of worship rooted in obedience to Allah. It is not a cultural practice but a divine command. Allah says:
“O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments. That is more suitable that they will be known and not be abused. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful.”
(Quran 33:59).
The Hijab is a reflection of one’s faith, modesty, and inner character. It shields the individual from immorality and contributes to the moral fabric of society.
Lowering the Garments and the Gaze
The Hijab also encompasses lowering the gaze and maintaining purity in interactions between genders. Allah says:
“Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and guard their private parts. That is purer for them. Indeed, Allah is Acquainted with what they do.” (Quran 24:30).
By lowering the gaze, both men and women protect themselves from sin and maintain mutual respect.
Social Menace and Immoralities Due to Lack of Hijab
The absence of Hijab in society has led to numerous social issues, including:
Zina (Adultery and Fornication): Unrestricted interactions and immodesty increase the likelihood of adultery and fornication, which Allah explicitly prohibits:
“And do not approach unlawful sexual intercourse. Indeed, it is ever an immorality and is evil as a way.”
(Quran 17:32).
Exploitation and Objectification:
When modesty is neglected, individuals, especially women, are objectified and exploited, resulting in an increase in harassment and sexual abuse, a phenomenon that has plagued many organissations such as Universities, Banks and other public institutions. The introduction of Sexual Harassment Policies with its attendant harsh punishments has done very little in resolving this menace.
By Imam Alhaji Saeed Abdulai
