U70 doctor conquers Antarctica thanks to fitness habits

HANOI - Maintaining the habit of cycling, practicing yoga, and jogging helps Dr. Dung train his physical strength, thereby conquering the South Pole even though he is in his sixties.

Dr. Nguyen Tien Dung, former Head of the Pediatrics Department at Bach Mai Hospital, is a passionate "traveler". In the past, despite being busy with medical examination and treatment, he still spent 30-60 minutes a day cycling or waking up at 5am to do yoga.

When on business trips, the doctor tries to arrange 30 minutes in the morning or evening to walk, both exercising and exploring the local area. Thanks to that, he said he hardly needs to take medicine, rarely suffers from respiratory diseases, has a flexible body, and strong bones and joints. For the man, exercise has become a habit, "indispensable spiritual food". He is currently 66 years old, maintains a height of 1.66 m, weighs 59 kg, and has no underlying diseases.

At the age of sixty, Dr. Dung is more aware of and appreciates his health. When he retired from the hospital, he decided to plan an expedition to a faraway place, challenging himself. Most recently, the doctor and his wife completed a trip to Antarctica.

Before the trip, Mr. Dung hesitated because the organizers warned that the journey would be very harsh, requiring him to cross the ocean, climb mountains, endure the "bone-chilling" cold and seasickness, or feel "head-splittingly dizzy". Although he had practiced, at this age, the functional metabolism of all parts of the body had declined, and the musculoskeletal system was no longer flexible.

"However, I still want to challenge myself and see this as an opportunity to improve my health," the doctor said, adding that he spent three years preparing for the adventure.

*Dr. Dung and his wife have just completed their trip to Antarctica after three years of waiting. Photo: Doctor provided*

During the trip, everyone had to follow the group's regulations, wear waterproof clothes, gloves, and boots that had been vacuumed and sterilized to avoid bringing pathogens to the island. Everyone had to move along the marked path, "just 0.3 meters off course and you could get stuck in the snow, unable to pull your feet up by yourself," the doctor said. Many times, the group encountered snow, rain, and cold winds, and some people gave up halfway.

To maintain his energy, Mr. Dung often wakes up early, goes to the ship's side to watch the sunrise and breathe. In the afternoon, he goes to the deck to exercise and motivates himself to make it to the end of the journey. The doctor wears many layers of clothing, the innermost layer is a thermal jacket, then a warm outer layer, then a specialized waterproof jacket. "I have never had to wear so many layers of clothing, the specialized life jacket alone weighs 7 kg, making it extremely difficult to move around," he said.

On their way to Cuverville Island, the group had to stop halfway up the mountain because the snow was very soft and the road was slippery. Thanks to his previous yoga and cycling habits, Mr. Dung kept his breathing steady while climbing, avoiding exhaustion and injury.

The longest snowy climb was on Orne Island. "After only a few hundred meters, the snow became heavier, the wind became stronger and it was very cold," the doctor said, adding that he had never experienced such bitter cold. Many young people chose to leave Orne and stay on the boat because they could not stand the cold.

Half Moon Island is the place with the least snow, but the distance is very long and the weather is harsh, so many people have to turn back halfway. Mr. Dung is one of the four people who made it to the end. Not only that, thanks to his endurance, he did not catch a cold, ate well, slept well, and always kept an optimistic spirit. For him, this was a valuable experience and an accurate "test" of his health after many years of persistent training.

According to some travel experts, tours to Antarctica are mainly by expedition ship at sea, so seasickness is the most difficult challenge for all passengers. Not to mention, the weather is very cold, constantly below 0 degrees, the journey is long, so it requires tourists to have a good physical foundation.

[Caption]ffffff — *For many years, Dr. Dung has maintained the habit of cycling and exercising to stay healthy and flexible. Photo: Doctor provided*

Exercise is very important for middle-aged people. According to the United Nations Population Fund - UNFPA, Vietnam is one of the 10 countries with the most sedentary people in the world. Research by the Department of Preventive Medicine, Ministry of Health, shows that up to 30% of adults lack physical activity. The physical qualities, endurance and strength of Vietnamese youth are classified as poor compared to the standard. On average, each elderly person has 4-6 combined diseases, their resistance is reduced, so they are susceptible to illness.

"Therefore, regular exercise is an effective way to prevent disease, saving time, money, and medicine," said Dr. Dung.

However, Dr. Dung said his achievements were all thanks to persistent training over a long period of time. In other cases, families should take the elderly for regular check-ups to get advice on appropriate health training. People need to listen to their bodies and find gentle sports, such as tai chi, cycling, yoga, swimming, walking, etc. Maintain a healthy diet and get enough sleep.

People with cardiovascular disease or high blood pressure should not practice strenuous activities such as weightlifting, boxing, or soccer. They should not exercise too early or too late in cold weather as this can cause blood vessels to constrict, leading to strokes and heart attacks.

[Caption]fffff — *Although retired, the doctor still participates in many volunteer visits to examine and treat children. Photo: Provided by the doctor*

Comment (0)