SINGAPORE : Experts say taxi-drivers have a higher risk of contracting heart diseases compared to others.
This is because many of them drive for long hours at a stretch or are just too tired to exercise after work.
But there are plans to help these cabbies keep their health in check.
Lai Jun Meng, a cabbie for over 20 years, drives for up to 12 hours each day, leaving him little time to exercise.
"We feel it ourselves, we at our age, if we lack exercise, staying in the vehicle for over 10 hours and no sweating, not good for health and might increase our blood pressure, diabetes," he said.
But taxi drivers like him may just get their chance to do so.
The Singapore Heart Foundation is working with a taxi company to get some 10,000 of its cabbies to exercise and monitor their blood pressure.
John Cheong, CEO of Singapore Heart Foundation, said: "We are going to provide them with some blood pressure gauge, machines at some of the kiosks where the taxi-drivers normally settle down during their break hours.
"These machines are actually meant for them to test their own blood pressure, their pulse, which we will provide some kind of book to monitor their own performance."
Taxi drivers are encouraged to do this daily and they can also do simplified exercise routines during their spare time.
Dr Low Lip Ping, Chairman of the Singapore Heart Foundation, said: "Most taxi-drivers are men and men in general are more likely to have a heart disease...they may be more prone to obesity.
"Taxi-drivers, generally speaking are not young. They are usually middle age or older and age is also a factor."
Coffeshops are resting points for taxi-drivers.
According to one shopowner, most of them usually take a break for an hour or so, catch up with fellow drivers, have a coffee or two before heading off.
Younger Singaporeans have not been left out of the healthy lifestyle drive.
One in 10 students are overweight and as heart disease can also stem from obesity, the Singapore Heart Foundation will soon be introducing a skipping rope programme to 180 primary schools.
It also hopes to raise $1.5 million this year to roll out other programmes for the community.
In 1997, 67 out of 100,000 people died from a heart attack, and the foundation is hoping to halve the number by 2010. - CNA/de
I think .....
If u smokes ( like me ) ....
if u dun exercise ( unlike me ) .....
And u like lots of fat food , like Pig legs , Pig necks , Pig skins ....watch out man .
And if u are fat , higher chances to get chronic heart diseases .
And fat people will have high blood pressure before heart attack strike them .
Try la ..... exercise just abit .
Do a short jog of 15 minutes also good . 2 rounds around your block also good .
Walking up your stairs , can do you lots of good .
Walking down also can la , if don't like walking up .
I once had a rice-size stone inside my valve between my bladder & my kidney .
Cause ?
Drink too little water .
According to the Urologist , the stone is like a salt substance , un-desolve substance , that accumulated into a stone .
Cure ?
No medicine needed , just drink lots of water , and the water will slowly flush off the salt substance .
All my taxis buddy , at least one has a minor problem ....
Not a single one is disease free .
If u are still healthy , do more to keep yourself even more healthier .
Eat right , drink right , more rest , less work , less stress , smoke less , make more love !!!!
One of my good old on course taxi buddy ....
After driving 2 generations of Crown , his left leg ( knee cap ) is giving way .....
Bend also painful now .
No choice but to see a Specialist , gets a letter of recommendation , to replace the Crown into a Sonata ..... got letter still need to wait !
He quit Comfort and signed up Kia Magentis for the sake of his knee cap .
In this case , Comfort still cannot deal with it properly . Sad .
http://www.coreconcepts.com.sg/What_is_slipped_disc.htm
Please read abit on above mention article about Slip Disc .
It's another common injury to taxi drivers .
Cause ?
Long hours of sitting with same postures .
tat's all for today .....
if got any other taxi related disease , do bring up .
Share share ..... your knowledge and experiences .
Once , about a few years back .....
My abdomen painful .... urine also painful .....
went to see my family doctor at Bt Pj Bangkit Road .....
What he did ......
he took out a sanitary gloves .... put on his gloves , get me to pants down , bend down , and he chuck his finger into my ass ....... and digged the surroundings , like what we did when nose digging .
So after checking , he told me he is checking for Prostate Related disease .
Cos the synthoms quite similiar .
And to make thing worst , he told me Prostate Cancer is a common disease for taxi drivers .
Why ?
Sit too long .... always loon dun pang sai , pang jio ...... drink less water .
Irregular meals ....
So from that day onwards , i learnt something more in my life . And take good care of myself .
Not that i scared die , i just dun want my family to suffer .
So for the sake of your family , take good care of your health .
And also , i recommend taxi drivers to go for Medical Checkups every 1 or every 2 years ....
Take up those with blood test .
One blood test + Medical review = $180 ?
Blood test will know everything about your body .
urine test , high blood repssure test , kidney and liver test .
White blood cells and red blood cells test .
yeah i did it last year , i am 100% fit to drive .
yah must take care man, for me want to pee or shit i juz go
wait lun n lun will die man my bladder not so powerful when
need to let go muz go liao haha. bro where did u take ur medical
review?
knn any clinic will do .....
i got it done at my family clinic , been seeing him since i was 16 ?
At Bt Panjang la .... moved to cck also see him .
Pay a bit more taxi fare , sick see one time guarantee OK . Unlike some clinic , they just dun dare to whack stronger dose for me , my Dr.Lim know me , just whack , sure ok .
He did my medical review .... i am satisfied , always satisfied with him .
if i missed my review , he will sms me , hello time to check up son . Hahahaha
Originally posted by komade:yah must take care man, for me want to pee or shit i juz go
wait lun n lun will die man my bladder not so powerful when
need to let go muz go liao haha. bro where did u take ur medical
review?
ur Navy time got did many review , u should be Grade A health la .... but after 5 years start , do it , now u no need la bro .
Ya man guys , if u haven't got any Hepatitis A and B jabs , do it .
Cheap cheap la $50 per jab ....one jab and can rest assure no liver disease , not will no kena , low low chances if jab done .
Can imagine , Liver cancer my dad got ?
Scary la ...believe me .
Those cancers cells are ruthless ... once they whacked you , they won't pull their punches . Especially those " Male" cancer cells , those fuckers are commandos sia !
But once u jab those hapatitis a and B jabs , it's like a Great Wall , preventing the cells from attacking you .
I got my A jabs , not B , soon la .
ok thanx for the info bro, eh not much review lar.
tink normal 1 only when come back frm overseas
will have blood test, check for aids/ std etc i think :P
And also , recent H1N1 vaccine , go la ...cheap cheap $30 .
KNN we everyday exposed to millions of virus transmitted by who we also dunno ..... so many pax ? Quiet quiet type , inside sick like hell ....
One Vaccine jab , like the MS Windows Defender ..... shield us from Haaaaa-chew virus .
yah think i better go for the h1n1 vaccine, next week mon
off day i go n take thanx for reminding me bro ;)