Do you know your blood type? Why is it even important?
Dr Peter D’Adamo is a naturopathic physician who is also an author, researcher and educator. In 1997 he made a significant contribution to understanding the clinical importance of how the groups of blood types (ABO) react to specific foods and exercise. He also found out that specific blood types react to specific bacteria and are sensitive to different diseases. He is the author of the best-selling book, “Eating Right Your Blood Type.”
This week, I just want to give some information to help what type of exercise he suggests depending on your blood type.
Type O: Strong and athletic — high-intensity workouts like interval training, running, Crossfit and plyometrics. You use exercise as an emotional outlet, to reduce stress and anxiety, and to boost your mood.
Type A: Intense exercise increases your levels of the stress hormone cortisol and leads to muscle fatigue and stiffness. Best for you are calming activities that help you focus and protect your joints, such as Pilates, yoga, Tai Chi, and isometric exercises.
Type B: You will enjoy group cardio workouts such as tennis or cycling, as well as resistance training.
Type AB: You tend to get muscle and joint stiffness from high impact exercise, so you will be better to stick with gentle exercise such as walking, hiking, golf and dance. You may also enjoy yoga and Tai Chi that increase mood level, and keep your muscles and joints healthy.
Understanding your blood type is like a key that can unlock the mysteries of health and disease. It can affect your energy levels, your emotional responses, and even your personality. It determines your susceptibility to illnesses, and which foods and what types of exercise are best for your body.
The connection between blood type and exercise may sound unlikely, but there is strong evidence to show that it is in fact very relevant. Many factors combine to determine the way your body responds to exercise, including of course proper nutrition, hydration, rest, level of fitness … and blood type, which can help you understand your limits, and can act as a guide to allow you to use exercise to improve your health.
I suggest you pay attention to which exercises you are doing, and what type of exercise you really enjoy doing. Actually you will probably be surprised how much you match his recommendation for your blood type!
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Ayda Ersoy is a nutrition and fitness director at The Diet Doc Hawaii. She can be reached at DietDocHawaii.com, Ayda@DietDocHawaii.com or (808) 276-6892
