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00:00We all want simple ways to feel better.
00:04Maybe you want to know how to kickstart your day.
00:07Or perhaps you're having trouble remembering things.
00:10Maybe you want something to lift your mood.
00:15Following in the footsteps of Dr. Michael Mosley in his hit podcast, Just One Thing.
00:20We're traveling across the country.
00:23Ta-da!
00:24This is going to be good for you.
00:26I'm really excited for this.
00:27Asking people to make one small change for big benefits.
00:32Any idea what it is?
00:33I haven't got a clue.
00:35I haven't done gardening before, but it's the first time for everything.
00:39Sharing the quick and easy ways we can all improve our lives.
00:43Oh, yeah!
00:45By doing just one thing.
00:47I feel so happy that we're doing this.
00:49I can't believe how much it has changed my life.
00:59This time, I'm in a capital city that's famous for its many castles and a proud sporting history.
01:07It's Cardiff.
01:11And I've got just one thing that gives you a great upper body workout, reduces the risk of type 2
01:18diabetes, and could even boost your brain power.
01:22I'm sure Welsh rugby players do their fair share of today's Just One Thing.
01:27It's really quick, and you don't need any fancy equipment.
01:31But most of us don't do it, including me.
01:35It's press-ups.
01:38I'm on my way to meet 37-year-old entrepreneur, Shalise, who has no idea about the Just One Thing
01:45I've got in store.
01:46Shalise.
01:47Hi.
01:48Hi, I'm Clive.
01:48Nice to meet you.
01:49How are you doing? You all right?
01:50Pretty good, thanks. Yeah.
01:51Excellent.
01:52I hear you're looking to make some healthy changes to your life.
01:56I don't find the time to exercise or get moving as much as I'd like to.
02:02I probably sat in a desk all day and not moved.
02:05Yeah.
02:06And they say sitting is the new smoking, which is not good.
02:09So I need to get moving a bit more.
02:12With a hectic schedule working in fashion, Shalise finds it hard to get to the gym.
02:18I'm really busy.
02:20I have run lots of different businesses and wear multiple hats, and that takes up a lot of my time.
02:28It's a juggling balance, but I'm just not juggling my own lifestyle.
02:33What are the reasons you want to try to sort of improve your fitness?
02:36So my grandmother just recently passed, and it was because of diabetes.
02:42Right.
02:42Um, and so I, that really shocked me.
02:46Um, and so I, I really want to make a change to my life because of it.
02:50Shalise has a family history of type 2 diabetes, and her grandmother's death has hit her hard.
02:57My gran was an amazing woman. She used to run a plantation in Dominica and she would
03:04feed everyone in the town. So they used to call it Phyllis's Kitchen. I was going to
03:09visit her this May. They said like a week before I was going that she had knocked her
03:13toe and that she needed to have two toes cut. Then I arrived and, sorry I'm getting upset,
03:23but yeah, I arrived to see that they cut her leg above her knee and she needed a lot of
03:35care. Phyllis had developed a life-threatening infection in her foot and her leg had to be
03:41amputated. It was a big shock to see her. She was such a strong woman and like really tall,
03:49really big, kind heart. And she, sadly, she passed away and ultimately diabetes was the
03:58reason that she passed away. I didn't have a clue how dangerous it could get. The one
04:02thing that I worry about the most is getting that in later in life and struggling with knowing
04:08what my grandmother's gone through. It is quite shocking to think that could be me or that
04:12could be my sister or someone that I'm really close to. Yeah, so I definitely want to see
04:20if I can change my habits.
04:22Lifestyle and lack of fitness are key factors in type 2 diabetes. One study found that people
04:29with high muscle strength are 44% less likely to develop it than those with low muscle strength.
04:36So hopefully what I'm suggesting will really help Shalise. Well, look, I have got a just
04:43one thing challenge. Okay. That I think is going to be perfect for you. Oh, that sounds good.
04:48Any idea what it might be? No. Not at all? No, I've been trying to guess, but I have no
04:53idea.
04:53Just follow me over here. Okay. Right, there's a lot of gym equipment. Yeah. Here in the great outdoors,
05:02but you're not going to need any of that because I know you're a busy woman. I am, yeah. Getting
05:06exercise is tricky. It is, yeah. So this is really, really simple. You can do it at work. You
05:10could do it at home. I'm intrigued to know what this is. You're intrigued to know. Okay, so your
05:16just one thing challenge is? Mike. Please, the suspense. What is it? Press-ups. Oh, God.
05:27Oh, my God. I don't think I could do more than one. Oh, well, we're going to start off nice
05:34and
05:34gently. We're going to do it together. The easiest way to start doing press-ups or push-ups, as they're
05:40also known, is against the wall because you don't need to support as much of your body weight. Your
05:45feet. Yeah. About a hip's width apart. Yeah. Arms straight there. Yeah. Okay. And inhale. As you push
05:54down and then push back. Exhale. There we go. One more time. And as you get more confident,
06:04as you do this, you can move away from the wall and maybe go to a bench and then eventually
06:10end up
06:11doing it on the floor. Right. Yeah. Okay. To build body strength, I want Chalise to work up to three
06:19sets of 12 press-ups a day. There you go. And it's wonderful because it will increase your upper
06:26body strength. Yeah. You'll tighten your pectoral muscles. It's incredibly simple but incredibly
06:33effective too. Okay. You get a lot of bang for your buck from this exercise. That's easier than I
06:38thought. Easier than you thought. Yeah. Yeah? Yeah. It's a miracle exercise. Are you up for the challenge?
06:43I'll give it a shot. You've got to give it more than a shot. You've got to go for it,
06:48Chalise. You've got to go for it. I think I can do it. You can do it? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
06:53I was
06:53actually really scared at first when he said press-ups. It made me have a bit of dread because I
06:59only
07:00remember doing a few of those at school. But no, I think it's something that I can do around my
07:04schedule,
07:05around the different projects that I've got going on. And yeah, it's definitely something I can keep up with.
07:11I really think Chalise is up for this. I can feel it. She's had a difficult time with her grandmother
07:20passing away because of type 2 diabetes. She really wants to make a change in her life. And I can
07:27understand the difficulty in finding the time to get to the gym, to get the exercise. Hopefully this is
07:35going to help her because it's simply straightforward. She can do it at home, do it whenever she can.
07:40If Chalise can embrace my press-up challenge, the short-term pain could lead to some incredible
07:46long-term gains. Press-ups could help Chalise live longer. People who did 40 minutes of strength
07:54exercises a week had a 17% lower risk of death from any illness. They could also lower her risk
08:01of type 2
08:02diabetes. Women who did any amount of strength training reduced their chances of developing the
08:08disease by 30%. And press-ups could also have a powerful impact on heart health. One study found
08:16that strength exercises lowered high blood pressure around as much as common medications.
08:25It's easier to take on a new challenge with your friends and family by your side. So Chalise
08:30has invited Amanda, Laura, Anna and Mum Sherry to join her and I'm throwing them in at the deep end.
08:38You're going to run out to the blue cone. Stand by. Go! Good. Chest to the floor. Pull the extend
08:45up.
08:47Good. Jog back. At this Welsh barracks, the troops are making press-ups look easy.
08:53They look very fit and very scary. But what will Chalise's gang make
09:01of their Just One Thing? Everybody warmed up! Nice and warm!
09:06Yes, sir! Not clear enough! Everybody nice and warm!
09:10Yes, sir! Your Just One Thing challenge is going to improve your upper body strength.
09:14Hold it up, hold it up! What's going on there? What?
09:18That might be a bit of a clue. It's going to help reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes and
09:25improve your brain function.
09:27Your Just One Thing challenge is... Sit-ups. Not sit-ups, push-ups, Mum.
09:34Breast, press-ups! Sit-ups!
09:43Amanda, what do you think? It's not my strongest exercise, that one, but I think we've got this.
09:49You've got this, you've got this. Are you all going to still be friends by the end of this?
09:53Maybe not. I really hope so. Strong friends.
09:56Strong friends, that's what I want to hear.
10:00With Mum Sherry and the friends signed up, I'm hoping to get some press-up pointers from the strongest person
10:06in the barracks.
10:07Staff Sergeant Nerys Jones.
10:09Fully extend the arms!
10:11Nerys!
10:12You've got them well-trained. It's good to see you.
10:15I've got them well-trained. How are you doing? Are you all right?
10:16Not too bad, not too bad at all. Press-ups.
10:18Oh, yes.
10:19What's the right technique? Is there a set way of doing it properly?
10:22There's a different technique. You can do wide arm, you can do close arm, but if you're super strong, you
10:27can do one arm.
10:28One arm.
10:30Oh, there we go. There we go.
10:34Wow. That would be one-on-one.
10:38The pressure, get on that one.
10:40Oh, my word. By the end of this challenge, you'll all be doing it with one arm.
10:44Is there a particular time of day you should be doing it?
10:47Any time of day.
10:48Any time.
10:48I tell my troops, you can get up in the morning, before you go and brush your teeth, you bang
10:53out ten press-ups, or however many you want.
10:58Any time is a good time to incorporate strength training into your day.
11:03But late afternoon might be best, as this is when our strength and endurance peaks, possibly due to an increase
11:09in body temperature.
11:12So, no time like the present.
11:15Can you feel your muscles being worked?
11:17Can you feel them being worked?
11:19You can feel them being worked.
11:20That's it.
11:21Yeah, that's good.
11:22It's in my shoulders.
11:24No pain, no gain.
11:26Girls, be careful, that truck's moving.
11:30That's it.
11:32Okay, down you go.
11:35Amanda has opted to start on the ground, but with press-ups from her knees, which are slightly easier than
11:41full-body ones.
11:42There you go. That's how you do it.
11:43Okay, and down you go.
11:51Quality is better than quantity.
11:53Slowly go all the way down until your chest is within an inch or two of the floor.
11:58And pause before pushing up.
12:00This time under tension is going to help you get the maximum muscle building effect.
12:07Yes!
12:07Do you?
12:07You're pushing your whole body weight up, so it's going to be difficult.
12:10I managed one, so it's definitely going to be challenging.
12:16Press-ups.
12:17I mean, they're not everybody's cup of tea.
12:19And to be fair, they're not exactly my cup of tea either.
12:23Because I don't know why I'm laughing, but did you see their faces?
12:26When they saw the army out here doing all their fitness training.
12:32Oh my word, what a picture.
12:34But they're doing it for their friend, and that's the key thing.
12:37Moral support.
12:38So fingers crossed.
12:40This is going to work out.
12:43Exercises that use your own body weight instead of equipment are known as calisthenics.
12:48And we have a long history of using them to get buff.
12:55Calisthenics first became popular in this country in the 19th century.
13:00And it was deemed one of the few activities that were okay for women to do when it comes to
13:05exercise.
13:05The phrase press-up didn't really come into proper use, popular use until the 20th century.
13:12In the 1930s, the UK government was encouraging everybody to get involved in physical activity because of the fear we
13:19were unfit for war.
13:20And then you reach the 80s and the 90s and all the military paraphernalia has been thrown away to be
13:26replaced by leg warmers, spandex and neon headbands.
13:32This was the era when fitness videos were all the rage, and British icons like the Green Goddess and Mr.
13:39Motivator helped popularize body weight exercises for the general public.
13:45Today, we're still feeling the burn, thanks to fitness influencers like Joe Wicks.
13:51But how are the group getting on with their just one thing?
13:58Shalise is building muscle, doing reps against the wall.
14:02It's definitely out of my comfort zone and it's a challenge.
14:07I'm still getting used to doing it against the wall.
14:10I'm finding that I feel a bit of the aches and pains of doing it.
14:17There's another reason I think this just one thing will really help Shalise.
14:23If I'm not feeling great, I'm really bad at being consistent, especially with exercise and weight, yeah.
14:31I'm an emotional eater. Food has always been like a way of treating myself.
14:35If I'm sad, yeah, it's one of those things that I'm not proud of.
14:41At the same time, it's a part of me.
14:45A study in 2018 found that strength training can reduce the symptoms of depression.
14:52So press-ups won't just help Shalise with her strength and fitness, they could also tackle her low mood.
15:01The rest of the group are having a mixed response to the challenge.
15:05Laura's advanced to press-ups on the ground, from her knees.
15:09I can do about six. That's the most I've done.
15:15But Sherry's streaking ahead, doing full body press-ups.
15:20One. I'm still struggling.
15:26Anna's also started full body press-ups, but is finding it hard to build up the reps.
15:31I'm really struggling today. I can't seem to hold my own body weight.
15:35And I've just realised how important a rest day is.
15:38A rest day every few days will give them time to recover physically and mentally, and will help prevent injuries.
15:46I can feel in my arms that it hurts quite a bit, so...
15:49Shalise has graduated from wall press-ups to the sofa, which will require more upper body strength.
15:56I think this is all I can manage.
16:00But I gave it my best shot.
16:02This is definitely a whole new level of pain, but I definitely think it's worthwhile.
16:09I've been finding my press-ups hard going, and so far I've only managed two sets of ten.
16:15So I'm still a little way off my goal of three sets of twelve a day.
16:19I must admit, I'm not a big fan of going to gym, so any exercise I can do at home
16:25with minimal equipment is fine by me.
16:28And frankly, I haven't been doing much strength training of late.
16:32So I need some tricks to sort of keep me going, to sort of keep me at it.
16:37So I'm going to start doing my press-ups as soon as I wake up, even in my pyjamas.
16:41The second trick is to try to combine something you like doing with something you don't like doing.
16:48So while I'm not a big fan of press-ups, I know I need to do them.
16:52So I'm going to have some good music on, or a podcast, or even watch the TV.
16:57It's called temptation bundling. So you're combining something you like to do with something you don't like to do.
17:04And the idea is to make the whole thing much more pleasurable.
17:16And in the spirit of mixing pleasure with pain, over in Cardiff, I've organised for Shalees and her press-up
17:22posse to get completely out of their comfort zone.
17:26What have I got watching them do?
17:28Exciting.
17:29Yeah.
17:32Oh wow. Oh my God.
17:34What is going on?
17:36They're going to use their muscle power on one of the UK's newest and most exciting sports, parkour.
17:45No.
17:46Oh my God.
17:49It requires great upper body strength, so hopefully all of the training that Shalees and the group have been doing
17:55will stand them in good stead.
17:58Hey guys, how's it going? My name's Otis. Today we're going to give parkour a go.
18:02That's why push-ups are a great asset in this sport. It's all about your own body weight, your own
18:09strength and what you can do with that.
18:11Shall we give it a go? Yeah.
18:12Go on then.
18:13Let's do it.
18:14Press-ups and parkour give us what's known as functional fitness.
18:20And through.
18:22You can do it.
18:23Do it.
18:24Yes.
18:25Nice. Well done.
18:27This is the sort of fitness we need in everyday life for things like carrying shopping or opening a heavy
18:33door.
18:33So I'm going to get into position and then a climb up. It's pushing straight up to there. Okay.
18:41These tasks can become harder as we get older and lose muscle mass, but press-ups and parkour will keep
18:48you stronger for longer.
18:50It's using that upper body strength to push from there. Okay.
18:53So talking about upper body strength, all right, we're going to try bar hang.
18:59Now, bar hang is a really, really great way of measuring longevity.
19:04Hanging from a bar requires us to hold on tight and a strong grip has been linked to a lower
19:10risk of premature death.
19:12Aiming for two minutes is where we should all be aiming for in life to be able to hold on.
19:18Two minutes.
19:19But we're going to go for as long as we can.
19:21I just want you to get that grip.
19:23And then you're just going to hold.
19:28Okay, that's all I can do.
19:30About seven or eight seconds.
19:31Well done.
19:32You got this.
19:34Can I re-grip?
19:35Yeah, if you need.
19:36Can I re-grip?
19:38No.
19:4050 seconds.
19:41Well done.
19:42That was good.
19:43Time for Anna and Shalise's mum, Sherry, to have a go.
19:50I'm swinging.
19:53We can come back next week, actually.
19:55Really, really good.
19:56That's exactly what I was saying about focusing your mind.
19:59You got this, Mum.
20:00In my head I was singing, on Christ the solid rock I stand.
20:04Sorry.
20:06And I just had the bar going.
20:08And I forgot I wasn't there for a minute.
20:11You can do it.
20:12You can do it.
20:13Come on.
20:14So proud of me.
20:1510 seconds.
20:16Breathe, breathe.
20:17And that's two minutes.
20:18Well done.
20:19Is she going to keep going there?
20:20Go on, go for three.
20:21No.
20:23Well done.
20:24Very nice.
20:26So how are the press-up pals feeling after their parkour workout?
20:32Never, ever thought I'd be doing this in my wildest dreams.
20:37The push-ups really did help.
20:40I just feel more energised, more healthy within myself.
20:45I don't feel as sluggish.
20:47That's within my brain and my body.
20:49So even me and Anna were saying how we dream about it sometimes.
20:54It's become a part of our, yeah, mindset.
20:59As well as strengthening muscle, press-ups could also boost our brain power.
21:05One study in young adults showed they had faster reaction times
21:09and could solve more problems 15 minutes after strength training.
21:14And over 65s who took up strength training were found to have improved focus and decision-making skills.
21:23I want to go one step further with the help of my nephew, Felix.
21:28So, Felix, in order to get a really good brain workout, the science reckons that what you need to use
21:35is cognitive motor training,
21:37which is where you do an exercise and a cognitive test at the same time.
21:42Right?
21:42Yeah.
21:43So I'm going to give it a go.
21:44Yeah, let's do this.
21:45Yeah?
21:45Let's do it.
21:46Okay.
21:47So, go easy on me.
21:48Capital cities.
21:50Capital cities of nations around the world.
21:52Good luck.
21:53Go easy on me.
21:54I'm an old man.
21:55Okay.
21:55Right?
21:56Yeah.
21:57Okay, here we go.
21:58So, what's the capital of Ireland?
22:00Dublin.
22:01And Iceland?
22:03Reykjavik.
22:03What about Norway?
22:05Norway.
22:06Ooh.
22:07Uh, Oslo.
22:08And Croatia?
22:09Croatia.
22:10Uh, Zagreb.
22:11You're making this look easy.
22:13What about Azerbaijan?
22:14Azerbaijan!
22:15Ooh!
22:16Azerbaijan.
22:17Uh, Baku.
22:20And Malta?
22:21Malta.
22:23Malta.
22:24Well, perhaps working my brain is keeping my mind off the pain,
22:28because I've reached a new personal best of 27 press-ups in a row.
22:32The letter, is it?
22:33Yeah, that's it.
22:34Ooh!
22:35Is that it?
22:36And then...
22:39I'll let you off now.
22:41While I take a break, the group are still working towards three sets of a dozen press-ups
22:47a day.
22:48It's a lot to aspire to, but Amanda's not one to chicken out.
22:53And I thought I might just increase the load today, because things are going really
23:00well.
23:00And it's a big day for Shalise.
23:03Three.
23:04That's all I could do.
23:05Wait!
23:06You did it!
23:07She's built up from wall, sofa, and knee press-ups.
23:11And with the support of her friends and mum, she's now doing full-body press-ups.
23:17I've nailed!
23:23Some of the group are discovering that the beauty of press-ups is that you can do them
23:31anywhere, wildlife permitting.
23:36Oh, my darling!
23:38Oh!
23:39Oh!
23:39Oh!
23:39Oh!
23:40Oh!
23:40Oh!
23:40Let's see how we go.
23:41Oh!
23:43Oh!
23:43Shalise and the group have realised that to incorporate this just one thing into their daily lives
23:49takes just five minutes a day.
23:52Right.
23:52I'm going to do some push-ups whilst I'm working today.
24:00So, I'm done.
24:01I've achieved it today at work.
24:05To begin with, it was really tricky, but it's like something clicked.
24:09I don't even know how that happened.
24:11I didn't think I had a routine before and I was very opposed to it.
24:15But these days, it's just something I do like getting up in the morning.
24:20Shalise wanted something to help her reduce the risk of diabetes and improve her mood.
24:26And I thought press-ups would be just the thing.
24:28So, how do they do this?
24:32Well, stronger muscles need more glucose for energy and repair.
24:36They absorb this from the blood, which can actually lower blood sugar levels,
24:41reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes.
24:44And press-ups can also cause a release of the feel-good chemicals, endorphins,
24:50as part of the body's natural response to pain.
24:53So, people often experience a boost in mood and confidence
24:57to go with their expanding muscles and improved physical abilities.
25:05Shalise's challenge is almost at an end,
25:08so she's meeting with Mum Sherry and friends Anna, Amanda and Laura to compare notes.
25:14I couldn't do 3 to start with, and now I'm on the floor and I'm doing up to 15,
25:20and I think that's really surprising.
25:2215 happens to be my sweet spot.
25:23And you really feel you've done them as well straight after, don't you?
25:26Everything feels a lot tighter.
25:27Yeah.
25:28I've noticed my arms.
25:30Yeah, absolutely.
25:31When I did the first one, it was, like, really, really hard.
25:34It's surprising, isn't it?
25:35I know.
25:36And then it just continued practising.
25:39It just came from nowhere, and it's like, you know, I can do 20, maybe 25,
25:44but not perfectly, but still, you know.
25:4625?
25:47Yes.
25:48I felt pretty proud of doing 15.
25:50Just so easy to do and quick.
25:52Yeah.
25:53You don't have to pay any money to go to the gym if you don't want to.
25:56You can just do it at home.
25:57You can do it anywhere.
25:58Yeah, anywhere.
25:58I did it in Mexico.
26:00OK, OK.
26:02Shalee's fully committed to her Just One Thing challenge.
26:06But has it made the difference she was hoping for?
26:09So I've seen some health benefits from doing this.
26:13These push-ups, I've enjoyed losing weight.
26:16And coming here and doing this regularly with you guys has really just improved my mood.
26:22And well-being.
26:23And have the rest of the group bought in to the benefits of press-ups.
26:28I've lost a half a stone.
26:30I didn't think really changing one thing could change so many different things.
26:33Yeah, for real, yeah.
26:34Naturally, by changing this, by just doing press-ups every day, I now do multiple.
26:38I've changed my diet.
26:39I've changed, you know, the way I look at doing exercise.
26:42Half a stone's pretty good in one month.
26:43That's amazing.
26:44I don't know how much I lost, but I know I lost something because the rule is fully gone.
26:50With rave reviews, there's just one thing left to discover.
26:54So the big question is, are we going to keep it up?
26:58Absolutely.
26:59I think I will.
27:00Definitely.
27:00Most definitely, yeah.
27:03There's no doubt in my mind, I will definitely continue doing the Just One Thing challenge of push-ups.
27:09We've all discussed as a group that we're going to keep going and we've actually planned another challenge.
27:13I think we were talking about doing a muddy challenge is the next thing, a run through the mud.
27:20I think I remember thinking, why? Why do I have to do this? Of all the things I could have
27:26been given.
27:26But yeah, I really do feel like it's an improvement to how I live and work and learn my life,
27:32yeah.
27:32If Chalise keeps up her press-ups routine, she could improve her upper body strength and her mood and reduce
27:41her risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
27:44And I've realised the benefits too.
27:47I know I've got to make more of an effort when it comes to exercise, especially at my age.
27:53And the old excuse of, well, I haven't got enough time, that doesn't really cut it anymore.
27:58Because it's not just good for my body, it's good for my head too.
28:02I want my brain and my biceps to be in perfect harmony.
28:38I want my brain and biceps to be in perfect harmony.
28:38I want my brain and biceps to be in perfect harmony.
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