Fitness plays an important role in improving your quality of life
Can you think of five completely fit adults that you know?
People who have no health problems whatsoever?
No backache, no heart or cholesterol problems, no weight issues, no digestive disorders.
How many did you count?
With our stressful urban lifestyle, the incidence of health problems has become all too common. We need to reverse this trend, by taking care of our bodies. This is actually simpler than it sounds.
Our bodies tend to respond positively to the right stimulus. Exercise and a healthy diet can change your quality of life. The important thing is to be consistent, and embrace a healthy lifestyle as part and parcel of your life.
Once you get into a regular workout schedule, you will see the rewards. Your body will look leaner and fitter and you will feel much more active through the day. In fact, all that extra activity will also help you get a good night's sleep!
Apart from enjoying all the health benefits that go with being fit, when your body is in peak condition, your physical appearance improves too. Glowing skin and shining eyes are the best accessories for your brand new look! Chances are you will be smiling a lot more too. Especially with all the compliments that will be coming your way...
A little goes a long way
Regular exercise reduces the risk of disease and illness by as much as 20 to 50 per cent. How much exercise is necessary to improve health? As little as 30 minutes of exercise five to seven days a week can make a big difference to your well-being.
Need motivation to exercise?
Take a look at what exercise does -
Reduces the risk of heart disease
Lowers blood pressure levels
Decreases bad (LDL) cholesterol and increases good (HDL) cholesterol levels
Reduces the risk of osteoporosis
Promotes weight loss
Helps de-stress and improves quality of sleep
Improves posture
Improves agility, balance and flexibility
Improves immunity levels
What kind of exercise?
A well-structured exercise routine should include cardiovascular fitness, strength and flexibility training.
1. Cardiovascular fitness: This is the foundation of fitness. The heart is the most active muscle in the body and regular exercise makes it work more efficiently. The type of exercise that conditions the heart is called cardiovascular or aerobic exercise. Examples are walking, jogging, cycling, swimming or skipping. A minimum of 30 minutes, five days of the week is necessary to improve functioning of the heart, lungs and circulatory system.
2. Strength training: Strong muscles allow you to do activities with increased energy and ease. Strength training improves bone density, builds strength, enhances the metabolism, improves posture and shapes the body. You can strength train on various types of equipment in a health club, gym or at home. Train each major muscle group two to three times per week.
3. Flexibility training: Studies indicate that stretching is crucial for every sport or fitness activity. Flexibility exercises keep the body supple, flexible and free from muscular stress. They also help increase blood flow and nutrient supply to joint structures, relax muscles, mobilise the joints and improve posture. Often neglected, this aspect of fitness is as important as cardiovascular and strength training. Include stretching in the warm-up or cool down phase of your exercise program. Or better still, do a yoga or Pilates routine twice or thrice a week. TOI
