By- Ricky Laxa
Staff Writer
“Practice makes perfect” best describes what getting involved in health and fitness is. For many fitness buffs, lock down periods were such nightmares; sedentary, inactivity and excessive food intake were part of daily routine, however for some, such periods were perfect to test their determination, passion and discipline to go on with their fitness regimens amidst trying situations.
In several interviews with fitness trainers by The Times summed up to exercise and controlled health food intakes are essentials to remarkable heathy lifestyle. What top the list to components of healthy lifestyle is exercise, it may sound redundant to many of us but we all have to be reminded again and again and we also fail repetitively to execute the exercise regimens. As the saying goes “If you fail a hundred times try again a million times”. Exercise creates hundredfold benefits not only physically but mentally and among the most obvious reason is weight loss, which is common goal for everyone. The rest of the benefits follow such as better cardio vascular endurance and reduce risk of heart ailments, strengthens muscles and bones, improves appetite, develops better sleep habits and boost self confidence among others. “Doing exercise does not choose age as long as we perform without our age and physical capacities, age is not an excuse” stated Joseph Anthony, a gym trainer. Full physical evaluation is essential prior to designing your daily workout regimens this includes taking into consideration medical history and physical limitations. Each body type dictates sets of different workout programs, thus one set of workout will never apply and work for all and if it does, results are minimal and often lead to injuries.
Another element of establishing a healthy lifestyle is good nutrition is to consider food not just to satisfy hunger but medicine for the body, Very Well Fit stated in one of its articles that “Food Is Our Medicine”
Nutrient-dense foods, or “superfoods,” include lean proteins, healthy carbohydrates, and fats essential to our health. Superfoods are a rich source of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants relative to the amount of calories that they contain. Antioxidants are shown to reduce inflammation in our body helping us fight disease and illness. Inflammation is said to be the leading cause of many diseases. Powerful antioxidants in leafy greens and vegetables, for example, help protect out cells from potential free radical damage. Some superfoods contain compounds that increase our metabolism for more efficient fat burning. Red peppers contain a molecule called capsaicin shown to enhance the rate we burn body fat. Eating healthy food helps improve health, and can also enable us to reach fitness goals.
The question is then, how do make both exercise and eating healthy become a daily part of our routines? MedLine suggests the following: Make everyday activities more active. Even small changes can help. You can take the stairs instead of the elevator. Walk down the hall to a coworker’s office instead of sending an email. Wash the car yourself. Park further away from your destination. Be active with friends and family. Having a workout partner may make you more likely to enjoy exercise. You can also plan social activities that involve exercise. You might also consider joining an exercise group or class, Keep track of your progress. Keeping a log of your activity or using a fitness tracker may help you set goals and stay motivated. Make exercise more fun. Try listening to music or watching TV while you exercise. Also, mix things up a little bit – if you stick with just one type of exercise, you might get bored. Try doing a combination of activities. Find activities that you can do even when the weather is bad. You can walk in a mall, climb stairs, or work out in a gym even if the weather stops you from exercising outside.