FITNESS

A lot of us dread the prospect of fitness, particularly the effort and discipline needed to become fit and stay fit. However in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle it is important that we incorporate fitness into our daily routine simple changes such as maintaining a healthy weight, exercising, eating right and  limiting our alcohol consumption can significantly improve our lives.

Many illness and diseases that develop are often as a result of our lifestyle, such as unhealthy eating, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption and lack of exercise. Being obese or overweight for example, is not to be taken lightly as evidence of “good living”, but puts us at risk for hypertension, stroke, heart attack, diabetes and even cancer.

A lot of us mistake fitness for being thin or having muscles for fitness when in reality fitness is about developing fully functional bodies with the ability to perform physical activities and handle the stresses of daily living. Being fit requires a combination of physical exercise and proper nutrition.

Incorporating regular exercise into your daily routine helps you develop a health weight, reducing your risk for chronic, regular exercise has also been shown to improve   sleep patterns, improve mood,  boost stamina and yes,  even your sex life!!.

Exercising isn’t only for people that are overweight or people with certain diseases, it is important that everyone exercises to maintain a better, healthier life.

Walking is a good form of exercise for most people including those with major chronic illness but your doctor can guide you as to what is the best kind for you.

So, how exactly do you go about getting healthy fit and how should you exercise? It’s really just keeping this simple mnemonic in mind:

Frequency

Intensity

Time

Type

Exercise frequency is key. By making it a daily habit to incorporate an exercise routine, your body slowly begins to adjust to physical workout and as you adjust so should your intensity. Start out slowly and build up to moderate and eventually high intensity workouts that get you sweaty and your heart racing. We all spend time on the phone, and on doing things we love.  To develop a healthy lifestyle we need to dedicate time also., In order for exercise to be effective start with a 30 minutes workout at least 5 days a and build up to 1 hour. Something else to keep in mind when working out is the type of exercise that you do.  Exercises should be modified to be fun, to provide cardiovascular workout, improve flexibility and provide strength training.

Join on us Channels TV at 2:30 pm on DSTV (Lagos)  Tuesday as we discuss the importance of Fitness. As well as a guide to starting a healthy lifestyle. Visit our website for more information on Fitness.

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