THE festive season is upon us. As part of the festivities, many of us love to feast and indulge.
The moment of truth comes in January when we have piled on the weight and clothes will not fit right. To get back into shape and lose all the excess fat, one needs to exercise.
Exercise is not only good for your physical health, but for your mental wellbeing too. For many, January is a depressing month and one way to fight off the blues is by exercising. Exercise is the performance of any physical activity for the purpose of conditioning the body, improving health, or maintaining fitness.
It is also a means of therapy for restoring bodily functions to a state of health. Aerobic exercise is any physical exercise that requires extra effort by the heart and lungs to meet the increased demand by the skeletal muscles for oxygen.
Exercise generally requires heavier breathing than passive muscular activity, and results in increased heart and lung efficiency.
Examples are running, jogging, swimming and vigorous dancing or cycling.
Chloe D Merrill the owner of Transformational Symmetry Consulting lists a couple of exercise do’s and dont’s. I would like to share some of these with you. She states that when you exercise, remember to do the following:
Exercise do’s Have fun with whatever you do,
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
Do some activity every day, so that exercise becomes a habit,
Engage in moderate to vigorous exercise at least three times a week for fitness conditioning,
Get medical check-up before starting an exercise programme,
Develop friends with whom to share your physical activities,
Make your exercise sessions last at least 20 minutes,
Cultivate a positive mental attitude about your body,
Reward yourself with something tangible as well, such as new athletic shoes,
Set goals for health and fitness, and revise them every few weeks,
Remember that if you cannot complete a workout, at least do something, such as go for a short walk, or ride a bike for 5 minutes.
Exercise dont’s Do not make major, abrupt changes in your activity level. Your body hates surprises,
Do not try to keep up with a friend or partner who has been performing an activity level longer than you,
Do not discount your body’s signs of distress, such as dizziness or chest pains,
Do not lose momentum. It is hard to have to start over,
Do not get into a rut. Your mind and body like variety,
Do not become fanatical. Stay balanced and moderate,
Do not become injured because of your programme.
We all have excuses for not exercising. These include not having enough time or money, boredom, and loneliness. Ultimately, exercise is a necessary evil that has to be done.
Nonto Masuku is a partner of an image and reputation management firm.
