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FITNESS
A - Z:
The
Complete Guide To Fitness
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A To
Z of Fitness - The Complete
Guide To Fitness
A
- stands for awareness. Go
on a familiarization trip with your body.
See if your body muscles are toned or
rusting. Check if your heartbeat does not
shoot up too much and too soon if you have
to walk fast or climb stairs. Go for a
thorough check up for the sake of your body.
It also stands for aerobics, an activity
that exercises your heart, lungs and blood
vessels.
B - stands for balance, which you have to
constantly strive to strike in life-be it
your fitness regime or the food you eat, or
even the quantum of time you set aside for
yourself.
C - is for comfort levels,
meaning the care you have to take to always
cool down your body after workout by adding
some stretches. C is also for consumption
patterns. To effect that, you have to first
find out how many calories your body
requires for its daily functioning and stick
to your nutritionist's advice. Overeating
never solved any health-related problems.
D - is for dieting, which
should be a complete no-no. Healthy eating
and healthy living should be your motto.
Because while dieting, you also lose muscle
tissues besides fat. Regular exercise can do
the trick better and smatter.
E - stands for the
necessary equipment like cool and
comfortable clothing to permit ventilation
and unrestricted movement. Shoes with
adequate cushioning to reduce the impact,
and if possible, a friend to keep you
company and motivate alongside.
F - is for frequency. Any
workout should last at least 20 minutes,
minimum three times a week. If you are into
weight training and whole body workouts,
plan them every alternate day to take
complete rest the day after the workout.
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G
- is for the good night
sleep that is sure to envelop you after you
have had an energetic, active or a positive
stress day.
H - is for high, also
called runner's high that actually is the
release of endorphin, secreted by the brain
which gives you a natural high.
I - is for making an
informed choice, i.e., choosing whatever
suits you best. It makes little sense to
force jogging on yourself if you are over 50
and have not exercised all your life. Start
with walking and then switch over to brisk
walking, gradually increasing the time span.
A word of advice from your doctor before you
embark on such regular activity would go a
long way.
J - is for jerks. Totally
avoid them during exercise as they put
pressure on your joints. Any pain during a
workout means your body is begging you to
stop.
K - is for kingly posture.
Wherever you are and whatever you do,
remember the correct posture technique. Keep
shoulder and hips square to each other,
shoulder blades relaxed and abdomen tucked
in tight.
L
- points towards your legs.
They follow the principle of direct
proportion-the more you work on them the
better they will get.
M - is for measurements.
Don't be too swayed by the declining or
rarely-budging trends of the weighing
machine(it could also be mere fluid loss).
What is important are your body
measurements. For example, your WHR (waist
to hip ratio). Divide your waist measurement
at its narrowest with hips' measurement at
their widest. If the ratio is more than 0.80
for men and 0.85 for women, it is time to
re-work your fitness strategy. It would be
wise to keep in mind that miracles donot
happen in a jiffy. Only perseverence pays.
N - is for nature at its
best. Foods closest to their natural form
top the list of sensible in take.
O - is for overindulgence,
which is obviously to be avoided if you are
looking at a life full of fitness and
fervour.
P - is for prevention of
injury. Since following a fitness regimen
amounts to hours of vigorous physical
activity, make sure that an adequate warm up
always precedes your workout. Also, P
indicates an all-important phase in a
woman's life -pregnancy -when you should
work out only after a clean chit from your
doctor.
Q - is for quacks, so stay
away from them. Look for trained, qualified
and experienced personnel to help you
through your fitness programme. Fitness
instructors are now a common and
talked-about breed, who can ensure a decent
commitment level if you so desire.
R - is for regularity. An
absolute must for desired results.
S
- is for strain. This is
something you might be prone to if you donot
warm up well enough, cool down or do simple
stretches after every workout.
T - is for time-a minimum
of 20 minute of aerobic workout each time
you embark on such a programme. The best
time of day is anytime that you can find
uninterrupted. But remember to keep a gap of
2 hours between meals and your workout.
U - is for utility-utilize
your energy and resources positively. It is
also the urgency to get started.
V - is for vitality and
vigour. Buzzwords in your personal directory
of fitness and versatility-add variety to
your workouts and eliminate drudgery and
boredom. Keep the options open to switch the
type of aerobic activity or with that of
anaerobic type.
W - is for weight loss-not
the only thing you should be looking for
when you are on the road to fitness. It's
also for water -drink it till it comes out
of your ears. Sages of yore have wisely
called it the elixir of life.
X - is for the X-factor.
Keep it in mind that different respond to
different exercises differently and no two
bodies are the same or can react to one
exercise in the same way.
Y - is for the healthy
years that add to your life when you
exercise regularly.
Z - is for the zenith-the
highest point in your life when there is an
amalgamation of self discipline, spirit and
the zest for living.
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