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Exercise is one of the basic principles of living and staying healthy. In my previous article, which can be found here, I explained "Body Fitness and health " extensively.
Naturally, due to the many activities we face on daily basis, we hardly have time for physical exercise. Our works and travellings makes us relatively still. Which is involved with watching , sitting, and/or doing something else.
It was recently researched that people spend an average of about 75hours in watching movies, sport and so on, just to catch fun.
However is the case, there is need to schedule a time for physical exercise as to enable us keep fit and stay healthy.
If we schedule our activities, which include physical exercise activity, in few months time of undergoing the physical training, we would achieve a minimum of body feature will sought-after.
Few months ago, i noticed i was becoming fat and weighty with a growing tommy, which i so detest.
Not that i eat much food as the case may be, but i think it was as a result of staying at a place for a long period of time, either in the office or while traveling. Of course they both has to do with sitting.
When I noticed this, i quickly engaged in physical training as to keep me fit and active again.
Theoretically, a proper fitness is usually sustained by steady exercise or should i say everyday exercise. Which physically involves a long walk, carrying a load to a stair case or standing and doing one thing or the other.
But that is usually not the case in practice. In physical practice, only a few persons have the tenacity and consistency in maintaining the status quo.
For anyone to have an efficient and sought after body, he or she must be willing to consistently meet the stipulated or instructed daily demands.
We will be looking at the many different approaches to physical fitness, which is concerned not with setting a particular routine of exercise, but with telling you what kinds of exercise are available, what each can and can't do and finally how you should approach the general problem of keeping fit.
Here we go......
Types of Exercise
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Of course we all know that there are varieties of exercises, with different patterns of exercising. .
Such as walking, jogging, running on the spot, cycling and so on.
These pattern of exercise are aerobic because it involves the circulation of
respiration and oxygen supply to the muscles involved. They are generally referred to as "circulo-respiratory exercises ".
Another type of exercise is the "Isotonic exercise ", which is more of weight lifting. This is one of my favorite exercise, because it increases the body muscle and strengthen the joints.
Another type of exercise is the "Isometric exercise". It is stationary. They give the body muscle wall at a fixed point.
Another pattern or style of exercise is what I call local exercise, which involves - bar dips, push-ups, sit-ups, squat leg thrusts, pull-ups and so on.
The style of exercise is called muscular endurance exercises. One doesn't need equipments to carry out this style of exercise. All that is needed is endurance while exercising.
Another pattern is called "flexibility", which is more of stretching the parts of the body rotationally.
The vital ingredients of a general fitness program are CR exercise, endurance exercise for shoulders,arms,abdomen,back,and legs. Flexibility and stretching exercises for neck and shoulders, back and hips and hamstrings.
Not especially useful are isometric exercises and single contraction isometrics (though isometrics may be needed to make weak muscles strong enough to begin endurance movements).
Endurance and flexibility exercises can be obtained from gym training, keep fit classes, some sports, or from personal routines. with personal routines, the desire to persist in a movement or position is often too weak for improvement.
Choice of Exercise
The choice of exercise is dependent on individuals and programs that they are compatible with. From team sports, gym activities, opponent sports, keep fit classes, hiking or group jogging, personal routines and so on.
There are some elements that causes setbacks in exercise. Elements like, our personal interests, time, money, facilities,and equipment availability and so on.
The unavailability of these elements do discourage us to exercise.
What about interest? What exercise you will keep to, also depends on what you enjoy.
Of course different exercises offer varying elements of competition, company, being encouraged or guided along by an instructor being pushed along by an abstract concept (such as time or the desire to progress to the next level of fitness); and associated factors ,such as social life or the pleasure of being in the countryside.
You must judge which factors are most important to you. Remember that, to be enjoyable, some require success from you. Competition, or the eye of an instructor, or fighting against the clock, may not encourage you if you fail.
As for the availability of time, money, facilities and others, exercises vary greatly in their requirements. The same fitness may result from five minutes of daily exercise without equipment as from hours spent on (and traveling to) a specialized field with two teams and officials.
Choose an activity that you know you will be able to arrange regularly.
My Advice
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Take some exercise daily, if possible -especially with general fitness routines. ( some CR exercises, though may give as good results from 2or 3 workouts a week as from 4 or 5 . Isotonic exercises should alternate work days and rest days).
Whatever frequency you can manage, make it regular. Don't skip allocated days.
Help yourself by setting aside regular time. Whether before breakfast, or in the late morning or afternoon at work, or at home in the early evening or just before going to bed.
Also help yourself and avoid harmful effects by setting realistic targets. Start gently and progress slowly. Always underestimate your abilities.
There is normally no long term advantage in doing something till it hurts. And there are likely to be painfully obvious disadvantages. Something that seems all right for a day or two may result in sore muscles and the end of your resolutions.
Your body is the best judge of what you can do. Take notice of it, and only adjust upwards when you are sure you are within your capabilities.
Never feel that your health entirely rules out the possibility of exercise. Only a minimum of organic health is needed for some kind of general fitness program to be possible and desirable.
Be sure to give your body a general warm-up ,either before a routine or as part of it (he beginning with the less difficult exercises, and not immediately using full speed or effort).
Do not be discouraged if you reach a stage at which no progress is made. Ease back to a slightly lower level of effort, and progress up again from there.
Once the desired level of fitness is achieved, less frequency is needed to maintain it, eg, general fitness routines may only require 3 workouts a week. But keeping up daily exercise may be a good idea for relaxation, digestion, sound sleep. etc.
Associated factors may be as important as exercise. Get adequate sleep. Try to find ways of forgetting work worries. Eat sensibly. If you smoke, stop if you can.
Conclusion
There are alot of benefits attached to exercise. Which are not limited to;
Increase of energy levels, improvements of muscle strength, helps us maintain a healthy weight, improves our brain function, keeps us awake from heart attacks, lowers our risk of developing type 2 diabetes, enhances our immune system.
It reduces the likelihood of developing some degenerative bone diseases, may help to reduce the risk of certain cancers, improves our mood and gives us an improved sense of well-being, and can help prevent and treat mental illnesses like depression .
Thank you for reading!
Reference
[1] 19 Reasons to Exercise
[2] The Importance of Exercise
[3] Why exercise is wise
[4] Why Do We Need Exercise?
[5] Physical activity - it's important
[6] Do I need exercise to stay healthy?
[7] Why must I exercise?
[8] This Is How Much Exercise You Really Need to Do to See Health Benefits
