Fitness

Do you want a healthy lifestyle, improved fitness, an enhanced feeling of wellbeing, and protection against disease? The answer is within your reach, and includes having balanced nutrition and regular physical activity.

Why is regular exercise good for you?

Maintaining a daily exercise habit is very helpful because it:

    Promotes heart health and overall wellbeing: Regular exercise helps strengthen your heart muscle, improves blood lipid levels and lowers blood pressure. In addition, it enables your body to normalise blood sugar, thereby increasing your ability to fight diabetes.

    Burns calories and helps in weight management: Any physical activity will burn calories; during walking or jogging, working muscles will use 5 to 15 times more energy than they do at rest. Over time, regular physical activity will help you decrease your body fat, strengthen your muscles and control our body weight.

    Maintains bone health: Regular physical activity can help build strong bones during the growing years, and if continued into adulthood, can protect against bone loss and help prevent osteoporosis.

    Helps you feel good, inside out: Exercise can relieve stress and anxiety, improve self-esteem, lift up your mood and improve your feeling of general wellbeing.

How much exercise do I need?

Experts advise at least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity most days of the week (4-6 times a week). However, if you have been previously inactive, you should start out slowly and begin increasing the exercise period and intensity over time. You can start with a 10 minute walk then move up gradually to 30-60 minutes of brisk walking.

If you are pregnant or having health problems, consult with your doctor.

What is the best exercise for me?

The one you like to perform! Walking is one of the best choices because it is easy and convenient. To make exercise more fun, try to get a friend to exercise with you or try joining a health club.

Make exercise a part of your day!

With hectic lifestyles and time-strapped schedules, it may be difficult for you to find time during your day to make exercise a daily habit. However, there are many simple ways to overcome this and include exercise as part of your lifestyle. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, walk to the grocery store or spend time walking around with your children at the mall. There are many activities like this that you can incorporate as part of your routine. So don’t wait another day, put on a comfortable pair of shoes and get started.

Good to Remember:

Do not work out as soon as you finish eating – this will prevent any discomfort, stomach upset or feelings of nausea and heaviness.