Set the pace: Being fit and active is not a luxury but a necessity
If four things are followed — having a great aim, acquiring knowledge, hard
work and perseverance — then anything can be achieved.
— A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
Survival is of the fittest. Being fit and active is not a luxury but a mere
necessity to sustain a quality standard of living. Not working out because of
too much work is no excuse. It is often work that leads one to lifestyle
disorders, such as diabetes, blood pressure, obesity and stress. Taking an hour
out to work the body is not much to ask of one’s self because health is
priceless. The body demands being active and fit to sustain itself.
Everyone wants to be fit and remain so. There are, however, exceptions.
Report making, assignment submission, late work hours, attending social
gatherings or simply wishing to do nothing on the one day of holiday hinders
one from sweating it out and getting the heart pumping. It is important to accept
the fact that exercising regularly and eating right is the only way one can
stay healthy.
Most of us start training programmes on a rock-solid mode. However, the
curve of the graph declines after a fortnight when an excuse to quit crops up.
There are ways to keep up the training regimen and achieve the kind of fitness
one wants and, more importantly, can.
One can begin by accepting a fact — working out is as significant as
everything else in life. It can even be said that it is as crucial as life
itself. It is good health that enables one to lead a pain-free retirement life
everyone often dreams of. Being fit will help you continue doing all the fun
things you always wanted to do. There are people who are 60-plus and still
enjoy rock climbing and trekking, simply because they worked out to beat ill
health.
Realisation of this simple truth will permit one to be able to make
exercise a key component in the day’s plan. Should you fail to imbibe a
consistent workout programme, the enthusiasm of the first workout plan would
prove futile. Here are some ways to ensure a consistent approach to workouts…
Fix the exercise time on your
schedule and follow it much as you would for your important meetings and
conferences.
Maintain a journal. Make a note
of the workout timings and days on your phone’s calendar. Abide by them just as
you would for an important meeting with your tax officer.
Keep it plain and simple. It is
more likely for one to adhere to a simple schedule in the long run. Should
going to the gym be a task itself much as the workout, you would invariably
fail to visit the gym. Identifying a gym location in the proximity of your
residence or workplace will save time in travelling and not hinder family and
professional obligations.
Many commence their training with
great zeal. They tend to invariably exceed their limit. In the bargain, they
get too sore and fatigued. Such a workout could lead to injuries, such as
tissue or muscle tear.
Each training session should not
exceed 42 minutes or else you are working on your stress hormone (cortisol) and
it’s detrimental to the benefits of exercising. The body requires adequate time
to rest and recover for better performance for the next session. So the most
ideal approach is to set attainable and realistic goals.
It is realistic to work on short-term goals
When you’re starting out new, there will be some people who would either be
with you in your new endeavour or tear you down. It is in your best interest to
overlook all forms of negativity. Remember, your aim is to be fit and work
towards a disease-free life. If anyone has a problem, let them deal with it.
Without a doubt one must work under a skilful, experienced, qualified
fitness coach to get the best results and this should be your long-term goal.
Coaches need to make sure they aren’t overloading or not adequately challenging
their clients. Experienced coaches will be able to make the exercise regimen
effective and enjoyable to your liking.
Rather than seeing too much into the future, it is more realistic to work
on short-term goals, phase by phase, such as intermediates week (someone
working out at intermediate level will see progress in four to six weeks) or
monthly. Set a meaningful and practical goal that would not only be attainable
but would also be powerful enough for you to overcome laziness and encourage
you to train. It’s all in the mind; your mindset will determine your
punctuality.
Be it in a gym or just on an open field, remember you are not exercising to
lose weight. You are exercising regularly because of how you feel as a result
of exercising regularly. You will get leaner and will have more energy and
higher self-esteem. Exercise will boost your general health and enhance your
mood because it releases two good neurotransmitters — serotonin and
norphenylephrine — during training. The actual increase of endorphins occurs
after an hour of high-intensity training. Endorphins are a reaction to stress
that are released to decrease pain. So to truly get that release, you must get
your body to a point of pain. However, the difficult part is if you put too
much stress on your body, it may be counterproductive, resulting in exhaustion
and irritable mood. I would suggest that you find your sweet spot. Understand
and listen to your body.
A lot of people make excuses because they are being pushed out of their
comfort zone. It appears that they are more apprehensive rather than being
lazy. It is a mental phobia that provokes people to make an excuse. The only
way to deal with it is to face the fear.
Working out is about determination; a strong resolve to be fit and healthy.
You learn to embrace and appreciate the pain and soreness after a while, and
your mind will generate the tale why it’s nice. The post-exercise soreness —
DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) — actually feels good and you’ll miss the
DOMS once you’re regular.