Dear Reader,
Cheers to a New Year and another chance for us to get it right!
I am excited to be ushering in the first week of 2018 with an article that will be talking about the importance of fitness and why it should be one of your resolutions. Being a wellness enthusiast, I am a huge believer in setting new goals for the New Year because it gives you something to work towards to. The most powerful thing I have realised about fitness is that teaches you the value of setting goals; every exercise is calculated to help you reach where you want to be. As the quote goes; “You cannot hit a target you cannot see; and you cannot see a target that you do not have.”- Zig Ziglar.
The unfortunate reality is that most young people don’t prioritise their well-being yet this is the time we can really lock the huge returns that wellness delivers. Too many of us wait to do health planning when we have no choice. When you invest in your health, other aspects of your life will start to steadily improve. I believe our health is our most important asset and our most important investment.
“What would you call an investment that involves no risk, requires little — if any — money to start, is available equally to those who are financially sophisticated and those just starting; grows more valuable each and every year, is a proven career booster and can generate hundreds of thousands of dollars of extra savings over a lifetime? I call it good health.”- Pamella Yellen, Founder of Bank on Yourself
The absolute minimum of vigorous activity required for staying healthy is 30 minutes at least three times a week; but more is even better. If you are starting out, it is recommended that you avoid strenuous exercises but you will need to build up your exercise programme gradually. Just remember to pick an activity that you enjoy because fitness should not feel like a chore.
If the gym routine does not appeal to you, try activities like hiking, cycling, dance classes, swimming, squash, badminton, yoga or tai chi. If time is of the essence, you can workout at home with an exercise DVD or buy a skipping rope and skip for 20 minutes. If your lifestyle permits, perhaps you can consider getting a dog this will motivate you to take regular walks! Always remember that the only bad workout is the one that didn’t happen.
Another great tip is to have a workout buddy; this could be your partner, housemate, colleague or even your sibling! You can invite your partner for a weekly gym or home workout which could be followed by a healthy meal to which everyone contributes.
Chicken, Spinach, Pomegranate Salad
Although there are various activities you can do to stay healthy, it is well proven that resistance training not only strengthens your muscles, but it hugely contributes to inner strength. This is any exercise that involves using external force to build muscle or physical strength.
Lori Harder explained in a Ted Talks that you can use resistance training to turn your struggles into strength.Here is how :-
- The heavier the resistance, the stronger the muscle you can build.
- Keep the muscle under tension until failure or close to it; just like in life, when you fail, you come back strong if you get back up.
- You must be consistent because when you don’t use your muscles, you will lose the strength you built.
- As you get stronger, you must take on more challenging forms of resistance.
- You have to keep seeking uncomfortable situations because this is how you get stronger.
Time + Patience + Consistent Resistance Training= Progress!
“Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity.” – John F. Kennedy
Yours in Wellness,
References
Pexels
Ted
Huffington Post
Stay Calm, Stay Healthy by Linda Blaire (Reader's Digest)
