“To enjoy the glow of good health, you must exercise.” ~ Gene Tunney
“If we could give every individual the right amount of nourishment and exercise, not too little and not too much, we would have found the safest way to health.”
~ Hippocrates
What does it take for us to be healthy, my definition of being healthy is being self-reliant, being able to move (walk, jog, run, cycle, swim) and enjoy every moment of it versus being out-of-breath, lack of stamina, feeling tired and immobility (you know what I mean).
I believe there are a lot of people out there (I am one of them), who are wondering, how and what are the activities that we can do to stay healthy and especially if one is a food lover… how to maintain (or lose the extra) weight while enjoying the lifestyle of having good food plus drinks.
There is no easy way out, it takes a lot of hard work, discipline and determination (at first). Sooner or later, should we be consistent in practicing the exercise as part of our lifestyle, it gets easier and more enjoyable.
This sharing is not the ultimate guide to having the best body nor quick weight lost program… it is just some of the activities that I find useful and you may consider in practising them as good habits (daily)…
“It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable.” ~ Socrates
Please find the things or activities that you can experiment to make them part of your lifestyle habits:
- You can invest in an exercise ball to sit while watching television or as an office chair. By balancing, sitting up straight, it will help strengthening the core muscles. Or you may opt to do planking (this can also strengthen the core muscles).
What I have discovered, more muscles, more calories burn efficiently. - Sitting and sedentary lifestyle is the new enemy. With technology, which makes our lives easier, we tend to sit more that move about. Take some breaks in between to stand or move to the pantry to grab a glass of water to drink. Be aware, practice mindfulness or set an alarm to remind you to move after 20-30 minutes of sitting down. Another idea is to walk around when taking a call; that will burn about 100 calories if you walk and talk for 5 minutes (how about that?)
- When there is a need to discuss or brainstorm, walk to your colleague rather than sending an e-mail. It is better to send the message in person (if you are not geographically challenged), as that can help you put extra steps to your pedometer and get your blood flowing to get extra oxygen to freshen up your brains. Imagine if you burn just 50 calories a day… in a year, it really adds up.
- Chunk the activities down; if you cannot have 30 minutes in a stretch for exercising, you can deliberately set 10 minutes in the morning, 10 minutes at lunch (find a place further from the office to have a meal) and 10 minutes in the evening (after dinner as a bonding time with the family?).
- Find ways to take the flight of stairs; not that you cannot take the elevator, how about taking the elevator half way or three quarters of the way and the rest by stairs, will that work for you? At least you get your heart rate up to burn some calories. You know yourself better, please do not over exert yourself. Be mindful of your own health, best to go for check-up and find out your level of fitness.
- Shopping therapy can be one of ways to get extra steps and burn some calories. You may use your mobile phone (install some apps to help keep track of your steps) or invest in smart watches or pedometer to monitor your daily steps. You can also set goals for yourself or have fun by getting an accountability partner or community to challenge yourself.
- Perform some strength training; add some extra weight to your backpack or take the dumbbell or water bottle when you go for your walk, jog or run. Building muscles help with metabolism rate and burning the extra calories. Everything in moderation, bit-by-bit and remember we are not focusing on intensity, the key here is consistency.
- Pet lovers especially if you are having dogs, you can go a walk or jog with your dog. This can be a good activity to pursue with your family as well, instead of delegating the task to other people. Have fun by going for different routes.
- If you have a bicycle, you can always have this extra activity as a variety to your daily exercise activities. Just be extra careful when you cycle on the road; get the proper gear for safety (helmet, gloves, lights, etc). Or join a cycling group for more excitement. At least it is not only walk, jog or run… now you can also cycle!
- Some people like to swim; if you are one of them or the property you are living has the pool facility or if you have a club membership (which has swimming pool), this is also a good exercise to burn calories and release stress. As long as you move, keep the heart pumping (at least Zone 3 and not over Zone 5; please do your own research on your Heart Beat Rate zones; for some information, you may refer to this site, please also check with your physician before doing any activities that may cause any harm to yourself, https://www.physiotherapy-treatment.com/karvonen-formula.html)
In my humble opinion, different activities for different people. You have to find the right ones for yourself. As for me, depending on where I am and what I feel like doing… apart from doing all the activities mentioned above, you may also want to look into your own passion projects (for motivation, joy and fulfilment).
“We do not stop exercising because we grow old – we grow old because we stop exercising.” ~ Kenneth Cooper
