During
the monsoons, as we soak up wet days and cool evenings,
why not take the time to prove how much you care about
yourself?You've got nothing to lose and everything
to gain by becoming physically fit.Get your body moving
and eat healthy food to increase your chances to lead
a long, active and healthy life.To help you in your
quest for better health, the following are seven health
and physical fitness tips that can save or add years
to your life.
Visit
Your Doctor For An Annual Check-Up:
Regular check-ups are a key to good health.Doctors
can inform patients about preventive measures and
early detection of life-threatening diseases or conditions.The
earlier you and your doctor know about diseases like
breast, prostate or colon cancer, the better your
chances of recovery.In addition, your doctor can help
you recognise a threat to your health.Perhaps, you've
gained or lost a lot of weight recently, with no clear
explanation.Then doctors can outline an eating and
exercise regime that is most beneficial to us.
Consult Your Physician Before Beginning Any Health
Or Fitness Programme:
Many men and women go on a health kick, go
on a diet, head to the gym and overdo it.Without consulting
a physician, its difficult to know if your body is
prepared for strenuous exercise or a change in your
diet.Without that extra step, you could be putting
your health, or even your life, in danger.Talk to
your doctor before beginning any exercise or diet
programme.Start slowly and seek a doctor who can tell
you whether any medications you're taking would interfere
with exercise, or whether you're fully healed from
the surgery you had a month ago.
Drink At Least 8 Glasses Of Water A Day:
The benefits
of water are tremendous.Drinking water quenches thirst,
aids digestion, cools your body during exercise, flushes
out waste and carries essential nutrients to your
body's cells.Water also reduces the risk of kidney
stones, lubricates joints, improves skin tone, relieves
headaaches and curbs appetite.When you're exercising,
your body loses a lot of its water.The more you exercise,
the more water you need to drink.So, its vitally important
to replace the water you've lost while exercising.Start
with drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day, but
add 1-5 extra cups of water for each hour of physical
activity, fitness experts say.Personal trainers recommend
that you should'nt go more than an hour without drinking
a sip of water.Add a slice of lemon or lime to give
your water some flavour.
Exercise For 20-30 Minutes, 3-5 Times
A Week:
Cardiovascular
or aerobic exercise helps prevent heart disease, strokes
and high blood pressure, and also helps counteract
some forms of diabetes.It is'nt about losing weight,
experts say, its about burning excess fat.Cardiovascular
exercise is the only way to burn fat,build muscle,
and drop the unwanted kilos.To begin with, find your
target heart rate, which is the rate at which you
would ideally burn fat.You maximum heart rate, measured
in beats per minutes(bpm) is generally 220 minus your
age.So the maximum heart rate for a healthy 30 year
old is 190bpm.But you dont want to wok out at your
maximum heart rate, so we find the target heart rate,
which is generally 60-75% of your maximum heart rate.That's
the heart rate you should maintain when exercising.And
when doing any exercise, its important to stretch
your body.Stretching decreases the risk of injury
and increases flexibility.
Try Strengthen-Training To Help Prevent
Osteoporosis:
Brittle bones are often a sign of aging, especially
among women.But lifting weights and strength-training
helps you gain strength, balance and bone density.This
is especially important for women over the age of
45.Weight-bearing exercise also increases your lean
muscle mass and helps you burn more calories.You should
work all of your major muscle groups at least twice
a week.You may need to start with light weights at
first, until your body adjusts to your routine.Start
with a weight you can lift for 8-15 repetitions and
then gradually increase it.
Eat A Low-Fat, High Fibre, High-Nutrient Diet:
Most people
who eat unhealthy foods on a regular basis are, physicians
say, living dangerously.Their diets are high in fat,
low-fibre, and are lacking real nutritional value.This
type of diet promotes obesity, which can lead to heart
disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.Eat a wide
variety of foods, including fruits and vegetables.Decrease
your fat, alcohol and soft drink consumption.
Proper Diet And Exercise Reduce The Risk Of Cancer:
Regular exercise,
along with a sensible diet, can help prevent many
types of cancer, including those of the breast, colon
and prostrate, though it is not known if a diet low
in fat will prevent breast cancer.But studies show
that in populations that consume high fat diets, women
are more likely to die of breast cancer than women
in populations that consume a low-fat diet.Studies
have also shown that certain foods such as wheat bran
cereal, canola oil, soyamilk, yoghurt, carrots and
spinach can fight cancer.Exercise,especially in young
women, may decrease hormone levels and contribute
to a lower breast cancer risk.
Whether you follow
any or all of these suggestions, its important that
you realise that becoming physically fit begins and
ends with you.Taking time out of your busy schedule
to focus on yourslef-a mental break-is just as important
as eating right and exercising to achieve good overall
health.Remember there is no quick fix.You didnt gain
the weight overnight, so you are not going to lose
it overnight either.
