Why should I stay generally fit?

You do not need Hard Abs or Bulging Muscles to be fit. And you don't need a personal exercise trainer or live your life around exercising. People do need to reset their minds in to getting in shape or staying fit.

Staying fit is not that time consuming or not a rocket science. A common sense approach with some caution will be useful. However, some professions like professional Athletes may require specialised fitness programmes.

Your most important decision is to establish a form of exercise that will maintain lifelong fitness. Start now by walking rather than driving or riding short distances, take the stairs rather than the elevator.

Exercise and healthy diet can change your quality of life. The trick is to be consistent in our healthy life style pattern. Our body responds to positive stimulus of workouts as well as balanced diet.

A little amount of exercise about 30 minutes a day for 5 days a week goes a long way to maintain yourself fit and lean. Feeling fresh and energetic all the day long is an additional benefit.

Exercise does multiple things to our body such as:

• It increases good ( HDL ) cholesterol
• It reduces the risk of heart disease
• It improves immunity levels
• It helps achieve weight loss
• It improves flexibility
• It improves endurance / stamina

What kind of exercises should I do?

Achieving Fitness means achieving 3 S.

1. Strength
2. Suppleness ( flexibility )
3. Stamina ( Endurance )

Strength training: Bodily strength comes from our muscle groups. Exercise each major muscle group two to three times per week in Gym or health club or at home. Strength training improves bone density, builds strength and shapes the body. Higher strength means high level of energy.

Suppleness (Flexibility) training: Stretching is very useful for fitness activity. Stretching keeps the body supple and flexible. Stretching helps to loosen joints and improve blood flow through body. Yoga asanas / postures can be included in exercise regime for stretching.

Stamina or Endurance training: Fitness exercise is endurance exercise. This means it helps make your heart and lungs stronger, and gives you more stamina. It also helps keep your joints flexible and your muscles strong. It helps you get more quality sleep, control your weight, and feel better overall, both mentally and physically.

Stamina exercises are: walking, water exercise, and bicycling etc.

Aerobic exercises include activities that use several groups of muscles. They help in supply of oxygen to all parts of the body. They also help in building of stronger muscle tissues.

Sports like basketball, tennis and soccer allow you to participate in aerobic exercise with others.

Cardiovascular fitness: Heart is a muscle which works all along from our birth to death. As it is a muscle, regular exercise makes it work still better.

Exercise which conditions heart effectively is called cardiovascular exercise or aerobic exercise. Aerobics are designed to increase endurance through increased blood circulation and respiration. These exercises also promote cardiovascular fitness.

Walking, cycling, swimming or skipping. About 30 minutes of exercise every day for 5 days a week can be very beneficial for heart, lung and circulatory system.

By : Pradeep Mahajan