Fitter you

REALLY, it’s not that hard to get fit and stay fit. And it doesn’t have to be a difficult or an unpleasant process either. By doing enough of everyday activities, you can keep fit and stay fit. Although there now abound so many labour-saving devices at work and in the home, which are engendering sedentary life-style, health-conscious individuals still have many opportunities to be active in their daily lives.

  Generally, these daily activities are divided into four categories and they are: (a) No conscious activity (b) Minimal activity (c) Light activity and (d) Vigorous activity.

No conscious activity includes sleeping and lying down.

Minimal activity comprises such activities as sitting down and motorway driving.

Light activity includes standing while doing something such as shaving, washing-up, moving around a bit; for instance, by sweeping the floor and washing the car among others.

Vigorous activity comprises such ones as brisk walking, gardening, scrubbing floors, polishing furniture, washing clothes by hand, light manual work, climbing stairs, running, cycling, most sports and heavy manual labour among others.

  The trick to getting and staying healthy and fit is to concentrate on the category four activities because if you do a total— not necessarily all at once— of 30 or more minutes each day of category four activities, then you probably have all the exercise you need to keep physically fit. It’s only the category four activities that count. Doing more of less vigorous activities doesn’t have the same effect on the body. But vigorous activity gets the heart pumping fast and hard, which it needs to do each day.

  If you feel you are not doing enough vigorous activities, then do the following as frequently as possible:

• Use the stairs instead of the elevator.

• Cycle or walk all or part of the way rather than ride the bus or drive.

• Hand held shopping bags instead of using carts and trolleys.

• Hand wax polish the furniture and floors. 

• Wash clothes by hand.

• Hang washing on the line and iron it instead of tumble dry.

• Use a hand drill or saw.

• Buy, prepare and cook fresh food.

• Amuse the children by playing with them and taking them for walks.

• Get up and do it yourself, rather than send someone else.

• Hand mow the lawn, rather than power mow it.

   A close observation would reveal that most of the things suggested above mean going back to the old way of doing things. You may think this is a waste of time and would rather have time free for more exciting things than chores. Fine. But if you do want to be more active, then you’ll have to use some of your spare time on exercise or sport.

  Experts suggest that in addition to this vigorous activity, the average person needs to:

Twist and turn the major joints through a full range of movement each day to keep the body supple. Most category four activities would do this, in any case.

Stand for a total of two hours a day though not necessarily at one time, to help the circulation of the blood and put stress on the bones to maintain their structure.

Better looks, figure

EXERCISE can help you trim your figure by toning the muscles. But you are more likely to be successful, if you combine your efforts with a change in you diet.

  Exercises, which improve the strength and flexibility of muscles, will help to tighten flabby spare tyres, as well as improve posture. Combined with a reducing diet, exercise can also help you to lose weight. Be careful though that you don’t develop large muscles in the process, as this may actually make you gain weight.

  Vigorous activities such as swimming or cycling can improve looks by giving the complexion a healthy glow and making the eyes sparkle. Other exercises, which depend on good coordination such as racquet games, can help make you more agile and graceful. 

  Many people find that these benefits combine to give them an increased sense of wellbeing and confidence, which in turn can improve personal appearance.