It takes more than just dieting to lose weight. It takes more than just eating right to be healthy. We need to move! Let’s face it! Exercising is challenging for most people. I myself have to exert extra effort just to practice ashtanga vinyasa yoga and run on the treadmill whenever I can.
We all know that being physically active has a lot of health benefits and can decrease the risk of developing lifestyle related diseases. However, statistics show that 92.7 percent of Filipinos do not exercise regularly. Why? What prevents us from exercising or being physically active? What turns us into couch champions?
These are some of the reasons I have heard for the past 12 years of being a dietitian consultant:
I don’t have time.
I am not a gym person.
I don’t have the budget to pay for an exercise program.
I don’t have enough energy.
I am too lazy.
Exercising is no fun.
I have an injury or medical condition that prevents me from exercising.
Time is our number one obstacle. If we don’t find time, we will never be able to start anything. If you have been sedentary for a long time and keep a very busy schedule, it would be unrealistic to plan to exercise one hour every day, right? Begin by planning 10 minutes of physical activity (ex. brisk walking or going up and down the stairs) per day. As your mind and body gets conditioned and your schedule permits, gradually increase the duration until you reach a minimum of 30 minutes per day for five days a week. That is a total of 2 1/2 hours a week.
Going to the gym and having a structured program is very good but if you’re not a gym person or you want to save money, you can start by choosing an activity that you can do at home. If you like to dance, go ahead and use dance videos. Play interactive video games with your kids. Make use of the swimming pool in your area. There are so many enjoyable things you can do to burn energy at home.
It is important to eat right to fuel your body with energy when exercising. Don’t expect to be able to dance or brisk walk for an hour if you haven’t eaten anything. Some people say, eating something before and after exercising will defeat its purpose because you will just eat the calories which you have burned. This is so wrong! You need energy to endure the physical activity. If you are physically active then your metabolism increases which makes your body more efficient in burning calories not just during exercise but throughout the day. However, you should eat the right amount of food that your body needs because if you consume more, anything in excess will be turned into fat and make you gain weight despite exercise. Consult with a registered dietitian for your daily caloric requirement that is based on your physical activity.
Here’s a good opportunity to try and move those muscles and burn all that extra energy. Human Nature in cooperation with Gawad Kalinga presents #100andRising: Goodness Rising Zumba House Party. Get your most vibrant Zumba outfits ready and dance like no one’s watching. Not only will you be burning calories as you shake, shimmy, and sway for an hour and a half to high energy music, you’ll also be helping others as 100 percent of the proceeds will go to building concrete hope and homes for families in Ormoc, Leyte, and a new site in Barangay Cadiz Viejo, Cadiz, Negros Occidental. So make your way over to the Quezon Memorial Circle Covered Basketball Courts on August 2, 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., and be one with Human Nature as they build, dance, party, Zumba! Tickets are available at Human Nature Metro Manila / Luzon Branch or online at www.humanheartnature.com.
[email protected]/www.cheshireque.com/Twitter:CheshireQue