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.
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