Physical Activity and Nutrition
In these days of sedentary lifestyles where everything gets done with the click of a button, physical activity especially in women has taken a back seat. We need to take that extra care of ourselves as we have a lot of multi tasking to do like managing family, home and a career. A moderate amount of exercise coupled with a nutritious diet in day to day life could be highly beneficial and energetic.
Beginners should start with brief intervals (5-10 minutes) of physical activity and gradually increase it to the preferred level. Continuing a regular routine of physical activity for longer periods with higher intensity will possibly give us a greater benefit. But at the same time too much of activity should be avoided, as it might increase the risk of injury like the bones might weaken or fatigue might set in. A 30 minute brisk walk or a 15 min jog or a swim could do the trick. A set particular timing isn’t necessary, you could just stretch yourself a little, do small neck exercises while still at work or just take a 10 min break and walk down the corridor but make sure to carry them out at places where pollution levels are at the lowest.
Physical activity need not necessarily mean going just for a jog or brisk walks, it could be made more interesting by enrolling yourself in a dance class, dance is an excellent exercise regime, or you could go cycling, join something more adventurous like kick boxing .Choose an activity that best suits your personality, coz results will be much higher only when you enjoy doing it rather than force yourself into it.
There are numerous benefits of physical activity like reducing the risk of heart disease and high blood pressure, cancer, and diabetes. Keeps weight in check, builds lean muscle and trims down body fat, which is a biggest concern for women of all ages. Bones, muscles, and joints get healthy. Women suffering from arthritis and joint pains can come across a radical change. Also reduces anxiety and depression helps an individual regroup, and helps create a feeling of complete well being.
An every day physical activity regime helps us lose those extra kilos of weight, cuts down on calories, keeps the system energized and rejuvenated. However women with disorders like heart problems, diabetes are advised to consult a fitness expert before contemplating workouts. Along with regular workouts it’s extremely important to include healthy nutritious food in our diet. As they say you are what you eat, eating the right food makes all the difference .Its absolutely futile going for a half hour jog and have a bag of potato chips , drink cola or gorge on a pizza. It’s again adding those killer calories to your waistline, instead having a nutritious diet like foods rich in vitamins, right carbs, minerals, essential fats should be the norm. Include cereals, whole wheat breads, pulses, vegetables and fruit. Opt for low fat diary products or better still food with very little or no fat, lean meat, lessening the intake of red meat. Controlled salt and added sugar intake, avoiding alcohol and caffeine.
All you women out there put on your sneakers and go for a good jog!!!