Get fit: it just might save your life!
These days everyone talks about fitness, but what does it really mean, and why is it vital to our long-term health?
Mention the word fitness and many people think of pumping iron, sweating it out in the gym, or training for the marathon. To others, fitness conjures up images of drastic dieting, punishing exercise routines, and those nagging pangs of guilt that arise when we fail, yet again, to achieve goals which were just too unrealistic in the first place.
We want it fast - and we want it now! We live in an age of fast cars, fast food, instant communication and instant gratification. We drive shamefully short distances rather than walk, we choose burger bars and convenience foods over good old-fashioned home cooking, and we yo-yo from one diet craze to another desperately seeking that miracle – and instant - solution.
We drive our kids to school, we sit hours in front of computers, and we park ourselves in front of the box for hours on end watching often mindless and brain-numbing ‘entertainment.’
No wonder so many of us are unfit, with an alarmingly increasing number of people suffering from life-threatening and debilitating conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, breathing problems - and the list goes on.
The facts are frightening
The current statistics make for very scary reading. According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, nearly half of all adult Canadians are overweight or obese. Even more worrying is the fact that the proportion of Canadian adults considered to be obese - that is, having a BMI (Body Mass Index) in excess of 30, almost tripled from 5.6% to 14.8% between 1985 and 1998. Clearly, if we continue at this rate, we are on a collision course with our own health.
Most alarming is the growing risk among young people. The H&SF claims that over 30% of those in their twenties are overweight, while almost 40% of teenage girls are physically inactive.
It’s never too late
The good news is that we can stop this ticking time bomb, if we just trade in our lazy lethargic lifestyles for that new lease of life that comes with feeling fit. The H&SF notes that the biggest decreases in high blood pressure were seen in those Canadians who undertook moderate exercise, that is, 30-45 minutes, at least three times a week.
The bad news is that there’s no quick fix. The damage and neglect we’ve been inflicting on our bodies for so many years cannot be reversed overnight. Getting fit takes time, and it’s important to be patient and proceed at your own pace.
So what is fitness?
The term covers many categories which contribute to our overall health, from exercise, sport and nutrition to weight loss, weight gain and psychological well-being. The result is increased vitality, better appearance and higher self-esteem.
And that’s not all. The physical benefits of regular activity are well documented. Regular exercise minimizes the risk of diabetes and high blood pressure, and helps to keep our bones, muscles and joints healthy. Exercising regularly, whether you join a gym or just go for a walk, also helps with weight control, depression and anxiety.
How much exercise do we need?
Recommendations vary, but the general consensus is a minimum of 30 minutes three times a week. Just remember to take it easy at first. If you haven’t done much exercise for a while, it’s important that you build your flexibility, endurance and energy levels gradually to avoid injury.
So what are you waiting for? Take those first few steps towards fitness today, and you’ll be amazed how quickly you look better, feel better and begin to get much more out of life.
You might even live longer, too! What more incentive do you need?
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