Fitness And Exercise From A Doctor’s Perspective: Maintaining The Lifestyle

Some of the benefits of exercise occur soon but others take longer time. So if you are not being active, you lose the fitness you achieved. Doing at least a little everyday makes the most sense for your health. Staying motivated is central to maintaining your new lifestyle. Vary your activity, vary the place, keep it fun and create some goals. It will also be a good idea to record your efforts, reward your efforts and try a fitness class which will provide a consistent approach to any new activity.

Until physical activity becomes a habit for you, the effort to remain active many seem too great to keep up for a lifetime. So to form a habit, do some physical activity regularly for at least 3 months. It takes 3 months of repetition to form a habit. When you first start an exercise program, try to exercise at the same time every day.

Equipments: Some activities require safety equipments that are recommended. Get the right shoes especially for aerobic activities. Shoes designed for running, walking or particular sports have features that will keep your feet comfortable well supported for that activity.

You don’t need special clothing for walkout, but you need to wear clothing that is breathable (allow air to circulate through the cloth and around your body).

Ways to increase your daily walking:

1. Add a few extra steps to your everyday activities.
2. Park farther than usual from your workplace
3. Take the stairs rather than the elevator for one to three floors
4. Walk instead of drive for short trips. Walk to work, school, a friend’s house and a place for lunch or a nearby store for small purchases.
5. Find a nice place for walk, such as:

• Around your neighbourhood
• Around a whole park
• A new area. Find one, once a week, but choose well populated areas.

Walk at various times of the day. Use “transition times” (times between activities when you don’t have to be anywhere to get out and walk such as:

1. First thing in the morning
2. During your lunch break. Ask a co-worker to join you for a walk.

Fit physical activity into your workplace situations. A very common mistake is to limit your exercise to weekends.

1. When you have no time, try shorter periods of activity spread throughout the day such as three to ten minutes walk.
2. You are too tired because of lack of exercise. Try exercise and you get more energy and adaptability to workload.
3. Be proud of taking care of your body and hence do not feel embarrassed.
4. Get a partner if you can. It is fun to exercise with a friend or spouse. Companionship is motivating.
5. Fitness club membership is good but is costs money. Don’t panic, get a pair of running shoes and start with a low cost option such as walking.
6. Physical activity doesn’t require any special athletic skill. Everyone’s body is made to move.
7. Don’t be afraid of injury. Start slowly and learn the proper form for your activity. Becoming more active will actually protect you from many injuries by strengthening your bones, joints and muscles and improving your balance.

Before starting an exercise program, have a general medical check up and obtain exercise prescription from a doctor specifying the type, intensity, frequency and duration. Diabetics should carefully study all sections relating to diabetic care in addition to specific advice from their doctors. Other specific ailments should be appropriately addressed. Please give physical activity a place in your home or at work. Start today!