Chapter
15.
Exercise
for good Health and weight loss.
As I mentioned earlier in this report you don't have to exercise for
weight loss. You can lose weight by lying in bed for several weeks ill
with little food... but you may not be able to stand up when you get
out of bed because your body will be so weak and soft.
Just by following the eating principles in this report will ensure that
you will lose weight also improve your health. However, if you want
to experience the joy of REAL health then you must factor in some planned
exercise.
If you
don't use it... you lose it!
This is an old wise saying which relates to the functioning of your
body! When you stop using your body and prevent it from carrying out
the tasks that it is designed to do... whether it is simply walking
or making love... it will, in part or in whole start deteriorating rapidly!
Your body is not designed to be sedentary! It is a wonderful, highly
sophisticated and complex organism which we are fortunate to have the
use of. But, it has to be respected and properly maintained. This means
not only do you have to have to give it the correct fuel you must also
ensure that it is kept flexible and strong.
As I am sure you know, if you don't use a piece of equipment for some
time the moving parts will rust up and the equipment will stop working.
Your body is no different. It needs regular rigorous movement combined
with RESISTANCE.
BUT I
AM TOO OLD... SO IT'S TOO LATE FOR ME!
Nonsense! It's NEVER too late. I have seen people 80+ start an exercise
program which includes resistance exercise with weights. The results
are astounding! My personal observations are borne out by many well
documented studies in which remarkable changes have occurred with older
people who were considered... past it!
However, if you are a newcomer to exercise start it with caution. Have
a check up first with your Doctor so that you understand what your current
state of cardiovascular health is, and then begin slowly and build up
gradually.
If you have been largely sedentary you may have to be content with a
modest walking program initially or, joining the local gym and doing
a very modest amount of cardiovascular work followed by just a few light
weights.
If you are badly out of shape or quite elderly, don't be embarrassed
by going to the gym…you won't be alone and people who are in good
condition do respect out of shape people that come to the gym and make
the effort. At the gym I go to there is a guy around 50 who would have
to be around 350lbs. He has difficulty walking and needs a cane. He
comes regularly and he is making great progress. I respect him enormously
because he has realized what he must do to regain his health, and he
is doing it.
How much exercise should you do?
Not as much as you may think. I am not an exercise 'nut' so I do the
minimum and I keep in really good shape. My program is quite simple.
I work out at the gym three times a week on alternate days, generally
Mon, Weds and Fridays. I do approx 15 minutes of cardiovascular work
50/50 on the treadmill and rowing machine and then I do 5 sets of exercises
with weights.
Total all up time 40 minutes per work out.
On the in between days I go for a brisk walk weather permitting, if
not I may go to the gym and do 30 minutes on the treadmill. In the weekends
I don't do anything specific other than general outdoor activities.
So, it is not necessary to be a fanatic about exercise for it to be
effective. In some ways it's a bit like the hint that I gave you earlier
about how much to eat. Look at exercise in a rational way. If you do
3 x 40 minute workouts, plus 2 x 30 minute walks a week you will be
doing 3 hours of structured exercise a week out of a total of 168 hours!
In other words…about 1.8% of your time will be spent in maintaining
your body. Reflect on this for a moment! No matter what your position
in life is, I would doubt that you could find any way that you could
get such a rewarding return on that time investment…not only in
health but in financial terms as well.
Think for a moment of the financial cost of getting sick! Consider what
it must be like for those poor souls that start losing their minds at
a relatively young age and spend the rest of their days shuffling around
in a rest home.
NONE of that is necessary unless you are one of those very rare cases
and you are struck by illness through some form of genetic malfunction!
Your future is in your OWN hands, no one else's! If you want to enjoy
life to the fullest you must control it yourself and that means making
the effort... NOW, not tomorrow or next week...
Sorry to go on
so much, but I get so frustrated when I see so much suffering as a result
of avoidable ill health because people don't understand the causes!
This is much of my motivation in writing this report in the hope that
it will help enlighten those people who want to improve their health
and well being and bring some real happiness to their life which can
only be truly experienced with vibrant health.
OK, I'll get off my 'soap box' and move on...
