Maintain A Healthy Living Style

FREDERICK KEBADIRETSE
Staff Writer | Monday January 11, 2010 00:00

Gym rooms as well are flooded by one-month wonders that will disappear in a short period of time. Almost all these people have one goal in common, to lose weight. Come end of the year a lot of these people will be carrying the excess weight again. Many will stop exercising once they have lost the weight they wanted to lose, others will just stop because they do not see any progress from their exercise, Some will cite busy schedules at work or school as their major hindrance to continue exercising.

Research has shown that most people engage in physical activity during the first quarter of the year, only for the numbers to drop towards the end of the year, (Men's Health Magazine).

This was attributed to the fact that people over-indulge in practices that lead to rapid weight gain during the festive season and they become eager to lose the weight at the beginning of a new year.

The assistant manager of Energym Health Studios in Gaborone, Tony Ndungu, said Batswana also show this trend of engaging in fitness at the beginning of the year, only to cease doing that towards the end of the year. Ndungu said the first months of the year are usually the busiest at the gym as many people come with resolutions for losing weight.

'The gym is usually busiest when the year starts, then business slows down during the winter period only for people to resume training again after winter. Towards the end of the year most people cease to exercise.

These people gain weight again and will come back the following year with an objective of losing the weight they gained while inactive from physical activity,' Ndungu said.

Now, those who will have achieved their goal then stopped exercising will gain the weight again as the year progresses and it becomes difficult for them to start an exercise program at the end of the year because they will probably be too busy partying and enjoying the festive season. They will end up listing losing weight in their next year's resolution once again.

This circle will continue into the next year unless people begin to realise that this is not a solution to their weight problem. It is just a 'temporary fix to a permanent problem'. If people really want to stay not only in 'shape' but rather healthy throughout the year they should adapt a 'holistic approach to healthy living'. This includes taking part in regular exercise or physical activity; having a healthy eating plan that reduces intake of fad diets and junk as well as reducing alcohol intake and practicing other acts of healthy lifestyles.

This should not only be taken as a New Year's resolution, but rather as a lifelong commitment towards healthy living.

People should commit to regular participation in physical activity throughout the year. This is because the effects of exercise are reversible, that is to say once an individual stops exercising, they will regain the weight they shed off through exercise.

For those who do not see any progress as they train to lose weight, it is imperative to see an exercise specialist and discuss your objectives with them so that they can design a specific exercise program looking at your objectives.

Sometimes it is difficult to supervise yourself when exercising, so when you find yourself in such a situation, try joining a gym class where there is supervision throughout the program. Alternatively for those who do not prefer a gym, you can get some friends as jogging or exercising mates, or a personal trainer will still make a better option if you do not want company during exercise.

It also does not mean that if you have achieved your desired weight you should stop exercising. This is where a maintenance program is necessary.

A maintenance program includes less strenuous activities performed at low intervals in order not to lose fitness during periods of inactivity. This can be done two to three times a week and it is the best program to enrol in especially during winter where many people shun exercise in chilly weather and during the festive season.

These are usually the periods of the year when most people gain weight as they do not exercise. It is also important to watch your diet even during the festive season to avoid eating junk food, which will result in unnecessary weight gains. People tend to eat too much junk food in the form of braais that are synonymous with festive parties.

Alcohol also contributes a lot to rapid weight gain, so it is important not to go too hard on alcohol intake especially during outings and parties.

So, keeping a new year's resolution of losing weight is not going to work for anyone, scrape it off the list of your resolutions and replace it with 'adapting a lifelong commitment to healthy living/fitness' today to avoid frustrations during the course of the year so that you will stay healthy forever.