"Dream, Dream, Dream! Conduct these dreams into thoughts, and then transform them into action."
- Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
As the year 2016 draws to an end, we hope that our readers had a happy, peaceful and a healthy year. As the saying goes 'health is wealth', priority should be given to health, as only if we enjoy good health can we enjoy wealth and fame. A small nagging headache is enough to spoil our day. We are helpless as we have to be hooked to our electronic gadgets because that is what our work demands.
Gradually as our workload increases we begin to forego our food and rest. We hear people say that they don't have the time and energy to exercise. I wish they knew that half an hour of exercise daily is enough to boost our energy levels and keep us fit. Here are some ways to get out of our sedentary lifestyle to stay fit and healthy.
Hiking and Trekking: Go for a long, vigorous walk along the country side. Climb lovely mountains and enjoy nature while trekking through villages where lifestyle hasn't changed for generations. There is an element of adventure while climbing tough mountains.
Hiking and Trekking improves blood pressure levels, increases bone density, strengthens the quadriceps, hamstrings and muscles and strengthens your core.
Swimming: Swimming is a sport which is consistently among top public recreational activities and in some countries, swimming lessons are the compulsory part of their educational curriculum.
Swimming keeps your heart rate up and takes some of the impact stress off your body. It also helps maintain a healthy weight, healthy heart and lungs. It also helps to tone muscles and build strength.
Running: Run for your life by going for a long run. Train by covering short distances initially, then slowly extend the distance.
The long run builds endurance and strength and teaches you how to deal with fatigue.It brings lasting changes in your body. Capillaries in your muscle fibers increase in number, which enables more energizing oxygen to reach our muscles. Your mitochondria, the aerobic powerhouses of cells also grow in number and size, which help you to sustain energy. Your muscles also learn to store more glycogen (carbs) which ward off fatigue over long distances.
Moreover, you will love the sense of achievement when it is over.
Cycling: How nice it would be if in our cities we had dedicated lanes for cycling in our roads so that people could just ride their bicycles to work. Not only would cycling contribute to people's exercise, but also help in reducing air pollution.
Cycling has huge health benefits like increased muscle strength and flexibility, improved joint mobility, posture and co-ordination, decreased body fat levels, prevention or management of disease to name a few.
Exercising outside exposes you to daylight, helps get your circadian rhythm back in sync and also rids your body of cortisol, the stress hormone. Exercise also helps you look younger as the increased circulation delivers oxygen and nutrients to the skin more effectively, optimize collagen production, helping reduce the appearance of wrinkles and speed up healing process. It boosts brain power, beats illness and helps you live longer.
So make time for a fitness regime and follow it intently. May that be your New Year resolution helping you to lead a happy and healthy life.
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