A combination of a good exercise regimen and a balanced diet will produce lasting results of healthy living. Exercise not only keeps a person fit but also makes them feel good about themselves. As the sayings go, “a healthy body has a healthy mind” and “you are what you eat”. Regular exercise stimulates the brain to produce endorphin, a chemical that helps a person feel more relaxed and at peace. A balanced diet is essential to maintain a healthy weight. Exercise and nutrition go hand in hand.
Studies have shown that aerobic exercise can strengthen your bones, which in turn helps you age better. Eating a low-fat, low-carb, high-protein diet can be helpful in achieving goals faster. Exercising regularly prevents the risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancer. To make sure you’re exercising hard enough without straining your heart, calculate your heart rate using the heart rate calculator. Optimal training requires your heartbeat to go up to 75% of your heart rate, which will burn a lot of calories in a short time.
Basic exercises to start:
There are three basic components to all exercise routines; Aerobics, Strength Training and Flexibility or Stretching.
Aerobic Exercise: Walking, jumping, and swimming are the best forms of aerobic exercise. Jumping rope raises your heart rate much faster than walking. Therefore, ten minutes of jumping rope is equivalent to twenty minutes of walking. Swimming is considered the only exercise that allows all muscle groups to work together simultaneously to burn maximum calories.
Strength training: Weight training and Pilates are known as muscle toning and strengthening exercises. Weight training should be done at least three times a week. Pilates is getting quite popular nowadays especially in western countries. Teaches mind and body control and helps strengthen core muscles.
Flexibility exercises: Yoga and stretching. Yoga is known for relaxation. Calms anxiety and causes a holistic approach to life. Stretching is highly recommended after every workout. It’s a good way to prevent injury and soothe tired, sore muscles.
Benefits of exercising:
The benefits of exercise are innumerable, to mention a few:
• Increased brain performance
• Feel more energetic
• Stress relievers
• Keeps diseases at bay
• Makes the heart stronger
• Eliminate anxiety and depression
Importance of a balanced diet:
A balanced diet will provide you with the energy your body needs to function properly. It is important to maintain healthy eating habits so that your immune system is strong enough to fight disease. A poor diet can hinder the growth and development of children. Children with poor eating habits are more likely to continue doing so for the rest of their lives.
Easy to follow tips:
A healthy diet is a composition of fresh fruits and vegetables, lean protein, dairy products, and whole grains. Here are some do’s and don’ts to get you started.
• Do not fill up on empty calories, such as cakes and cookies, etc.
• Try to make every calorie count by getting them from the four main food groups.
• Choose fresh fruits over store-bought juices.
• Try to eat six small meals instead of three big ones.
• Always eat a healthy snack between breakfast and lunch, and between lunch and dinner.
• Finally, have a small snack just before bed. That way you won’t end up consuming large portions at each meal.
As you begin a healthy lifestyle, do some homework on calculating your heart rate for optimal training, find out your required caloric intake for your age, and try to keep a food diary from the start. Just stay disciplined through exercise, eat a balanced diet, and you can enjoy a happy life for many years. Start making a difference today by living healthy.