Sunday, May 31, 2009

Stay Fit Instead of Relying to Diet Programs of Have the Yoyo Effect in Your Body All the Time

Exercising of getting fit is a commitment. And prevention is always better than getting a cure, which means, staying in shape is always better than getting overweight or underweight and later on work it out back to your/one's normal or fit body level. I learned these facts while I was working with my previous organization (or employer) and we were given the chance to join various activities organized by colleagues for either a very discounted fee or for free.

The company/organization actually supports its employees as well in this endeavor as it contains everything inside its compound to further these leisure needs for employeees: tennis court, multi purpose gymnasium that can be transformed into basketball court, inddor tennis court, football field, etc, etc,. There was also various rooms for exercises and other activities like yoga. The fitness room was with the latest equipments ever.

Enough of promoting what the Company has inside as the list is so long. When the fitness instructor, who is also the physical therapist of the organization discussed with us fitness program participants how do we go fit, we touched the topic of dieting. It seems that having a diet program when one is not in the correct shape is not very advisable. Why? It's the yo-yo effect that is very disturbing. Well, from personal opinion, I could sensne what a yoyo effect is.

What is the yoyo effect then. I know what is the yoyo and I presume it's one's weight that goes high and low or goes up and down just like a Yoyo. Consider someone who is fat and wishes to get in fitness level again: that person would exercise much, eat so less and then he or she would achive her goal of lesser weight and fitness level desired. However, since that person is kind of deprived with food and comfort level for a few weeks or days or months, he or she, right after getting fit, would eat much again and sleep much. These activities would make that person again gain weight and he or she would repeat the exercise and diet process again to lose weight.

Do you like that? Fat-thin-fat-thin-fat you? For me, that is not a good idea. Staying fit all through out is the answer. Moderation of food intake, moderation of exercise schedule and level always do great for me. How about you? Have you had a fitness yo-yo?

Sunday, May 24, 2009

The Sun of Our Health and Fitness

Living in Gelderland (Netherlands-Germany birder) is warmer than living in the Hague. It’s been almost a month since I was here and my running for three days each week has been consistent. When I ran today, I noticed that people that were also running were with running shorts and racer back running shirts. I was still with sweater and running pants. I realized then that the weather is hotter compared to the previous weeks and when I went home, I also changed to shorts and went out again to work in my garden.

The sun was really hot and I liked it. Living in the Hague did not permit a lot of going out but now that the garden is here, the sun is shining, it would be great to lay down it and be brown again, as brown is my natural color. I feel so pale being in cold every time and always wearing clothes that cover each inch of the skin. I missed my sleeveless and short shorts back in the Philippines.

I was curious what the mighty sun could offer. Thus, I searched around. I understood, from elementary studies that sun offers Vitamin D. However, things might have changed considering a different environment these days: more pollution, more global warming issues, more ozone layer burning, etcetera, etcetera. And indeed I found it! Not only the good stuff but actually more on the negative side of staying under the sun.

I was even surprised to read that even in cloudy day sun can cause damage to us if we are situated in certain locations of this earth. I have not searched yet for Netherlands but for some, the mighty sun can cause cancer of the skin, eye injuries and other illnesses caused by heat. This is of course obvious if we stay a lot under the sun.

What I do is, I run early when the sun is still young and not burning like hell. Then I also have my sun glasses with me all the time. No matter what bad the sun can offer, I still believe that the overall benefit outweigh the negative effects the sun causes. It also feels great when I sweat out with the help of the sun. Personally, I feel more healthy than sweating without it.

What do we do then? Do not stay so long under, moderation is the answer.