Health and Physical Fitness
Module Two
Lesson Three: Good Health and Physical Fitness
1. I said at the beginning of Module Two that this block of study would feature guest writers. The following article was written by a good friend of mine, fellow martial artist, and physical fitness trainer, Mr. Erick Walker. I’ve known Erick for too many years to count, so when I told him about this course he was more than happy to address something that he feels is especially beneficial to anyone starting out in life. And that of course is the importance of being physically fit and taking care of your body through healthy eating habits and exercise. So without further ado may I present Mr. Erick Walker:
Our bodies were built to last not just a day or a week but for an entire lifetime. It follows then that we should treat them like a temple; however, by the end of what we consider our youth we’ve quite often managed to trash that temple. Well, we need to reconsider how and why so many of the things we do lead to obesity and all the problems that over eating and poor health can cause. If we watch the news, we find that someone is always talking about the diseases and illnesses that are killing us. Of course these discussions all seem to center around one thing and that’s our overall health. So it seems that we must redefine or at least consider what our example of health is, emotionally, spiritually, and physically because all three play a key role in our well being. The following descriptions of health can be found in Webster’s dictionary: “Healthy state of well-being free from disease. “The general condition of the body and mind.”
There is a book (among many) called the ‘The Ab’s Diet” that talks about all the diets out there, the good and bad aspect of each, and how they can either help or hurt you. The book also talks about how fat can be good or bad for you. It also explores the fact that we do need some fat in our body and what it does for each of us. However, it also discusses the downside of too much fat. Remember fat does serve an important function in that it works as a cushion between our organs, not only that, but we need fat to absorb some vitamins our body needs. What we need to remember is that we can (and often do!) store more fat than we need. For example, if on a daily basis we were to eat a salad with some chicken we would get only about 5 grams of fat. Now on the other hand were we to eat a Big Mac, that sandwich alone would give us at least 23 grams of fat. If we did nothing to burn up those fat grams then we stand a better than normal chance of becoming overweight by compromising ourselves for a few dollars and a sandwich.
Let’s discuss some of the things that attack our bodies and cause the storage of unwanted fat and eventually extra pounds. High Fructose Corn Syrup was developed in the 1970’s and is made mostly of glucose. It is a man made sweetener that is cheaper to use than sugar. The problem with this substance is that it is primarily made from glucose, which is a source of immediate energy or when stored in your body it can be used later as energy but until then it will be stored as fat. Remember, I said earlier that fat can help us due to the fact it acts as a cushion for our internal organs. Well we also have fat that rests under our skin on top of the muscle, this is what you see when you look in the mirror and notice that your mid section is a bit soggy or you have that ‘muffin top’ that is so hard to get rid of. Be that as it may, fat is designed to feed our muscles during times of intense stress and when our bodies require extra energy. So again, some fat is not bad, however fats like Tran’s fats are difficult to digest so they may increase the amount of bad cholesterol in your blood which in turn can increase your chances for heart disease and a weakened immune system; perhaps even diabetes.
Some nutritional studies estimate that Tran’s fats contribute to more than 30,000 premature deaths every year. Another key ingredient for weight problems is stress; it can make you lose as well as gain weight and therefore cause health problems. According to a study conducted by Yale University, overweight people participating in an hour of stressful events indicated that their level of cortisol (a hormone that causes fat to rest in the abdominal area) was highly elevated. It could or should be assumed that without some method of relaxation or exercise, stress will definitely add to a weight problem and an already compromised body. So now we get to the hard part of physical fitness…the part where you have to make a commitment to do something, anything to help with keeping yourself in shape. No one expects you to look like a professional body builder or female fitness model and you don’t have to go to the gym every day. Two to three times a week will work, especially if you start off slow, don’t injure yourself, and remain consistent. If you can afford to, try a gym that has an orientation class or some type of session where you can speak with, or work with, a trainer. Another thing we can do is pay attention to what, and how much we eat. Why? Because people generally tend to overeat; so leave the buffets alone. They may seem as if they’re saving you a little money but they are in fact designed to make you overeat…and they do!
If you’re eating at burger joints make sure you try the salads, fruit cups, and items like that. Another trick is to leave the compound meals alone. If you must have a burger, have it without the fries and milkshake. Try eating it alone or with a bottled water. Or, have the large fry and bottled water with no burger. Another trick is to eat the burger patty (especially if it comes with lettuce and tomato) without the bread or at least eat just one of the buns. I’m sure you noticed I have not mentioned sodas. If you drink a lot of them, try cutting them out for one month and it’s entirely possible you may lose as much as 3 to 5 pounds. Next, never use food as a reward or as a crutch to make you feel better about yourself or a situation. Remember Mr. Peeler’s P.O.W.E.R. formula? We cannot hide in the food we eat so we must stop trying…gluttony in the form of food and the damage we do to our self image only serves to shorten our lives not make it any better. If you’re a parent, get active in your children’s lives and their activities. Leave that video game alone and when you and they get bored go outside and play instead of eating junk food and putting in another game.
Recently, a friend of mine was diagnosed with colon cancer. He went to the gym and lifted weights but did not change his eating habits nor did he listen to me when I told him to add cardio to his routine to make his heart healthy and help lose weight. And losing weight is always a good thing when we’ve overeaten and our body mass index has become an issue for concern. Waist size is a pretty good indicator of our overall health. As our waists become larger and covered with fat we tend to become more susceptible to things like prostate and colon cancer as well as other illnesses. I tell you this because I lost my Father to colon cancer and for as long as I can remember his stomach protruded out quite a ways. So did the stomachs of all of his friends. If you do the research as I have done, you will find that there seems to be a link between age, stomach size, and illness. Not to mention the fact that insurance companies are now talking about the link between obesity and cancer. Imagine what they plan on doing with that information? How about denying you coverage due to the fact you may be overweight and therefore not worthy of coverage due to a pre-existing condition? Anything is possible and we’ve seen some of the stunts insurance companies have been involved in…so be safe and start ‘getting physical.’
Getting into and staying in good physical condition can only help you in every facet of your life, from how you feel to how you look in your clothes. And remember, as we said before, health coverage has become a real hot button issue. Lately, more and more insurance companies and health professionals are actively making the association between obesity and overall health and or the possibility of becoming sick due to obesity. This could ultimately affect who gets insurance coverage and who is denied based on a ‘pre-existing’ condition. This may be wrong, but it could become a fact of life so please consider that, and get started doing something. Especially, since physical fitness and the way we look is something that we actually have control over. Physical fitness is not only about how you look and feel but also about the medical reality of taking care of yourself and the value and practicality of good health due to being physically fit. Two books you should read are Abs Diet, and Core Performance. These books can help you achieve your goals no matter what condition you are in. For those of us who want a quick or overnight fix, I’m telling you now, it’s not going to happen. It took years for us to get out of shape so it is going to take some time to fix ourselves. In closing, get an annual physical examination and especially one before you start any strenuous fitness program. Men be sure and get your guy specific exams, Women be sure you do the same with your female specific exams. Remember, eating badly and poor health can be like a jury trial; the only problem with that is the result can be that we end up being our own executioner.
2. Mr. Walker gave us a lot to think about and I’m going to give you just a bit more. The following tips are for everyone but especially those who may not have a regular fitness routine and need some motivation. Remember, consistency is the key to success for getting yourself in shape. That means doing something every day to increase your heart rate and decrease the level of toxins (fats and sugars) you put in your body. Here are those tips we talked about:
a. Be aware of what you’re putting in your body and how much fat, sugar, and calories your meal contains. Read labels and get smart about what and how much you eat. Teach yourself about portion control. Understand that the body really can get along with much less stuff than we actually put into it. If you’re eating from a plate, the size of the portions should never be larger than the inside diameter of your hand. If you can’t picture this comparison then you may want to consider measuring or weighing your portion sizes. The bottom line is this, your food should not be spilling over your plate or piled so high that you have to balance it like a juggler. This information really puts that drive through burger meal in perspective doesn’t it? Most people get the large or medium size meal and some even super size it, when in acutality their body will do just fine with the smaller sized meals. Portion control is hard, but once you’ve mastered it, you’ll look back on what you used to eat and wonder why and how you did it…you’ll never do it again. See paragraph ‘f’ below.
b. Drink plenty of water because it helps to hydrate all of your cells as well as flush out toxins, and keep your metabolism working. A good metabolism helps burn fat and keep you moving. A lack of water will shut your metabolism down and keep you from losing weight and staying healthy.
c. Exercise daily. To do this, you don’t have to go a gym but you should spend some time every day stretching, doing basic exercises like push-ups, leg raises, dips (for your triceps) and yes, some jumping jacks, or (if you can) running in place and working up a sweat. Jumping rope is always good if you have the room but the idea is to develop things you can do in your environment and do them every day, twice a day, for 5, 10, 20, and then when you can 30 minutes or even 45 minutes to an hour!
d. You may not know this, but I’m sure you’ve seen people with wash-board abdominal muscles. This is partly due to genetics but it’s also due to diet, you will never get those stomach muscles to show by doing just sit-ups. You have to eat enough good calories per day to feel good but you also have to ensure those calories are not loaded with fat and sugar. Remember, know what you’re putting in your mouth.
e. Be sure to get enough fiber and roughage in your diet. You should have at least one good bowel movement a day. Low sugar cereals like oatmeal, Raisin Bran, and Shredded Wheat are all good sources of fiber and will help keep things moving. Eating lots of leafy green vegetables and fruit is also beneficial to your overall colon health.
f. Start off your day by always having a decent breakfast. This does not mean a particularly heavy meal but anything that starts your metabolism and fuels your fat burning processes. It could be a slice of whole wheat toast, some fruit, a glass of water, and some sugar free cereal or oatmeal. You should also try to eat several small meals throughout the day instead of loading up heavily on one or two meals. Doing this will help with portion control as well as the urge to overeat or stuff yourself. Keep your metabolism going but don’t shut it down by over eating and not drinking enough water.
g. Being in high school can be a problem because your day it heavily regulated. So you will have to pay particular attention to what and when you eat. You may be able to sneak in a piece of fruit or a low fat food item like a granola bar or something similar. Whatever you do will require some thought, stick to it-iveness, and preplanning. This is not a diet it is a way of life and requires self discipline. Does that mean you can never have any junk food? Only you can answer that but when and if you decide to do that…just don’t over do it.
3. I know there will be some people that read this and feel it does not apply to them due to their level of fitness. That’s fine; the following sample workout is not for them, it’s for those who are just starting out:
Jump rope: 25 count (count each time a particular foot hits the floor).
Push-up: Do a regular push up ten times or as many as you can do.
Run in place: 100 count (count each time left or right foot hits the floor).
Standing Leg Raise: 10 count (alternately raise each leg out in front of you counting out on one leg as you raise it for a count of ten.
Jumping jacks: 25 count.
Dips: 10 count: (You may have to use one or two chairs to allow you to get enough height to do this. Place the chairs next to one another with a space wide enough for your hips to fit through. The put one hand on the seat of each chair and stretch your feet out in front of you and let your body weight push you down towards the floor until you’re comfortable. Then push yourself back up as high as you can get your body. You should feel this in your triceps.
Abdominal work: I will leave this exercise up to you. Do some research and figure out what and how many you want to do.
Note: As we said before, check with a physician before you start any strenuous activity. Also make sure you wear good shoes during any workout or fitness routine and get some stretching in before and after your workout. Remember no workout should hurt (don’t get this confused with normal bodily stress or after workout soreness. We’re talking about pain due to injury or disability) and neither should this one; if it does, find something else to replace a particular exercise. Also, the entire sample routine we listed is considered one set, so as you get into better shape you can increase the number of sets as well as the number of individual exercises or counts that you’re doing. The more you do the better off you’ll be. Do these exercises as quickly as you can (for your level of fitness) the more intensity you can put into this workout the more calories and fat you’ll burn. If intense means starting out by doing less of everything but as hard as you can do it…then that’s what it means. Remember getting fit takes time, so take the time, be consistent, get it right, and enjoy your workout!
Conclusion: Always remember to respect yourself and like who you are. If you don’t like the way you look and you’ve been medically cleared by a doctor, do your best to change what you have control over. That’s what, and how much you eat, as well as what you do to keep yourself physically fit. You can do this but you have to make a commitment to yourself to get started and work through the tough times as well as the lazy times. If you stick with it…you’ll see results. Feel free to let me know if you did or did not like this particular lesson by telling us what you think. Please leave your comment or complaint here on the site.
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November 14th, 2009 at 11:38 am
Wow, you added some great stuff…kool!
November 14th, 2009 at 10:16 pm
Erick,
Thank you for all your help! Talk with you soon.
V/r
RPeeler
November 16th, 2009 at 1:33 pm
Good article, Erick!