When I see men, women, youth, jogging or running along the streets on Saturday morning, I get really happy; it seems more and more Ghanaians are finally getting the message about the importance of exercise. I only wish they would do it more often than once a week.
Exercise is important to staying healthy, especially among modern day urban dwellers, with so-called white-collar jobs, who sit at work all day, drive to every destination and don’t pay particular attention to their diet. Unfortunately people start exercise regimens only to stop after 2 or 3 sessions. And it won’t be until another year or two- when someone comments about their potbelly or their doctor expresses concern about their lifestyle- before they jump back on the treadmill.
To reap the benefits of exercise, you need to be consistent. Unfortunately, a lot of health-conscious folks lack the discipline to keep it up. Here are some tips to help you stay on track:
Start slow– When you start a new exercise regimen, do not try to hit your target right from the start. Build up to it slowly, e.g. you can start a jogging regimen by doing 700m the first few days, then 1km for a week, then gradually build up to 5km over 2 months. If you are too intense from the beginning, you risk burning out quickly. Even worse, at the end of the very first day, your muscles will be so sore you may not gather the strength to pick up your running shoes again. You need to give your body some time to adjust to the new exercise plan.
Know your limit– Unless you are a professional athlete, there is no reason why you should consistently try to beat your personal best time. As you remain consistent with your exercise regimen, it becomes easier to achieve and beat your previous times, but this should not be the focus. Work within your physical capacity so you don’t make exercise too stressful on your body and mind.
Have a schedule– Drawing up a schedule for the week or month is a good way to help you stay on track. The schedule should be realistic and free of collisions with work and other commitments. Apart from helping you monitor your progress, it has a psychological effect on you, making you want to keep to it, especially when it is drawn with the help of your doctor or a fitness trainer.
Do not over-dose on exercise– There is no essence trying to stress yourself when it comes to exercising. Research has actually shown that the benefits of exercise plateaus off after a certain level, and actually becomes injurious to health beyond this point. A 30 minute jog or run 5 times a week may do you more good than a 3-hour intensive work out, twice a day, every day of the week.
Consult your doctor before you start– Some may consider this a triviality, but it can prevent unnecessary discomfort and mal-effects. This is particularly important if you have a pre-existing medical condition, e.g. asthma, sickle cell disease, heart disease, arthritis, etc. A patient with severe osteoarthritis of the knees would be advised to go swimming as exercise, rather than jogging, and a patient with asthma may need adjustment of treatment before commencement of exercise.
Be careful where you run– The effects of injuries and accidents can deter people from mustering the courage to return to exercise and may even produce a fatal outcome. Unless you are going hiking, try to avoid rocky stretches for your run; it can take a toll on your knees and ankles. It is also easier to sustain a severe injury in such terrain. If you cannot avoid such terrain in your route make sure you wear good running shoes, or you can register in a gym instead and work the treadmill. If you run along a busy road, run against the direction of traffic flow and don’t plug your ears with ear phones. You need to stay alert on the streets.
If you are as yet not motivated enough to start or continue exercising, let me remind you of the benefits of exercise, as outlined by the Mayo clinic. That should get you going:
Exercise helps to maintain a healthy weight and causes the production of “good” cholesterol, while decreasing the levels of unhealthy triglycerides. These benefits lowers one’s risk of heart disease and other non-communicable diseases like diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome. It also helps prevent certain cancers and arthritis.
Apart from increasing your physical endurance and energy levels, exercise also provides psychological benefits; it improves mood and is a perfect way to let out the steam from a stressful day. It leaves you feeling happier and more relaxed and improves your confidence and self-esteem. It is also known to help prevent depression and other mood disorders.
Regular physical activity can help you fall asleep faster and deepen your sleep. Just don’t exercise too close to bedtime, or you may be too energized to fall asleep.
Physical activity is known to improve one’s sex life. This effect is usually ascribed to the enhanced physical endurance and self-confidence exercise produces. Additionally though, exercise can lead to enhanced arousal for women, and men who exercise regularly are less likely to have problems with erectile dysfunction than men who don’t exercise.
Many regular short sessions is better than one long, infrequent session. Consistency is very important when it comes to exercising. Most of the benefits of exercise come from accrued drops of benefit over a long period. And you cannot try to make up for 2 months without exercise with an intensive weekend of nonstop work out; you will just end up miserable and sore.
Exercise is one thing everyone can and should do. It is a vital preventive strategy and necessary for optimal human functioning. Start exercising if you don’t do so already, and let’s continue the conversation on the Citi Health Chat this Wednesday, 8th April, 2015, at 1pm.
By: K.T. Nimako (MB ChB)
Dr. Kojo Nimako is a private medical practitioner with an interest in public health and Citi FM’s Chief Medical Correspondent. He is also the Executive Director of Helping Hand Medical Outreach, an NGO focused on health education.
E-mail: [email protected]
Twitter: @KTNimako