#YourStory – Make fitness a lifestyle

Ever wondered why gyms are always full at the beginning of the year?

January is always the busiest time of the year for gyms because year in and year out, people always list ‘going’ to gym as one of their top priorities but not everyone follows through with their gym plans.

After a holiday season of eating and drinking, many gyms see their memberships double each January, however by the end of February, the enthusiasm is gone and gym attendance is usually back at its normal capacity.

Greenstone-based personal trainer, Blessing Ndlovu, urged people be realistic when planning their resolutions.

“One of the reasons why most people don’t follow through with their gym plans is because they don’t understand that fitness is a lifestyle. Before you change the outside appearance, you need to understand that the change has to start from within before it can happen on the exterior.”

Blessing said he is not a personal trainer but a ‘body re-constructures’ and said people don’t need to have special powers to stick to their fitness resolutions.

“People just need to change their mindset. People go to gym for different reasons; it can be to lose weight, gain weight, tone and to maintain their weight. You just need to understand that this is a lifestyle. You cannot want to change your situation if you are not willing to make the changes necessary for you to achieve that goal. People make career goals and make the changes that are needed to reach those goals; fitness goals are no different because you cannot perform at your best in your career if your body is not in the right state, both in the interior and exterior,” said Blessing.

He also said that people stop going to gym because they get discouraged when they don’t see the results they were hoping for.

“Fitness is a journey and before you even begin with your exercises, you need to learn and understand your body because our bodies are not the same. What works for somebody else might not work for you. When you understand your body, you will then understand which exercises work for you because having access to all those gym machines does not mean you need to use all of them,” said Blessing.

He urged people to plan their the fitness the same way they plan their career.

“Fitness is like anything in life – its not easy, so people must understand that they have to put in some work in order to achieve their goal. Companies should have fitness centres in order to keep their employees in good health because a healthy mind means the company will also benefit a great deal,” said Blessing.

He said leading a healthy lifestyle doesn’t mean giving up eating certain items because that is the reason most people go on diets which never work.

“You can still treat yourself with your favourite treats but too much of anything is bad for you,” he said.

Blessing shared these basic nutrition guidelines:

•  Eat sufficient high-quality protein – protein should come from high quality, low fat sources such as egg whites, lean meats (chicken, fish turkey, ostrich, beef and Game), fat free dairy products (fat free cottage cheese, fat free yoghurt) and high quality protein supplements. No lamb or sheep meat.
•  Avoid refined carbohydrates – foods such as sugar and white flour, as well as anything containing these two elements. It provides your body with useless calories since they contain few other nutrients. Refined carbohydrates affect your energy levels by overloading your system with too much glucose. Since your body can’t immediately use so much glucose, the body turns what it can’t use into fat.
•  Reduce your consumption of fats – one gram of fat yields nine calories when metabolised in the human body, while protein and carbohydrates yield only four calories per gram. Read labels on products to see how low in fat they are. Most unprocessed foods are naturally low in fat. Avoid unnecessarily adding fat to your diet in the way of butter, margarine, cooking oils, salad dressings, mayonnaise and sauces. Fat free or low fat sauces may be used but minimal.
•  Drink plenty of water – water makes up two thirds of your human tissue. Every chemical reaction takes place in the H2O medium.
•  Supplement your diet with vitamins and minerals – the most convenient way is to use an a-z or complete multi-vitamin and mineral. Modern day diets are often lacking in essential micro-nutrients essential for the production of energy and the maintenance of optimum health. Consume along with a meal for better absorption.
•  Eat five to six small meals spaced out by three to four hours – by eating frequent, small meals, you allow your body to better digest and absorb the nutrients you take in. Small meals are much easier for your body to digest than large ones. It also gives you a constant release of energy by maintaining a stable insulin output.
•  If you can’t have a meal or snack, replace it a meal replacement shake – meal replacement drinks are good choices as they are low in fat, contain easily digestible proteins and carbohydrates and are fortified with vitamins and minerals.
•  Prepare your food in a healthy way – steam, grill, microwave, bake or boil as any other process adds unnecessary fat.
• He advised people to read the labels on the food they buy in order to know what ingredients are used.

Nadege Mukendi, who is also a body trainer at a gym in Greenstone Crescent, said women, and especially mothers; often complain that they don’t have time to go to the gym. “People can do simple exercises at home because even doing house-work is exercise. Take a walk instead of driving to the local shops, or walk your child to school. Make priorities and understand that when you care about your well being, your whole family benefits. Get your partner involved,” she said.

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