Adults need to achieve a good level of fitness to reduce the risk of various diseases and prolong life. Fitness is a very general term and usually refers to an ideal body weight, a nutritious diet, and regular exercise. However, many people find it difficult to determine the right level of fitness. More than 80 million Americans are obese, nutritional deficiencies are common, and less than 5% of Americans exercise more than 30 minutes per day. The good news is that improving fitness is fairly easy and inexpensive, but requires a little effort and lifestyle changes.
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Part 1 of 2: Get Fit with Lifestyle Changes
Step 1. Maintain an ideal body weight
To find out if your current weight is ideal or not, you need to calculate your body mass index (BMI). BMI is a useful measuring tool to determine whether you are overweight or obese. To get the BMI result, divide your weight (kilograms) by your height (meters). A high BMI indicates a greater risk of heart disease, hypertension, type 2 diabetes and other health problems. Although genetics and hormonal changes play a significant role, ideal body weight is mostly achieved with a good diet and regular exercise (see below). this).
- BMI calculation results that are considered healthy and relatively fit range from 18.5 to 24.9; people with scores between 25 and 29 are considered overweight, while people with scores 30 and over are considered obese.
- As a measure, BMI has several limitations: BMI tends to overestimate the body fat of athletes and muscular people. BMI also excludes body fat in the elderly and those who have lost muscle.
Step 2. Eat better
Standard servings of food are usually too high in calories, harmful fats, refined carbohydrates, and sodium. If this sounds familiar, dietary changes need to be made. This will most likely help you lose weight and improve your fitness. Consuming saturated (animal) fat is necessary because the body needs cholesterol, but focus on monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats of plant (vegetable) origin. Start reading labels on food products and avoid trans fats, high-fructose corn syrup and products that are high in sodium. Reduce your intake of carbonated drinks and energy drinks and then increase your consumption of purified water. Add fresh produce (fruits and vegetables) to your diet and try to eat them raw more often. Switch from sweet baked treats to breads and cereals made from whole grains.
- Foods that contain lots of polyunsaturated fats are the seeds of the coriander plant, sesame plant, and sunflower then corn oil and soybeans. The foods that are rich in monounsaturated fats are avocado oil, canola oil, olive oil and peanut oil.
- The key to losing weight or maintaining an ideal body weight is to reduce your daily calorie intake, which is no more than 2,500 for large men and no more than 2,000 for small women. Also do regular cardiovascular exercise to burn fat.
Step 3. Exercise more
Exercise is often equated with fitness and this is true because the ability to engage in physical activity is a direct indicator of your overall fitness level. However, more than 80% of American adults do not meet government recommendations for aerobic activity and muscle toning, and more than 80% of American adolescents do not do sufficient physical activity according to the regulations for youth. Regular cardiovascular exercise (such as brisk walking) for 30-60 minutes daily will not only help you lose weight by burning calories, but also lead to a better flow of oxygen and nutrients to the body's tissues. Regular exercise also forces the heart and lungs to work more efficiently and this is an important part of fitness.
- Start walking in the area around your house at night (if it's safe), then move on to more challenging, hilly areas.
- In addition to walking, effective cardiovascular exercises are swimming, cycling, and running on a treadmill.
- Exercise for 30 minutes every day will have a fairly positive impact on health and fitness. An hour is even better, but exercising for more than an hour provides no significant benefit.
- Do not exercise excessively, especially if you have a heart problem. Start this new routine with light exercise and then gradually increase the duration or difficulty of your workout over a few weeks.
Step 4. Get quality sleep
To get fit, you need energy to do physical activities. Along with a healthy diet (mentioned above), getting enough quality sleep is also important so that you feel energetic and motivated to get fit. Lack of quality (not sleeping well) and quantity (sleep duration that is not long enough) can lead to chronic fatigue and cause weight gain, muscle atrophy, depression and increase the risk of various diseases. Generally, healthy adults need an average of eight hours of sleep per night to recover and get adequate rest. So, try to manage your schedule. You may be one of the lucky ones because you only need 6 hours of sleep per day; on the other hand, you may also need 10 hours of sleep to be healthy. The duration of sleep needed by each person is largely determined by genetics.
- Avoid consuming stimulants (caffeine, nicotine, alcohol) at least eight hours before bedtime. Caffeine increases brain activity and makes it difficult for people to fall asleep. Alcohol and nicotine also make it difficult to fall asleep.
- Make the bedroom as quiet, dark, and comfortable as you can to get the best quality and quantity of sleep.
Step 5. Quit bad habits
Breaking bad habits is another important component of fitness. These bad habits generally include smoking and consuming too many alcoholic beverages. Smoking is very dangerous because it can damage almost every organ of the body and cause many diseases, including heart-related diseases and cancer. Likewise, ethanol (the type of alcohol commonly consumed) is known as a carcinogen which can dramatically increase the risk of various cancers. Ethanol It has also been linked to nutritional deficiencies, cognitive decline (dementia) and depression. Therefore, stop consuming alcohol or limit yourself to not drinking more than one liquor a day.
- Use a nicotine patch or nicotine gum to help you stay away from cigarettes. Quitting completely and suddenly will only have a lot of side effects to deal with (a strong urge to smoke, depression, headaches, and weight gain).
- Alcohol is known to "thin" the blood thereby reducing the risk of heart disease, but the overall effect of ethanol on health and wellness is clearly negative.
- Most heavy smokers usually drink alcohol regularly, so these two bad habits are interrelated.
Part 2 of 2: Asking Professionals for Help Reaching Fitness Goals
Step 1. Schedule a physical exam with your doctor
To measure your fitness level more objectively, make an appointment with your doctor for a physical exam and blood tests. Your doctor may be able to calculate your BMI and of course check your vitals, such as heart rate, blood pressure and respiratory rate. A low respiratory rate and heart rate indicate a good level of fitness. Low blood pressure (less than 130/80) is also a sign of good heart health. Blood tests can measure levels of cholesterol and hemoglobin (the iron-based compound that carries oxygen in the blood). People with good fitness levels tend to have high hemoglobin levels.
- Normal levels of cholesterol in the blood should be less than 200 mg/dL; LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) should be less than 100 mg/dL, while HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol) should be more than 60 mg/dL to provide optimal protection against cardiovascular disease.
- Normal levels of hemoglobin in adults vary with an average of 13.8 to 17.2 grams per deciliter (g/dL) for men and 12.1 to 15.1 g/dL for women.
Step 2. See a physiotherapist or personal trainer
If you have no experience in sports or just want to get a more structured workout, seek referrals to a physiotherapist or see a personal trainer at your local gym. Physiotherapists and personal trainers can provide specific exercises tailored to the program to lose weight, increase heart strength and/or endurance. These health professionals are trained in assessing fitness levels based on four main areas: aerobic fitness, muscle strength and endurance, flexibility, and body composition (BMI). Measures your fitness level over time without comparing it with friends or other people. other people in the gym is the best thing to do. Make sure you experience steady improvement over a few weeks.
- Walking a predetermined distance for a certain duration is a good measure of aerobic fitness.
- Being able to do a number of pushups over a period of time is also a measure of strength and I hold my muscles well.
- The sit and reach test is a great way to measure flexibility, while BMI is a good indicator of body composition (fat).
Step 3. Consult a chiropractor or osteopath
Chiropractors and osteopaths are musculoskeletal specialists who focus on restoring motion and normal function of the spine and peripheral joints of the limbs. If you really want to get in shape by being more active, then making sure the musculoskeletal system is ready for the task is a good idea. If your chiropractor or osteopath has slight joint dysfunction or a joint that is out of alignment, they can perform manual joint manipulations (also known as joint adjustments) to straighten or "rearrange" the joint. These specialists also provide soft tissue therapy (muscles, tendons and ligaments) to ensure your body moves normally.
- Although joint dysfunction can be returned to normal with one joint adjustment, this process often requires three to five treatments to achieve significant results.
- Most chiropractors will also pay attention to your biomechanical processes during walking and running so they can suggest appropriate footwear or prescribe orthotics (custom insoles) for shoes if needed.
- In addition, chiropractors and osteopaths can also be good sources of information on nutrition, supplements (vitamins, minerals, herbs), and exercise for strengthening exercises and rehabilitation. All of these things will help increase your fitness level.
Tips
- Having good social relationships is beneficial for the health of the mind and body. Not only does it prevent stress, good social relationships also have a strong protective effect against a wide variety of diseases and conditions.
- If your BMI is more than 25, talk to your doctor about safe weight loss ideas and strategies so you can reduce your risk of heart problems.
- Try exercising with friends. Exercising will be more fun when done together.
