Fitness
Note: The information in these pages is for informational purposes only, and does not imply endorsement of any product, service, or practice. Before engaging in any nutrition or fitness lifestyle change, you should consult a physician or fitness professional.
Many people would like to change their lifestyle and level of fitness. There are some good reasons for this desire.
Reason number 1: Environmental changes in the past 50 years.
The world around us has changed in the past years. Agricultural changes have resulted in a decreased level of important nutrients in our food supply, such as calcium, magnesium, and selenium. Food technology has produced ready to eat meals that contain higher levels of undesirable nutrients, such as fat, carbohydrates, and sodium. This has created an imbalance of nutrients in our daily diet. We are consuming a higher ratio of calories to food mass, which causes us to consume more calories than we need in order to satisfy our basic hunger mechanism for a certain mass of food on a daily basis.
Reason number 2: Activity changes in the past 50 years.
We have evolved from a primary industrial workplace to a primary information workplace. More work is done in a sedentary office environment. Industry is becoming more automated than before, at work and at home. Transportation has also improved to lessen the need to walk. Electronics has provided us with a new source of entertainment which requires little of no effort. We are exercising less than before, including lifting exercises that build strength, and walking exercises that build endurance. The decrease in exercise provides a two-fold impact: gradual loss of muscle mass which reduces our metabolic rate, and lack of exercise which reduces our daily caloric requirement.
Reason number 3: Body changes as we mature.
As a person matures, their level of activity (on average) decreases. This results in reduced muscle mass which reduces their metabolic rate. Their body systems deteriorate, and their level of fitness declines. Because they have the same hunger mechanism (a certain mass of food on a daily basis), this results in an excess caloric intake, which is stored as fat. As little as 100 excess calories per day can result in a 10 pound weight gain per year.
How do I change my lifestyle and level of fitness? By taking the following steps:
Step 1: Education
A person needs to become educated about how their body functions and the reasons above for deterioration. They need to learn the proper amounts of activities to do in order to change. They need to understand the scope of activities and the details of those activities in order to make a plan for change.
Step 2: Desire
A person has to have the desire to change, and the determination to go through the steps needed on a long term basis to effect the change. They need to understand that this is a lifestyle change, not just a temporary way to achieve a goal and then go back to previous habits.
Step 3: Planning
A person needs to plan out each activity and follow the plan carefully in order to change.
But wait! There are so many books, magazines, Web sites, products, and plans being promoted that it is very difficult to decide on a plan or evaluate its effectiveness. Some plans may be dangerous to ones health. I have provided some information in the three steps above (click on the links) that can be helpful in getting a person started.