We all get to that point where we desire that hourglass or
buff look, whether for personal gain or otherwise. For those blessed with
'skinny' genes, great! The workout is limited to walking to the stage to board
a matatu. My fellow 'not exactly favorably looked upon by the gods of 'Naomi
Campbell/Idris Elba physique,' worry not. Matter of fact is with discipline and
persistence, anything is possible (as is all other aspects to life).
Picture this; you are at that petrol station fueling your
car, exhausted and famished, on your way home from work. That giant red KFC or
Big Square sign staring right across you doesn't make things any easier. Living
in Nairobi, you're probably going to get stuck in traffic too. "I paid
rent/bills/bonus from chama, so why not treat my stomach to some love, right?
...Will get a little workout in bright and early or just after work
anyway."
This is where the heart of the problem lies. Our bodies are
not the frequency/intensity of physical exercise or the number of natural
supplements we take; we are the food we eat. Every 35 days, your skin generates
new cells and the liver for about a month. What you consume literally becomes
you. The typical Kenyan diet happens to be loaded with carbs, and the average
human being will face considerable challenges in an attempt to lose weight.
The same goes for South-East Asian cuisines (specifically
Indian) rich in curries and spices and the stereotyped American fast-food diet.
However, this does not necessarily mean one cannot use ingredients from these
cultures to work towards a proper diet, and ultimately a healthy lifestyle. A
common misconception is that regardless of what you eat, general exercise will
result in weight loss. Although certain elements to this are true, the
statement in its entirety could not be farther from the truth.
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A workout that isn't thought out is just as futile as
carrying a shovel to the farm and not actually do any digging. Before
subscribing to a gym membership, hiring that personal trainer, or buying a
treadmill for home use, it is advisable to do due diligence. Exercise, if not
properly executed, may cause muscle gain or loss of features, which were meant
to be enhanced in the first place.
The primary form of exercise for weight loss is strength
exercise. These include activities such as push-ups, crunches, and
weight lifting. They promote resistance on muscles, burn calories, and as a
result, smaller muscle mass. A workout that fuels the body's internal engines
and enhances physiological functions is through aerobic exercise (e.g.,
jogging, swimming, dancing). They work by increasing the heart's pumping
mechanism, reduce the risk of heart failure, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and
even cancer. Balance exercise has proven
particularly beneficial for older adults, people who have gained or lost a lot
of weight, and the pregnant as this class of people experience difficulty
maintaining position and center of gravity. Flexibility
exercise is sports-oriented and builds a range of motion around
the joints.
Ideally, one should aim to incorporate all the above forms
of exercises. However, it is crucial to determine what works for you. It may
seem odd (though not implausible) to find pregnant women run 10 km marathons or
80-year-olds lift weights twice their body size. The goal is to establish
courses of training that are suitable, more so efficient (adhering to a
controlled dietary lifestyle as well). While these tips may not exactly land
you the front cover of Vogue, they will certainly take you a step closer to
yielding physical results.