Spiritual/Mind Advancement, Food and Exercise.

The fitness industry in Nigeria is fledgling. Although there are many qualified & unqualified practitioners in this industry, the economic situation of the masses remains the propelling factor for the majority of practitioners. The zeal to exercise on a regular basis is the secondary motivation with most trainers. Nevertheless, majority of fitness trainers in Nigeria undertook self-study to acquire the knowledge of the trade. While the fortunate among them, took online fitness courses & continue to update themselves in the field through Internet research, fitness workshops & seminars. Over time, the profession has been viewed as an endeavour for school certificate holders & for college drop-outs. As such, the economic-sustenance capacity for the professionals has been very poor. An average personal trainer in Nigeria earn as little as =N=10,000.00 monthly, while an experienced personal trainer earn as little as =N=5,000.00 for an hour group training in the gym. Moreover

Physical fitness is an aspect of total fitness that is concerned with the physical well-being of an indivdual. It is the ability of an individual to have sufficient energy to perform his work efficiently without unnecessary fatigue, and still have extra energy as a reserve to enjoy social activities and cope with emergencies after work. Although, there are many other definitions of physical fitness from various books and Internet resource. The definition given here is universal, & its the simplest straight to the point definition of physical fitness. IMPORTANCE OF PHYSICAL FITNESS. 1.Physical fitness promotes a sense of well-being. 2. It improves stamina. 3. It prevents both major & minor illnesses 4. The speed of recovery from illnesses is enhanced. 5. It adds to aesthetic value of the body. The individual looks good, feels good & happy. 6. It reduces the risk of diseases associated with inactivity. COMPONENTS OF PHYSICAL FITNESS. There are nine known components of physica

Total fitness is best explained in the definition of health by the World Health Organisation (W.H.O.), which states that 'Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not the mere absence of diseases and infirmity. A person is said to be totally fit when he/she possesses certain attributes. An individual is said to be totally fit on the following premises: 1. If he/she physically has organic vigour, organic base, is active, is skilled in some physical activities, and enjoys a sense of well-being. 2. If he/she socially understands and respects the rights of others, likes people, practices service above self, and makes satisfactory group adjustment. 3. If he/she mentally has a healthy outlook of life, has good sense of judgement, thinks independently and constructively, and is resourceful. 4. If he/she emotionally has stability and self-control, and faces reality in a honest manner. In other words, an individual is said to be totally fit when he/she is ph

Many people who do not exercise say they do not have the time. However, it is possible to increase the amount of time you are physically active, even if you are extremely busy. For example: 1. See how many trips you take by car & decide which ones could be replaced by walking or cycling. This does not have to be a black or white measure. It could include parking your car half a mile from your destination & walking the rest of the way. Traffic experts throughout most of the nations say that the majority of car trips are very short ones. 2. If you are using public transport try getting off at an earlier stop & walking the rest of the way. 3. A study found that interactive video games-such as those played on the Nintendo-may raise heart rate & provide exercise intensity levels high enough to meet federal physical activity guidelines. 4. When you are in a building & want to go upstairs, try walking it rather than taking the elevator or escalators. This does not have to

Agility training aims to improve a person's ability to speed up & slow down, change directionswhile maintaining balance & control. In tennis for example, agility training helps the player maintain control over his/her court positioning through good recovery after each shot. A crucial skill in tennis is to be able to position yourself in the court so that you can hit the ball to maximum effect. Agility does not only help the tennis player get to the ball more effectively & set up for a better shot, it also gives him or her better balance in order to hit the ball. Agility training is practiced extensively by people who are into certain sports where positioning, coordination, balance & the ability to suddenly change posture & speed are essential. Agility & coordination are two key attributes for a successfull soccer/football player. Such compound movements as dribbling, turning, passing & intercepting require a wide assortment of balance, coordination &

The aim of anaerobic exercise is to build power, strength & muscle. The muscles are exercised at high intensity for short durations. A short duration usually means no more than about 2 minutes. Anaerobic means without air. Anaerobic exercise improve our muscle strength & our ability to move with quick burst of speed. When thinking of anaerobic exercise, think of short & fast or short & intensive. Anaerobic exercises include: 1. Weight Lifting; 2. Sprinting; 3. Intensive & Fast Skipping; 4. Interval Training; 5. Isometrics; 6. Any rapid burst of hard exercise. Oxygen is not used for energy during anaerobic exercise. During this type of exercise a bye-product - lactic-acid is produced. Lactic-acid contributes to muscle fatigue & must be used up during recovery before that muscle can be subjected to another anaerobic session. During the recovery period, oxygen is used to give the muscle a 'refill'-to replenish the muscle's energy that was used up during

Aerobic exercise has the aim of improving the body's consumption of oxygen. The word aerobic means with oxygen. Aerobic refers to our body's use of oxygen in its metabolic process (energy generating process). Most aerobic exercises are done at moderate levels of intensity for longer periods, compared to other categories of exercise. An aerobic exercise session involves warming-up, exercising for at least 20 minutes, & then cooling down. Aerobic exercise involves mainly the large muscle groups. A physical therapist, Col Pauline Potts, & an exercise physiologist, Kenneth Cooper M.D., both in U.S. AirForce, were the first to use the term 'aerobic exercise' during the 1960s. Dr. Cooper wanted to find out why some very strong people were poor at long-distance running, swimming & cycling. He researched people's performance in terms of their ability to use oxygen with the use of a bicycle ergometer. In 1968, Dr. Cooper published his book 'Aerobics'. The

There are three broad intensities of exercise, namely: 1. Light Exercise - The exerciser is able to talk while exercising. Going for a walk is an example of light exercise. 2. Moderate Exercise - The exerciser feels slightly out of breath during the session. Examples could be walking briskly, cycling moderately, or walking up the hill. 3. Vigorous Exercise - The exerciser is panting during the activity. The exerciser feels his/her body is being pushed much nearer its limit, compared to the other two intensities. This could be running, cycling fast, & heavy weight training. Exercise can also be divided into three broad categories, namely: 1. Aerobic Exercise; 2. Anaerobic Exercise; & 3. Agility Training. In my next post, I shall explain in details each of the broad categories of exercises, their various forms and the benefits. Please stick with me!

According to Encarta Dictionaries, Exercise is physical activity & movement, especially when intended to keep a person or animal fit & healthy. Exercise is a physical movement or action, or a series of movements or actions designed to make the body stronger & fitter or to show off gymnastics skills. It is a series of actions, movements, or tasks performed repeatedly or regularly as a way of practicing & improving a skill or procedure. It is an activity, action or undertaking intended to achieve a specific purpose. When we exercise, we subject the body, or part of it, to repetitive physical exertion or energetic movement in order to strengthen it or improve its condition. Physical exercise is any bodily activity that enhances or maintains physical fitness & overall health. It is performed for many different reasons. These include strengthening muscles & cardiovascular system, honing athletics skills, weight loss or maintenance & for enjoyment. Any activity de

Most of us know how beneficial exercise is for our health. It is surprising however, how little many of us know about the dangers of being unfit. In western Europe, North America, Japan, Australia, Nigeria, and much of the rest of the world, the number of overweight/obese people is growing alarmingly fast. The United Kingdom has a population of 61 million. 24 million of them are overweight/obese today. Experts say it will not be long before 25% of UK's population is obese (not overweight, just obese). The United States of America has already reached that figure - in Tennessee & Alabama over 30% of adults are obese today. 9000 premature deaths each year in the UK are because of obesity. Obesity significantly reduces the lifespan of a person. Physically active people have a much lower risk of developing heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, & many types of cancer. 30% of heart disease deaths in the UK happen to people under 75 years of age. Vigorous exercise can help elderl

As I promised in my previous post, here is a step by step guide on how to cleanse your body using water and apple. But before I go on, let me intimate you of certain facts. We live in a chemicalised world. Some chemicals are good for the body (in some food), while there are many chemicals we need to avoid or eliminate from the body in order to stay healthy. The food we eat contains natural & artificial chemicals, depending on the choice of food we eat. If we choose natural foods, eat slowly & moderately, our body will accept these foods & utilise them optimally. On the other hand, if we choose processed & artificial foods, eat faster & excessively, our body will react to the foods, utilise the needed quantity, & leave the undigested portion in the colon for hours (these are toxic). What we eat & drink accounts primarily for the variation of the chemical composition of each individual i.e. body chemistry. This translates to individual temperament, feelings &a

This is how it works: be determined to begin eating only living foods; observe a 3 days fast, drinking only clean water during the day, & taking only green apples in the evening. For effective body cleanse, please observe this trend for 3 days! Thereafter, endeavour to eat only when you're hungry, determine to eat healthy meals and don't eat to always fill up the tummy. Please seek the advise of your physician before embarking on any form of body cleanse. Meanwhile, here is a diet advise that may guide you towards a healthy eating habit. 1. Ensure you drink a glass of water before 7am in the morning. 2. Eat a combination of 2 or 3 kinds of fresh fruits every morning before your 30 or 60 minutes daily workout. 3. After your morning exercise, take cereals or whole wheat bread with porched egg. Use green or black tea. Avoid sugar & saturated fat milk. Use only honey, skim milk/low fat milk. 4. Take your normal balanced diet diet for lunch. Do not over fill your stomach. Av

Diet refers to the food a person or animal usually consumes. It is a controled intake of food & drink designed for weight loss, for body building, for health or religious reasons, or to control or improve a medical condition. Diet is a term sometimes used to describe a food or drink that is intended for people trying to lose weight, usually because it is low in calories or fat, or contains a sugar substitute. Dieting refers to eating less, & following a restricted pattern of eating or drinking in order to lose weight. In nutrition, the diet is the sum of food consumed by a person or other organism. Dietary habits are the habitual decisions an individual or culture akes when choosing what food to eat. The food & beverages a person or animal consumes. A controled regimen of food & drink, as to gain or lose weight or otherwise influence health. Diet refers to a regulated daily food allowance. A well-balanced diet includes food from the five main food groups. These are: bre

The best body cleanser known to man is water. Cleansing of the body is paramount because it helps to flush out toxins from the body. Enema cleanse in which certain herbs are mixed with hot water & pumped into the colon to flush out poo & undigested foods is also an effective method of body cleanse. Nowadays, there are experts that specialises in a modern method of colonic irrigation which is equally effective for removing waste materials and toxins from the body. Liver, kidney, & gall bladder cleansing can also be done using olive oil & epsom salt while adhering to strict instructions on the procedure froman expert. Apple is a wonderful fruit cleanser, it is used in conjunction with water cleansing. In my next post, I shall highlight 'how to effectively do the water & apple cleanse?'