Contents
Disclaimer: as is usual in health-matters, what works for one need not work on another – every body is different!
If your activity level is at ZERO, if you are a couch potato, then you better read this first.
Also note that weight is not always an accurate indicator of health, one needs to consider their bone-density and have the right balance of muscles and fat in the body. Even then, if you have been active in your younger years, you will always have some sense about yourself being “truly” healthy or not 😉
About me
Let me begin with myself.I am a techie (sedentary lifestyle). I do not enjoy sports but I enjoy outdoors by way of hiking, jogging, cycling, etc. I have been running on and off for last 20 years – since the 1st time I prepared for the Services Selection Board!
And, of course, I love to eat! I have, in past, more than once, finished the death-by-chocolate – DBC all by myself; I still can, but won’t 🙂
So you see, I have a sweet tooth, and enjoy eating out and gorging on pizza, etc. – just like anyone else. The only reason I didn’t go completely out of control is because the fear of diabetes and hypertension lurks in my sub-conscious and because I enjoy running! Currently I am on my 4th pair of nike free 5.0 in last 10 years. And despite that I have been upto 20% overweight, just last year in December..
What I did
I lost 10+ kgs in 3 months. It may not seem much (12% weight reduction) but it made a world of difference to me. The first sign came when I was able to climb 40ft artificial wall nearly to the top, in the first go! I was surprised by my own power-to-weight ratio. Wall-climbing is an excellent full-body exercise, and a mirror to your fitness-level. I have tried 2-3 times earlier and could never go more than a storey high.Some Background
2014-2015 I had sprained ankle and pain in knees – while trying hard to bring my weight down by doing the thing I like – running. Orthopedic-surgeon told me to forget about running to avoid further damage to knees and ankles. Running with extra body-weight was hurting me more than doing any benefit. Indeed, many people struggle to start a walking/running schedule because the initial weight becomes a hindrance it becomes a difficult cycle to break!I joined a club and tried swimming. It was good but I could not swim everyday (distance to club/pool and the traffic) – so “good” but “not effective”. It turned out just like gym-membership I have taken in the past. “Going there”, in itself, was a chore – and so it never lasts for me.
Why do you need to care?
Why read this? If you know the importance of exercise then you are probably self-motivated but may, at times, need inspiration. You and me, we, are in the same boat – and I am just sharing my notes.If you are not the “active” type, and you are an Indian, or otherwise genetically predisposed to suffer from hypertension and diabetes, you need to change now! As we age it becomes ever more important to exercise – because life throws all kinds of challenges at us – work, family, kids, stress, mid-life crises, loss of loved ones, aging, and what not! The only person who will see you through all these and more is yourself. And you need to keep your health to be physically & emotionally strong.
If you enjoy life you need to workout! (and vice versa)
Short & Sweet
In short, I learnt what all of us have heard many times – losing weight is not just about either exercising or eating-right; you have to do both!In the next posts I cover exercise, workout-variety and eating-right. हिन्दी में पढ़ें