The Sunday Mail
Tatenda Musonza Body Makeover
Many of these health problems are caused by our sedentary lifestyles and exacerbated by processed food. You wake up, jump in your car, sit in your office, drive to lunch, have pizza and ice-cream, drive back to your office and then drive home and watch television. If you don’t inject exercise into that schedule, you are probably going to run into health troubles sooner rather than later.
Is it easy and convenient? Probably not. But it is not hard either. You need to get out of bed, get off that couch and do something, invest in best wealth on earth, your health. I hear a load of excuses:
The Zimbabwean economy is not performing, I am going through personal problems, I have no time, and my energy is low.
Exercise certainly does get easier with time, but it will never be easy. If it were easy, it wouldn’t be exercise. Challenge yourself to work past your comfort zone in order to train your heart, lungs, and muscles to get stronger and fitter. Over time it will become easier to walk at a brisk pace compared to when you started but once that becomes easy it is time to walk faster.
I really do hope you will commit to incorporating some exercise and healthy living habits into your diet. Your health and ability to function independently in later life will reduce the need for nursing homes and our dependency on our relatives. What we do for ourselves today is often more important than what medicine can offer us.
I have found that following these rules helps me stay focused:
It may help to work out in the morning before your day gets away from you. Commit to a walking time and stick to it.
Don’t do it yourself, invite others. Invite your family or housemates to join you. I have found out that having a partner keeps you accountable. If they are already awake and ready to go there is no way you can say no. A partner will encourage you when you are down.
Excuse 1: “No time, No energy”
Time is really not your problem, you are just not serious. A brisk 10 minute walk with light weight five times a week makes a big difference. Are you willing to admit that your life is so out of control that you can’t spare even this short amount of time? Come on. I know you spend that much time passing through Chicken Slice.
The rules of body energy are simple, you get what you give! The more you exercise the more energy you get and the better you sleep at night. Lacking energy means you are not banking it as required.
Excuse 2: “The Zimbabwean economy is not performing or I have personal problems”
You just don’t want it bad enough. I get this so many times. You ask someone why they quit and they offer some obscure explanation like their life not being in order.
Excuse 4: “I am slim and slender no need to exercise”
Regardless of your physical appearance you could still be unhealthy and suffer from heart disease. I have met people on the plump side who are fit and full of energy while some slim people run out of breath after a brief jog.
Week 3: Walking Schedule
We have now been walking for the past two weeks and I am sure you can handle a longer walk this week. Get into the habit of breathing efficiently, inhale and exhale, step shorter and light, wear comfortable shoes. Carry your bottle of water, keep hydrated.
Monday to Friday: Walk 5km each day this week and try to make it within 45 minutes.
Saturday & Sunday: Rest, you’ve earned it. You can cheat a little but remember what I said about processed food. Avoid it.
Sample Meal
Breakfast: Oats plus a banana
Lunch: Spinach & madora
Snack: Peanuts
Dinner: Chicken, muboora, roasted sweet potatoes and tomatoes.
Tatenda Musonza is a personal trainer and runs a body make-over course. He can be reached on [email protected]
