Entries from October 2009 ↓

Here are a few tips to help you lose weight, get into shape and live a healthier life.

Diet plans all over can help you shed off extra pounds, and get that 8 pack but only one diet can help you keep them off, and it is the one that lets you eat what you like most. Other critical aspects of having a good diet are moderation, balance and variation. Dieters need to be careful not to leave out essential nutrients and other substances necessaryfor healthy body functioning.

Cardio fitness is essential when you need to make health improvements. For starters, it is most effective to do 30 to 45 minutes of exercises, 3 to 5 days a week. If you are trying for weight loss, the training must be done 5 days a week. The more often you perform it; the more likely it is that you will drop weight. However, avoid exhausting yourself too much in workouts. Avoid exercising more than 45 minutes. Remember, it needs to be done in a regular basis.

It is critical that you understand if a certain food on your menu can be a potential harm to your weight loss plan. Learn how to be smart about what you eat. Stay away from too many fried and salty foods.

There are online communities and forums on the Internet where members talk about natural weight loss, its potential and the different resources that you can find to lose that unwanted fat naturally.

If there is one piece of gear you should not miss in your training new work out tools every now and then. Yet many people are not sure if they do work and if they are safe to use. So for one that is guaranteed to work, use the stability ball.

If you activity that requires a full sprint, remember that a full sprint strains the muscles of the lower body. To fight this, do stop-and-go drills. For example, run 30 meters at about 80 percent of your effort, slow down to a jog for 5 to ten meters, then run again for an additional 30 meters. Replicate this routine five times.

Despite the fact that exercise is often associated with equipment, like a treadmill, that is not all that exercise is about. Exercise can also include something simple like going for a walk or using the stairs instead of the elevator at work. If you would rather exercise, for free in your spare time, you might want to think about finding an exercise friend. This is a buddy who can workout with you, even if it just involves walking around your local shopping mall. Not only can you make a new friend or build your relationship with one of your current friends, having an workout buddy or an exercise partners often means that you are more likely to stick with your weight loss plan and achieve your weight loss goals. You don’t need a lot of equipment to do a great chest work out

Good luck getting into better shape and remember: the most important thing is to stick with it.

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Erectile Dysfunction, ED, impotency, erection problems, whichever term you want to use, it affects guys of all ages, for many reasons all over the world. It has been reported than more than half of men over the age of forty have suffered from impotency or a weak erection, whether it be a temporary thing, or whether it be a permanent problem.

It can be a very embarrassing thing to suffer from ED as this ailment can make your confidence levels decrease rapidly, cause stress and depression and make you feel less of a man. What are the causes of erection problems? There are many causes, including stress and depression, drinking too many alcoholic beverages, smoking, fatigue and overall ill health. But don’t fret because there is now a safe and non-prescription solution for you – herbal erection enhancer pills .

Why herbal erection pills and how do they work?

Unlike other synthetic treatments, these herbal erection pills are one hundred percent natural meaning that there is a massively reduced risk of nasty side effects. The herbs and natural elements used in these treatments have been tried and tested and passed down through centuries of experience making them more trustworthy components of erection enhancers than any other.

These enhancers have been proven to boost your libido, give you a stronger erection, increase your sperm production and reduce the chances of premature ejaculation. Obviously, different men will experience different effects when they consume a herbal erection enhancer over differing time frames, but overall, they do work for sure.

5 of the most powerful components of these herbal erection enhancers are Muira Pauma, Saw Palmetto, Horny Goat Weed, Asian Red Ginseng and Gingko Biloba. These all have different qualities, but the majority of them are great at daily supplements as they improve other parts of the body as well as being great with the genital area.

Here’s how these Five potent herbs work :-

1. Muira Pauma is renowned for being one of the most powerful herbs in the world, being a great aphrodisiac as well as improving motivation and heightened testosterone levels. Not only that, but it also helps to improve your body strength and give you more energy.

2. The same can be said of Saw Palmetto. Not only is it a potent aphrodisiac, but it helps improve the areas such as urinary tract and prostrate in men.

3. Herbal erection enhancers very often contain Horny Goat Weed, and as the name may suggest, it increases libido in both men and women and also can be used as an aphrodisiac. Energy levels will be boosted and problems related to the kidneys can be helped also.

4. Asian Red Ginseng has been proven effective as an alternative for treating male ED . This was confirmed by double-blind studies done by the Department of Urology, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.

5. Gingko Biloba improves blood flow in the body, thereby enhancing erection strength. It is another common component in erection enhancers for men.

If you wish that your erection was bigger or better, than your first port of call should be herbal erection enhancer pills . Proven to work over many, many years, and more friendly to your body than chemicals and other synthetic methods, it is more likely to work and less likely to damage your body in any way or leave you with unwanted side effects.

Having said that, you must take care when ordering these herbal erection enhancers because not all brands will contain high quality ingredients like those mentioned above. So it is important that you do your own research into these herbal erection enhancers before spend a dime on them.

Don’t have time to do your own research? Then order VigRx Plus – the #1 rated herbal erection enhancer pill on the market now.

Most of us would agree that smoking is not good for our health. But it is also not good for our skin; Smoking causes or contributes to getting wrinkles. Knowing is not enough, so that’s what you can do.

Why do people start smoking

Most people smoke in adolescence or early adulthood, which indicates that status, plays a role in their decision to “Start”. Typical smoker, as a rule, tends to be sociable, impulsive, risk, and excitement seeking individuals according to many psychologists. Personality and social factors are only part of why someone takes up the habit, and the fact that tobacco has on the dopamine system locks the habit on the spot.

How Smoking causes wrinkles

The biggest link between smoking and wrinkles is free radicals that it produces. These free radicals damage not only the skin, but also the entire body at the molecular level, and this leads to the development of lines on your skin. Free radicals can be minimized, and the damage they are doing repairs, using the formula skin care products that contain a number of ingredients provide antioxidants.

Fighting wrinkles This Way

The best source of antioxidants, these finds, obtained from vegetable oils, waxes, and extracts, but they are also present in many proteins and enzymes. Look for ingredients such as grapes, seed oil, babassu Palm wax, avocado oil, Maracuja passion fruit extract of macadamia oil, honey, active Manuka. One of the most powerful antioxidants available is a mixture known as Cynergy TK.

Revolutionary ingredient is very, very effective

Not only Cynergy TK will help to eliminate the damage that free radicals cause, but it is also useful for the treatment of another symptom, which connects smoking and wrinkles. Smoking damages the collagen and elastin in the skin, which we have already noted, is in short supply. These fabrics, which give your skin firmness and elasticity, and the damage that smoking causes can make your wrinkles worse than they should be.

Cynergy TK-Miracle Ingredient

What Cynergy TK do to combat this problem, this leads to accelerated production of collagen and elastin formation of molecules. It makes your skin become much fuller and firmer and smooths out most of your wrinkles. Although not related to smoking and wrinkles, there is still something formulas containing Cynergy TK are offering help to eliminate wrinkles.

Over time, an enzyme called hyaluronidase destroys your hyaluronic acid which is a carbohydrate polymer, which is part of the extracellular matrix. Derivative of kelp called Phytessence Wakame been successful in prevent the corrosive effects of hyaluronidase, which allows your level of hyaluronic acid to soar to heights you have not experienced in recent years.

Smoking and wrinkles do not have to be constantly intertwined, because there are ways in which damage can be undone. If the lines on the skin were caused by smoking or not, the formula containing Cynergy TK and Phytessence Wakame can make a world of difference in how your skin looks. Try, if you want to see that the effective reduction of wrinkles in reality.
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Although it is nice to hear that exercise is an important part of a weight loss plan, you may be wondering exactly why that is. For your body to lose weight, you must see a reduction in your calorie intake. The amount of calories that you need to reduce, in order to lose weight, will all rely on your present weight and your hopeful weight loss goal. Unfortunately, this is where many individuals automatically assume that they can’t eat three meals a day and many in fact just stop eating. This is not only unsafe to your health, but it can be deadly.

The positive news is that it is never too late to get active, and exercise is one of the best ways to start controlling the onset of any kinds of diseases. For people who are already candidates for some serious diseases like diabetes and heart failure, exercise and physical fitness can aid the condition of some parts of the body like insulin sensitivity, decrease the risk of heart disease, and promote weight loss. For more information check out chest workout tips

You should make sure that you exercise at a comfortable level. You should exercise at a level of 7 out of 10, and still have the ability to carry on a normal conversation while you exercise. You should do this for 45 minutes or so every day, then you’ll start to detect just how much your energy will explode. Any type ofworkout you do will strongly benefit your heart. It will make it a stronger and larger organ. Deep breathing will help your lungs become stronger and bigger as well. There is research now that links exercise to helping benefit and almost prevent each and every type of disease or ailment.

You can avoid injury to joints, tendons and muscles by stretching. Stretching also aids in a speedy recovery and decreased soreness after exertion[spin]. The muscles will be able to [spin]take more exhausting and rigorous movements with less probability of injury.

Bad technique is just as bad as poor equipment. Get recommendations from pros and trainers, this advice could be very valuable to your workout or training. To learn how to do a great workout see best chest workout

Cardio exercise is important when you need to make health changes. For starters, it is best to do 30 to 45 minutes of exercises, 3 to 5 days a week. If you are working for weight loss, the training needs to be done 5 days a week. The more frequent you do it; the more likely it is that you will lose weight. However, avoid exhausting yourself too much in exercise. Avoid going more than 45 minutes. Remember, it has to be done in a regular basis.

Don’t put it off, start exercising regularly as soon as possible and get on your way to a healthier you!

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The committed and perseverant bargain hunter will be able to find cheap home gyms. Discounted home gyms, home gyms on sale, and used home gyms all provide viable options for the cost conscious consumer. Websites such as BizRate offer shoppers the chance to compare prices online in order to find the best deal.

One way to find discounted home gyms is to go directly to the manufacturer’s website or factory outlet. There you may be able to find products that are slightly outdated or are surplus and get a great deal on them. Many websites and retailers are overstocked and perpetually offer discounts on home gyms. It is important to find out why items are being sold for discounted prices. It is also a good idea to find out what kind of warranty the discounted gyms have. While most offers will be legitimate, keep in mind that some could be too good to be true.

Often, new companies will make home gyms similar to more established products and sell them at a fraction of the cost. These discounted home gyms will help the new company build word of mouth among consumers while providing buyers with good cheap home gyms.

Finding home fitness gyms on sale is easy. Since the home gym market is so competitive, many retailers offer new items at low sale prices, often taking several hundred dollars off the suggested retail price. Another added bonus to shopping online is that websites will include free shipping to compete with retail stores, saving the consumer even more money. These sale items usually include every type of home gym at all different levels of quality, so no matter what consumers are looking for, they can find what they want on sale.

Used home gyms are also an option for shoppers on a budget. Used fitness equipment can be found on eBay, in the classified section of any newspaper, or from many of the same places that also sell new home fitness gyms. Many of these used home gyms are in like new condition because the original owners never used them very much, and since the owners may be desperate to sell them, they may be heavily discounted. It is important that purchasers buy from a reputable source, since used equipment may not have the same warranties as new home gyms. If possible, buyers should stick to controlled settings like eBay or, if buying through the local classifieds, take a look at what they are buying before spending any money.

With this many options for saving money, consumers should never have to settle for a cheap home gym that does not meet their needs. Buyers should keep their fitness goals and space constraints in mind, not just the price, and keep searching until they find what they need.

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Who among us can truly say that they are as lean and toned as they ever want to be? Most people, even the fitness buffs, are in a constant fluctuation between their ideal body and a body that is not quite ideal. So how do we sway this struggle in our favor? Quite often the difference between the body that you have today and the body that you wish you had is made up of simple daily decisions. Read on for simple fitness and weight loss pointers that could very well turn the body you have today into a masterpiece tomorrow!

· Eating small meals every 2-3 waking hours will increase your metabolism and reduce fat storage. Make sure that these are healthy meals containing protein, carbohydrates and fat.
· The easiest way to effortlessly lose weight is to not eat three hours before bed. It has been proven that not eating three hours before bed reduces fat storage throughout the night.
· Eating a balanced diet is key in maintaining a healthy body weight. The American Council on Exercise suggests that this balance break down into 12-20% protein, 55-65% carbohydrates, and 25-30% fat.
· The average Venti sized Frappuccino weighs in at 530 calories. This staggering number equals 2.5 bagels, or one third of the recommended daily calories for an average woman. Beverages such as this contain high amounts of sugar should be consumed rarely since the extra calories they contain are readily stored as fat.
· Desserts should be eaten sparingly at an average of no more than two each week. If you have an insatiable sweet tooth, try munching on unsweetened dried fruit, or sugar free Jell-O.
· Eat a small meal and wait 20 minutes before deciding if you need more food. This will give your stomach and brain time to communicate. If have eaten enough food, your brain will alert your body and you will find that you don’t desire anything more. If you are still hungry after this period, eat a small amount more and wait another 20 minutes.
· Fat free foods, when eaten in excess, will still be stored as fat! Fat free cookies and crackers are made up of a whole lot of SUGAR! Yep, the secret is out! Sugar is just as fattening of a substance than fat itself, when eaten in excess.

Take the time to incorporate these tips into your daily lifestyle, and you will be pleasantly surprised with your results! Remember that healthy weight loss takes time, so be patient! Make an effort towards your goal everyday and don’t get discouraged!

[Sponsored] Bryan Seawell is the proud owner of this article and he owns a site called: “Pure Point Golf Swing“. See how he can help you with his site: “The Simple Golf Swing” and allow him to share with you his best known secrets here at his exclusive site, “How to Break 80“. Thank you for your trust and belief in Bryan. Hope it will benefit you and others. Have a wonderful day ahead. [Sponsored]

Lets talk a little about achieving your fitness goal.

Everybody finds it hard to arrange time to do various day to day chores or tasks, including your muscle and fitness training.

Just follow these steps to help you get more out of each day in your workout routine, or any other part of your life for that matter. These steps will help you achieve your muscle and fitness goal.

I have found that the more I struggle with my daily life the harder it is to get anything out of what I do. In other words, if I have certain things that need doing throughout each day, and I also want to get in some training, I find that I don’t get the proper benefit that I should expect from my training routine.

Is this the same with you?

Do you find that it’s hard to get the time to train?

Are you struggling with the fact that you have so much on your plate, that it’s just too much stress to cope with?

Well, let me help you here. I’ll guide you through the various steps required to get you to achieve that fitness goal.

There’s a lot of information here. So what I’ve decided to do is to break it into a number of easy to follow articles. This way you can cope much better and receive much more benefit from it.

Ok, lets begin with an overview.

BE – DO – HAVE

This is a triple key to success in your muscle and fitness regime. To ensure your success, you can’t have one without the other.

You see, the problem with most people is that they want certain goals or results. Nothing wrong with that. And you should have certain goals that you wish to attain. This is the Have portion of the three keys.

The real problem starts with the fact that most people believe that they just have to do certain things in order to achieve the desired results or goals. This is the Do part of the three keys.

Although this is true, no matter what you do you can’t achieve success without the first key, which is Be. I’ll go into this a little more shortly.

But first, let me clarify…

Your goals are the Have key. This is the first thing you need to decide and it must be specific. What is it you want to have? Do you want to have more lean muscle? Or is it to have less weight? Or do you want to have more weight gain?

Decide you goals. Be specific. Now you have the third key in place, even though you don’t actually have it yet. But, it’s in place in your mind.

Now, you have to decide what it is you must do to achieve those goals. This is the Do key. What is it that I must do, in order that I have whatever it is that I want? What should I do to achieve my goals?

Decide what you need to actually do. What exercises will offer the best results for my specific goals? How much of those exercises should I perform and how often?

This is the most important key. It’s the key that most people leave out because they’re too busy trying to decide what to do in order to have that goal they are aiming for.

The Be key.

Ever notice that when you get into something, that you’re going great for weeks… then you give up?

For example:

Lots of people decide to go on a diet and begin a fitness program. They want so much to lose weight. The go at it hard. They are succeeding. No sooner have they lost a few pounds, then they lose interest. They stop and end up putting it back on.

Why?

Because they lack the Be key.

In other words, you must choose what you need to Become to begin taking action. What is it that is required you Be, in order to succeed?

For example:

If you lack focus. Then you need to become more focused. If you are lazy when it comes to taking action to get things done, then you need to become a person that takes action… even when you really don’t feel like it.

That’s the hardest part of success with your training. Not only in your muscle building and fitness regime, but also in ANYTHING you do throughout your life.

The Solution:

1. Decide what you want to have. What are your goals?

2. Decide what the necessary steps are, that you must do to reach those goals.

3. Choose what you need to be. What do you need to become in order to do what is necessary to have what you want?

I think I’ve given you plenty to think about today. Please re-read this again, and again if necessary. You’ve really got to get this right so that you can succeed in anything you choose to do. So to achieve that muscle and fitness goal, make sure you read this again.

[Sponsored] Bryan Seawell is the proud owner of this article and he owns a site called: “Pure Point Golf Swing“. See how he can help you with his site: “The Simple Golf Swing” and allow him to share with you his best known secrets here at his exclusive site, “How to Break 80“. Thank you for your trust and belief in Bryan. Hope it will benefit you and others. Have a wonderful day ahead. [Sponsored]

Hundreds of Thousands of Americans spend millions of dollars each year on diet pills, “magical” exercise devices, and misrepresented health and fitness products, when in all actuality a good set of dumbbells and a brisk walk may be all you need to get in better shape than you’ve ever been in.

What can you do with nothing but a set of dumbbells, you ask? Provide resistance to your body’s movements – also known as weight lifting. That’s all weight lifting is – resistance. The terms “weight lifting” and “resistance training” have become one in the same because they are describing the same activity – moving your body under more resistance than it normally has to handle.

In fact, you’ve just stumbled upon the basic secret of exercise in general! Whether you are talking about resistance training, Pilates, Yoga, cardiovascular activities, or any other form of exercise, all of these programs have one thing in common – performing more activity than you would get sitting on the couch. WHY should you exercise, though?

How about defying the aging process for starters? Do you know that the primary reason why elderly people end up in nursing homes is because they lose the ability to think and move on their own? Do you also know that the entire process of thinking and moving on our own happens because we do it every day? Until we retire, that is. Once we don’t have to go to work anymore, or deal with scheduling and lifestyle issues, suddenly the only thing that we have to think about is whether to watch game shows or soap operas all day long, and the only exercise we get is deftly flying our fingers over the remote control.

Mush. That’s what our brains and bodies turn into when we stop using them. Think you are still sharp as a tack, and at the height of your game? Try to say the alphabet backwards in 30 seconds or less.

Yes…. sharp indeed.

What about physically? Think that you can still hold your own even though you don’t really exercise much? Stop reading this article and drop down on the floor for some correct-form push-ups. Did you do at least 30 if you are female, or at least 40 if you are male? No? How about 20 or 25? 15? Unless you pulled off 30 or 40, you are probably at less than the 50 percentile mark for your gender – health conditions notwithstanding.

Okay, so you’ve determined that you aren’t exactly Olympic athlete material. So what? You don’t even like sports, let alone being very good at them. That’s fine, and there is nothing wrong with that. So what about fat? Do you like bodyfat? Do you find it physically appealing? Do you think it’s healthy? If so, we’re done speaking. Go on about your business, and thanks for reading this far.

For everyone else, here is a newsflash: In America today – the year 2004 – obesity related health conditions account for more deaths in the United States each year than all known forms of cancer COMBINED. Heart Disease alone is the number one killer of American adults, and it is a PREVENTABLE CONDITION!

How about self-esteem? 64% of Americans are overweight. That is almost two-thirds of the population. If you think that a figure like that and the skyrocketing sales of prescription anti-depressants aren’t related, you now have a second opportunity to stop reading this article and continue on with your day.

Here is the bottom line, folks: Exercise and a reasonable nutrition program are necessary for ALL people, for their ENTIRE lives. Note, however, that I said “exercise”, and that I also said “reasonable nutrition program”. At no point did I say anything about spending 2 hours per day at the gym, or about eating nothing but carrots and celery for the rest of your life. Why? Those practices are just as ineffective at long-term weight loss as diet pills and late night infomercial products. Here is what DOES work:

1) Weight/Resistance Training – Weight training for both men and women has the same effect – it makes your muscles more metabolically active. In simpler terms, it means your muscles will burn more calories – even when you are sleeping. Muscle is the only site on your body where bodyfat is broken down. Weak muscles = weak metabolism. Weak metabolism = slow calorie burning.
2) Cardiovascular Training – Contrary to popular belief, this type of training is meant to help your cardio-respiratory system function more effectively, and ultimately to last longer. Does it burn a lot of calories? Sure it does. However, if you don’t combine it with resistance training and supportive nutrition, you’ll likely just burn off water weight and the muscle tissue that you worked so hard for up in step number 1.
3) Reasonable Nutrition Program – Quality sources of complex and fibrous carbohydrates, essential fatty acids, and lean sources of protein. Eat those nutrients in reasonable proportions frequently throughout your day, and your metabolism (refer again to #1) will crank up to high, and you’ll be burning more calories on a day to day basis than you ever have before in your life.

So far we have seen that not only can exercise keep us out of a nursing home, but it can also keep off excess levels of bodyfat which will – literally – keep us alive. We haven’t even touched on sports performance, recreational activities, improved energy levels, ability to focus, or many of the other benefits of a regular exercise program.

Personally, I’d be happy with just staying out of a nursing home, and staying alive long enough to look good in a bathing suit. What about you?

[Sponsored] Bryan Seawell is the proud owner of this article and he owns a site called: “Pure Point Golf Swing“. See how he can help you with his site: “The Simple Golf Swing” and allow him to share with you his best known secrets here at his exclusive site, “How to Break 80“. Thank you for your trust and belief in Bryan. Hope it will benefit you and others. Have a wonderful day ahead. [Sponsored]

THE NEXT STAGE: ACTION

The next stage of Prochaska’s Transtheoretical model – ‘Action’ – kicks in once you’ve started taking (you guessed it) action.

If you’re in this stage, you’re ready to make changes – and now. In the Action stage, you know where you want to be, how you’ll get there, and you’ve started (or are about to start) doing something get you moving. You’ve made it past the first major sticking point –overcoming inertia, but that doesn’t mean it’ll be an easy ride from here. No matter how good your intentions, starting a routine isn’t the same as maintaining it. Obstacles – whether small (like an invitation to do something at a time you’d planned on working out) or large (like falling ill or injuring yourself) – are going to come up.

DEALING WITH OBSTACLES

When you encounter an obstacle, take a little time out to reconnect with your main goal and your reasons for wanting to achieve it. Remember why you’re exercising in the first place. How could you still achieve your goal, and find ways around this new obstacle? Your journal can be your friend here – use it to reflect back over why something may have ended up being more difficult than expected, and to brainstorm ideas for different ways to move forward. You can also use it to proactively motivate yourself before obstacles appear – to track your progress in whatever area you’d like to see yourself improving.

GET OTHERS INVOLVED

If you haven’t already, create an exercise routine that gets friends or family involved. Studies have shown that people whose friends or family support their goals are far more likely to achieve them, and it’s hard not to feel supported when people you care about are working out alongside you. Not only that, but if you’ve agreed to meet your ‘workout buddy’ for an exercise session, you make it that much harder to let them down by deciding at the last minute you just can’t be bothered today.

MAKE DEALS WITH YOURSELF

If you’re having trouble summoning the motivation to get out the door, promise yourself you don’t have to finish your workout if you don’t want to. Decide that you only have to complete the first ten minutes, and then, if you really don’t feel like keeping at it, give yourself permission to pack up and go home again. Most of the time, just getting out the door and starting will be enough.

For a short term motivational quick-fix, don’t underestimate the power of bribery! Identify three or four different little things that bring you pleasure, and promise yourself you’ll take time out and indulge in at least one of them if you complete your workout as scheduled.

GET HELP!

Finally, if you’re noticing increasing difficulty motivating yourself despite trying all of the above suggestions, consider talking to a personal trainer near you. A big part of qualifying as a trainer involves not just learning specific exercises, but learning how to keep clients motivated. If cost is an issue for you, think seriously about hiring an online trainer. Generally, online training is far more reasonably priced than face-to-face training – and if all you’re wanting is someone to keep you enthusiastic and accountable, it means you’re not paying for services you don’t need.

In next issue’s conclusion to our Exercise & Motivation series, we look at the final stage of Prochaska’s model – and what to do if you find yourself in the dreaded ‘Relapse’ stage. Until then, may every day bring you closer to your optimum life!

[Sponsored] Bryan Seawell is the proud owner of this article and he owns a site called: “Pure Point Golf Swing“. See how he can help you with his site: “The Simple Golf Swing” and allow him to share with you his best known secrets here at his exclusive site, “How to Break 80“. Thank you for your trust and belief in Bryan. Hope it will benefit you and others. Have a wonderful day ahead. [Sponsored]

Unless we’re talking about our bodies, and the amount of exercise they can do, we usually talk about being fit in relation to something. An object is ‘fit for use’, clothing is ‘fit to be worn at work’, and food is ‘fit to be eaten’. My parents used to have a running joke that they were fit – fit to drop! Everything else is fit ‘for something’. So why do we insist on describing ourselves as ‘fit’ or ‘unfit’ without relating the concepts to anything else?

GENERAL PRINCIPLES
It’s a basic truth that the human body wasn’t made to sit still for any length of time. We spent tens of thousands of years evolving in an environment that required us to move – to find shelter, to catch food, and to keep ourselves safe from predators. We’ve only been living lifestyles that allow us to be sedentary for the lesser part of a hundred years – not nearly enough time for evolution to adapt our bodies to this new environment. We see this constantly reflected in modern rates of heart disease, atherosclerosis, chronic aches and pains, and muscular and bone deterioration in people who have become inactive as they age.

On top of this, activity has a very real effect on both stress and energy levels. Our bodies have a ‘use-it-or-lose-it’ way with energy – if we don’t constantly use and then replace energy (with activity, followed by rest and good nutrition), we start noticing our energy levels gradually draining away. We feel tired, lethargic, and as though any amount of effort is just too much to be worth it. And if we’re also under stress – for example, at work, or in a difficult relationship – we feel the energy loss and the stress even more intensely.

These are general principles that seem to be true whoever we are. But different lifestyles require different amounts of energy, and exact different prices in terms of stress. We enjoy doing, and our bodies are suited for, different kinds of activity. It makes sense then, that the amount and type of activity that will help us reach our optimum fitness, will be different.

DIFFERENT STROKES
If that’s the case, then getting ‘fit’ without a frame of reference seems like a meaningless concept. Unless we know what we want to be ‘fit for’ – what fitness means to us – there’s no reason for us to get or stay that way. If my life is basically calm, quiet and easy-flowing, and I’m quite happy to keep it that way, my ‘optimum fitness’ is going to be very different to someone who’s discovered a deep fulfillment in setting themselves a goal and achieving it. Someone who’d just like to go for a walk with friends without getting puffed is going to have a different optimum fitness level to someone who wants to discover how it feels to finish a marathon.

On top of this, what people want often changes over time. Perhaps at one point in your life, you enjoyed spending a couple of hours a day exercising, but now you’re finding there are things you’d like to do far more with that time. Alternatively, when you first started creating your optimum life for yourself, it might have been enough for you to just keep your body healthy. As you tried new activities though, you might have discovered you were actually enjoying some of them for their own sake, and wanting to get fitter so you could do more of them. So at different times in your life, you’d have a different optimum fitness level.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE “FIT FOR”?
Which brings us back to our original question – can we talk about being fit, without knowing what exactly we’re ‘fit for’? The way we see it, your optimum fitness level depends completely on what you want to be able to do in your daily life, how you want to be feeling, how much energy you’d like to have and how exercise fits in with the rest of your life. So your first step in moving closer to optimum fitness needs to be to make that all-important decision “What do I want to be fit for?”

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