| The Holy Bible is timeless. Whenever in doubt turn to it, it has priceless information about practically every topic and this is summed up explicitly in Ecclesiastes – “there is no new thing under the sun.” I recently refreshed my memory on a verse in the Bible that I first got to know when I spent a lot of time at the Action Chapel International; “For while bodily training is of some value, Godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come” (1 Timothy 4:8). I am sure you agree with me that “some value” is still important to grab. I am grateful to God for that period of my life and I will be visiting again soon. This weekend I thought it would be interesting for us to find out how much we know about our health and fitness. Find out how many of the questions below you can answer correctly. Knowledge is power and it certainly will help you in your quest for great health. 1. I can reduce just my abdominal and thigh fat while leaving all others a. FALSE! b. Unless you are planning some form cosmetic procedure, it is impossible to SPOT REDUCE. Modern science has not yet found a way. That hurts I agree but the pot belly and those arms will live with you as long as you “retain” others. 2. It is best to exercise only in the morning a. FALSE b. When it comes to exercising EVERYTIME IS IDEAL TIME (apologies to NESTLE). Choose the time that is most convenient to you; morning, afternoon, evening or even midnight. Your body will often adapt to your time. Proponents of morning exercise think you get it out of the way quickly. They may have a point but not everyone can squeeze it into a morning schedule. 3. If you walk every day, there is no need to include strength training in your schedule a. FALSE b. Three components of exercise exist; cardiovascular, strength training and flexibility training. Now a fourth, STABILITY Training is making the rounds. 4. If you do not have at least 30 minutes to exercise then it is better not to start a. This is FALSE b. You get similar benefits if you exercise or engage in physical activity spread over the day in 10-minute chunks. Start! It is definitely better than NOTHING. There is no point waiting for the ideal time, it may never materialize. 5. Exercising for 3hours every Saturday is enough for the week a. I wish this could cut it. Three hours is 180 minutes, which exceeds the prescribed 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercising that is prescribed by the wise men. Unfortunately you are unlikely to eat one meal to cover all your needs for the week so why do that with exercising? Certainly if once a week is the best way to start, please do but add additional days over time. b. FALSE 6. Avoid drinking water before and during exercise a. FALSE b. Water is life. You lose water when you exercise. Drink some water before your workout and sip some more during the process and then drink again when you are done to replace what you have lost. The goal is to avoid drinking too much while you exercise since it may cause you some discomfort. 7. Always warm up and cool down before and after exercising respectively a. TRUE b. Never skip these two steps because you are in a hurry. It has been the cause of many complications during exercising. Warming up prepares you for more vigorous exercise; all you need is to engage in non-vigorous activity that will cause you to break into light sweat if you are not in an air-conditioned room. Cooling down involves continuing with your exercise at a reduced intensity to bring your body close to resting state. 8. The best way to control your weight is to eat a single big meal at lunch time a. FALSE! b. This may actually be a text book description for weight challenges. You require at least three (3) balanced meals a day and skipping BREAKFAST is invariable a passport to the land of obesity and several other illnesses. There is a school of thought that we should only eat when hungry but I think if you follow this path you may be preparing grounds for underperformance in many areas of your life. 9. If you exercise consistently and eat healthy meals then it is not necessary to do medical examinations a. Leading a healthy lifestyle is no recipe for immortality. A medical check-up is one of the major pillars for good health. It is important to pick up health issues quickly so that they can be corrected before they get out of hand. b. The statement is thus FALSE 10. If you do not experience pain while exercising then you are not doing enough a. I cannot overemphasize this; NO PAIN NO GAIN IS INSANE!! b. Yes you certainly will feel discomfort when you exercise for instance but to equate excruciating pain and pure body torture to benefits will not win you a gold medal. You may have been sucked in by the “disease of Toos” that is doing Too Much, Too Quickly and Too Soon. Start slowly and progress over time. c. The statement is FALSE. If you answered five (5) or more questions correctly then you have the appropriate knowledge to reach your fitness goals. Do not look back, keep the fire burning; “Your Health is Your Responsibility – Take Control! AS ALWAYS LAUGH OFTEN, WALK AND PRAY EVERYDAY AND REMEMBER IT’S a PRICELESS GIFT TO KNOW YOUR NUMBERS (blood sugar, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, BMI) Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel Moms’ Health Club (dressel@healthclubsgh.com) *Dr Essel is a medical doctor and is ISSA certified in exercise therapy and fitness nutrition. Thought for the week – He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. (Psalm 18:34) |
