NO EXCUSES...CREATE GYM EQUIPMENT RIGHT AT HOME!

Pic 1. Nil Hands 80 KG Squats

Who says Nigerians aren't creative? In my article "what's your excuse?" I mentioned that people, no matter how busy they are, would always create time for things they considered important. This article is specifically for those whose reasons for not exercising is because they can't afford gym membership or gym equipment. Below are pictures sent by a friend of mine, who, I would say is a fitness fanatic. As you can see, in the first picture, he is using a barrel made of stones, rusty rods and pipes, In the second picture, he converts his Air conditioner cage to leg supports and in the third picture, he creates dumbbells from rocks and rusty rods. He even uses a friend in the fourth picture to add more weight to his push-ups. 

ARE YOU LOOKING TO BUILD THOSE MUSCLES?

I often get asked by guys whether fitness programmes like zumba can help build their muscles, and I always respond by asking “How much?” Zumba won’t make you look like this… 

but it would get you toned so you don’t look like this --------------------->

Zumba although mainly targeted at improving your cardiovascular fitness, also incorporates other components of fitness. If you are looking to build muscles like the man in image 1, then in addition to cardiovascular fitness, you should add resistance training. Resistance training, also known as strength or weight training is well established as an effective method of exercise for developing muscular fitness. 

WHAT’S YOUR EXCUSE FOR NOT EXERCISING?

You’ve probably promised to slap the next person who suggests that you exercise. You know the benefits of exercising. You know it prevents the likelihood of developing heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers. You know it promotes better sleep and boosts your mood. You also know that you would maintain a good shape and look great. What then are you waiting for? What’s your excuse?

I’m very busy Fabila, I have work, family, etc.

Are you in this category? We all are busy but everyone finds time for what’s important. I’m sure you would not leave your kids in school because you are too busy, even if you pick them late, you must pick them up. If your health is important to you, then you would definitely find time to attend to it. Exercising does not have to be done in a gym, or at a specific time. You could find ways to incorporate exercise into your daily activities. Read my articles “Housework, Your Affordable Way Fitness” and “Office Fitness: Exercise Right At Your Desk”. You can turn your house chores into workouts; at work you could take the stairs instead of the elevators. Instead of going to the movies all the time, you could try swimming or salsa dancing with colleagues after work.

DO YOU CONSIDER YOUR HAIRSTYLE A BARRIER TO EXERCISING?

I was carrying out a research recently when this topic caught my attention. I found a number of articles which stated that African-American women avoid exercising because they're worried about their hair. Many African/African-American women wear weaves and many spend lots of money on these weaves. The thought of sweating and ruining their weaves is said to deter many women in this category from exercising.

Do you agree with this? Does your hair really stop you from exercising?

GIVING UP ALREADY? STAYING MOTIVATED TO EXERCISE

It is common to see people giving up after a failed attempt. It could be a failed attempt at a dream job, business idea, relationship, etc. Similarly, people give up exercising when they see little or no result. Let’s take Sharon, my fictional character, for example. Sharon was told by cousin Jade that she could lose weight in three months. Sharon is excited, she joins cousin Jade to the gym and without a thought registers for six months gym membership. Sharon workouts on all the equipment, she joins all the group exercise programs offered at the gym, in fact, Sharon is now feeling quite sexy and slim. Three months later, Sharon anxiously gets on the scale and discovers she’s lost only 1KG! “What!” she screams, “but Jade lost 5kg”. 

WARM-UP AND COOL-DOWN…DO I REALLY NEED THESE?

I often stress to my client’s the importance of arriving early to class and the importance of joining in the cool-down exercises. Warm-up and cool-down exercises are essential to any fitness program. The warm-up, which is performed at the beginning of the workout, prepares the body and mind for exercise. It also helps to prevent injury. The time duration for a warm-up routine depends on the entire duration of the program. For a one hour aerobic session, 15 minutes warm-up is usually advised. 

STRESS: HOW FIT ARE YOU MENTALLY?

I have heard too many reports on people dying below forty years of age, although this is inevitably the end of man, it still hurts, as some causes of deaths are due to ignorance. Hosea 4:6 says my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Stress is a major killer of man, it leads to premature death. In our pursuit to make a living, many of us spend long hours commuting to and from work, long hours sitting at work, to list a few, and very little time to relax. 

Stress has been identified as one of the major causes of heart problems like high blood pressure which often leads to a stroke, studies have shown that stress worsens asthma, stress is identified as one of the lead causes of headaches, including migraines, stress accelerates your aging process, hair loss and very recently, I heard stress could be a cause of miscarriages and delay in conceiving.

WHAT’S YOUR BODY TYPE?

Understanding your body type would help you in choosing the right fitness programme. In this article, I would briefly explain the different body types and the appropriate fitness programme for each.

Generally, people fall into three body types: Ectomorph, Mesomorph, and Endomorph. Let’s take a closer look at these categories. 

Ectomorph 

Are you tall and slender and stay that way even after downloading a basin full of food! Ectomorphs tend to be tall and slender with little excess fat. An ectomorph would probably have the burden of being too skinny. (I’m sure some lady reading this wishes she had this problem). Ectos tend to lose weight more easily than they gain. 

Fitness goal: An Ectos fitness goal should be to gain tone and build muscle mass. Your workout routine should therefore focus more on resistance and strength training and less of cardio. Ectos are advised to eat more regularly than other body types and also eat foods high in carbohydrates, fats and proteins. 

GOOD BYE MR & MRS POT BELLY

This is a follow up to my previous article “Meet Mr & Mrs Pot Belly”. In this article, I would be sharing some exercise tips to help you get rid of your excess tummy fat. Before I do, let me quickly share a personal story. Before my fitness career begun, my Aunt used to make fun of me because of my tummy. When I lay on my side, my tummy would sit on the bed and she would scream “chei! Your tummy is lying down with you”. She just could not understand how one’s tummy could be that big. Of course she had a flat tummy so she could laugh comfortably. 

MEET MR & MRS POT BELLY

Pot belly, in my part of the world could be considered a sign of prosperity, although in more recent times, this view might be different.

When I began my career as a zumba instructor, I was very optimistic that was the end to all my tummy fat struggles. Boy was I wrong. Don’t get me wrong, my tummy fat did reduce drastically, it had to as I had dropped from a UK size 12 to UK 8 in three months. But for a size 8, I still was not content with my tummy size; I had hoped that being a fitness instructor would tone my abdominal muscles in a few weeks (I know that’s not realistic). It was then I understood that a cardio routine was not enough to fight this particular challenge; I needed to watch my diet and also strengthen my abdominal muscles. This led me to introduce more core routines to my workouts. Even then, fighting my tummy fat was still a huge challenge. This led me to ask why most people struggled with tummy fat as I observed that most of my clients were in the same shoes, they would lose the weight, tone the arms and thighs easily, but the tummy fat…always remained a challenge.

SPEED AND AGILITY IN CHILDREN

Kids during Tenderville Easter Camp, April 2013

Agility Training is crucial to any child looking to excel in sports. Agility has been defined as the ability to change directions and gain speed without losing motor control. This requires a combination of different attributes such as speed, good balance, coordination skills, muscular power, strength and endurance. Speed has been defined as the ability to travel a short distance in the shortest time. Speed and agility training enhance athleticism and makes your child more likely to perform well in sports. Participation in sports promotes your child’s overall health, promotes an appreciation for health and exercise, a sense of self-worth and interaction in a teamwork setting.

FLEXIBILITY IN CHILDREN

Flexibility is your joints' ability to move freely through a wide range of motions. Most children are naturally more flexible than adults since joints often tighten up with age. In my article, “Choosing a Fitness Programme 3: Flexibility Training,” I identified some benefits of flexibility training. Just like adults, kids need to stretch their bodies. Always remember that flexibility varies by age, so certain ages of children are more flexible than others. I teach dance to the children at Tenderville, and I’ve spotted toddlers performing a half split without giving it a thought, while some would bring their foot up towards their lips. Unfortunately, I’m never quick enough to catch those moments in camera. At my last practice session with the older kids, I had them show me their acrobatic moves; this time around I had my camera so I took some pictures. I was amazed at the ease with which they performed straddle splits, head stands, cart wheels, etc.

OFFICE FITNESS: EXERCISE RIGHT AT YOUR DESK!

If you work in an office, you most likely use a computer. With all those deadlines to meet, you probably find yourself sitting and typing for an average of eight hours per day. Whilst this may be good for your company, your body is crying out for help! Sitting long hours may bring about backaches due to poor posture and eye strain, among other effects. There are simple exercises you could do at your desk. These exercises can be done at intervals and will improve your body’s flexibility and strength, relieve job-related stress, increase your energy levels, and ultimately, keep you healthier and happier during your work day.

ZUMBA FITNESS GALLERY

KIDS DANCE GALLERY