CHOOSING A FITNESS PROGRAMME 2: RESISTANCE TRAINING

Resistance training, also referred to as strength training is simply any fitness activity aimed at strengthening the muscles. It is any exercise that causes the muscles to contract against an external resistance with the expectation of increases in strength, tone, mass, and/or endurance. The external resistance can be equipment, e.g. dumbbells or your body weight. A complete body workout ideally should include some resistance training to improve bone, joint function, bone density, muscle, tendon and ligament strength, as well as cardio exercise, to improve your heart and lung fitness. Some examples of resistance exercises include:

Using your body weight: push-ups, pull-ups, abdominal crunches and squats
Free weights: Barbells and dumbbells
Resistance bands
Weight lifting
Zumba
Circuit Training

Benefits of Resistance training include:

Improved body shape: Sculpted muscles
Strength training increases bone density and reduces the risk of osteoporosis.
Increased muscle strength for more functional reasons i.e. improved posture, carrying and lifting items, e.g. shopping bags.
Increased muscle power. Performing exercises with increased energy will improve muscle power. i.e. for throwing a netball or kicking a football or swinging a golf club.
Increased metabolic rate
Helps you maintain flexibility and balance.
Reduced signs and symptoms of some chronic conditions, including arthritis, back pain, depression, diabetes and obesity.

Some Points to Note:

Before starting a resistance programme, you may want to consult a doctor first, especially if you have any medical history that may be of concern.
It is always good to warm-up the body before starting any resistance exercise, ten minutes of stretching and another 10-15 minutes of cardio should be sufficient.
Pay attention to safety and good posture to reduce the risk of injury.
Repetitions or ‘reps’ – the number of times you repeat each exercise in a set. A strength training should have repetitions.
Set: a group of repetitions performed without resting, for example two sets of abdominal crunches with 15 reps would mean you do 15 crunches then rest or stretch the abdominal muscles before doing another 15 crunches.
Rest: you need to rest between sets.
Allow your body to recover. Muscle needs time to repair and grow after a workout.

Resistance training is a solution for those saggy arms, bulging stomachs and flabby thighs.

NUTRITIONAL/HEALTH BENEFITS OF PLANTAINS

P lantains are widely eaten in West Africa. Plantains are similar to bananas but larger in size. While bananas are termed fruits, plantains are vegetables. Bananas are mostly eating raw, while plantains are usually cooked before consumption. Plantains can be eaten unripe, ripen or over-ripe. When unripe, plantains are usually green in colour, when ripen, they turn yellow. In Nigeria, for example, unripe plantains are usually used to cook plantain porridge, ripe plantains are mostly fried and used as a supplement to main dishes like rice and beans. Over-ripe plantains are used to make snacks like plantain fritters.

NUTRITIONAL BENEFITS OF ZOBO/SORREL DRINK

z obo/sorrel was a must have during family gatherings. As children, we loved drinking it, not only because of how nice it tasted, but also because it coloured our lips and tongues red. Zobo (Nigerian) or Sorrel (Jamaican) is a red coloured drink made from a flower called Hibiscus sabdariffa. The sorrel plant contains a wide range of vitamins and minerals including vitamin C, calcium, niacin, riboflavin and a group of compounds called flavonoids. Flavanoids not only gives the sorrel plant its deep red colour, but, are also rich in antioxidants which rids the body of toxins. The sorrel plant also contains nutraceleuticals, which are said to be helpful to the health. Nutraceleuticals can help prevent and treat several diseases including diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and cancer.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF LIME AND HONEY

L ime and Honey are two must haves in my house. I use honey as a substitute for white sugar. I remember a friend of mine visited me once and she wanted to drink garri (drinking garri is local to Nigerians, i.e. eating dried cassava with cold water as opposed to hot water), she was astonished when I told her to use honey to sweeten her garri. I'm not a tea person, but my parents are, and a cup of tea for them is not complete without limes.

Fabila's Fitness Club

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