Fabila's Fitness Club

M any of us have stability balls at home, or see them at the gym. If you were like me years back, then you probably do not know what to do with yours. Many years back, in the bid to start off my fitness journey I went equipment shopping and found myself buying every and any home based fitness equipment I could afford. My stability ball was one of them. I also had friends and Aunts who had them, but theirs, like mine, just sat pretty in a corner of the bedroom covered in dust. Tired of my usual workout routine, I was led to question the use of a stability ball and how I could incorporate them into my workout routines. I was surprised at how useful it was, plus I loved the results I got from the exercises I did with them.  In the video below, I demonstrate two exercises using the stability ball. Both exercise would build your core strength and tighten your abdominal muscles. Either of these exercises can be added to your usual daily workout routine to spice it up and give yo...

S ome of my female friends often tell me how impossible it is for them to make time to workout or live a healthy lifestyle. “It’s hard” they tell me, “when I get back from work all I want to do is jump into bed” some say. For those who are married, have children and work, suggesting exercise to them is as good as suicide! Yes it is hard and I know because I did work in a law firm and anyone familiar with the working hours in Nigerian law firms knows the craziness involved! How did I survive it back then:

A re you still joggling ideas on the best Christmas gift to buy for your fitness fanatic spouse, friend, colleague, etc. No matter your budget, there are numerous options to choose from. I have listed a few gifts that I would love and I believe many fitness fanatics would love too. These are also great home fitness tools you could grab for yourself.

D o you prefer to exercise at home, but, do not have space for a treadmill, or similar large gym equipment? Good news is, there are quite a number of small fitness equipment you can use at home and still get fantastic results. I have highlighted my three favorite home fitness tools. Resistance Bands: Resistance bands are not commonly used. Many people tend to stick to dumbbells or machines. I bought one recently when I travelled because my dumbbells were too heavy to pack along. Resistance bands are more affordable and portable. They are a great way to workout when on the move or to add variety to your usual routine. You can do a number of exercises with the resistance band as it allows you to change your positioning in multiple ways. This changes how your body works and how an exercise feels. When buying a resistance band watch out for the tension level. Most bands would be marked small, medium or heavy. Exercises you could do with a resistance band include: chest press, bicep c...

I t has been a busy ten days for me, plus, I pulled the biceps muscle on my right arm while weight lifting some days ago. I guess I overworked them. Luckily, I had my Aloe Heat lotion and ice to the rescue. This also inspired me to write a short article on relieving muscle strains. A muscle strain, also called a pulled muscle, occurs when a muscle is stretched too far, and small tears occur within the muscle. Depending on the severity of the strain, you could heal yourself at home. 

Do you end your day with a tensed, stiff and sore lower back?  L ower back pains are common with most people. Pains in the lower back arise when the muscles in that region are strained. Poor sitting posture and lifting heavy items are examples of actions that could lead to a muscle strain in the lower back. Exercise can help relief pains and prevent injuries in the lower back. If the pains are, however, severe, it is advisable to seek medical attention. If you also experience pains while performing the following exercises, you should stop. These exercises should be done gently. 

Pic 1. Nil Hands 80 KG Squat s W ho 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. 

N ot many of us enjoy house work. This is probably because parents use house work as a form of punishment, so we grow up thinking that way.  If you have a negative attitude towards house work, perhaps, you would change your mind after reading this article. House Work is a great way to keep fit, especially if you are too busy to register at a gym or cannot afford to. I have listed below some home activities you could turn into fitness routines. Some of them have been listed in my previous article,  Oga/Madam Syndrome .

I f you are wondering what oga/madam syndrome is? Then I’m guessing you are not Nigerian. Oga/madam syndrome, in my terms, is when a man/woman hires help and thereby becomes too lazy to do anything around the house. Please note that this laziness is not as a result of physical weakness, but is born out of egotism. “I’m the boss now, so I can’t do anything but sit on the couch and add a few pounds.” Unlike some parts of the world where people pay an arm and a leg for services such as maid, Gardner, driver, carpenter, plumber, laundry etc., In Nigeria, such services come cheap. 

W henever I see couples taking walks together or attending the gym together, I’m always pleased. Exercise is an excellent way of spending time with your spouse. More importantly, when both spouses are fitness conscious, they both motivate the other to stay fit. I’ve discovered that most of my dedicated clients who are married are dedicated because of encouragement from their spouse. While some who before marriage were dedicated became strangers to the gym after they got married. I see them three months later, and the body which they trained so hard to tone is all flabby .

I   remember a colleague of mine who was always out of ideas on what to do with her kids over the weekend. When we resumed work on Monday, I would ask and it was always the same activity, “I took them to KFC” or some other fast-food or restaurant. It seems the only fun people know these days is dining out. Most parents residing anywhere in Nigeria would blame the Nigerian society. While it is understandable, it is not an excuse. Most Nigerians live in massive compounds. Someone may be reading this and saying “I don’t live in a massive compound.” But trust me, when you see the spaces available to UK residents, you’ll agree with me that even the “Face me-I face you” occupants have bigger spaces.