Stress Myths: We need to manage stress

*MYTH #4: We need to manage stress, not to make it go away*

FACT: This is actually quite a dangerous myth. When we think that the best way to deal with stress is to manage it instead of eliminating it, we are basically saying that stress is a part of life.

Many stress experts talk about positive benefits of exercise, meditation, and relaxation techniques, but may not inform you of the *negative side* to these same coping strategies.

You see, using exercise, meditation and so on as stress management techniques are often ineffective. They are very poor strategies for dealing with certain types of problems, such as the death in the family, retrenchment or rejection. Also, these exercises take up a lot of time. Worse, the effects usually last a short while and you might have to keep doing them a few times in a day.

But really, the worse thing about it is the fact that dealing only with the symptoms of stress does absolutely nothing to cure the underlying ills. As long as we do not deal with the underlying causes, stress will persist and maybe even get worse.

So, if you think you are "managing" your stress well, think again.

Losing Fats with Kickboxing

When we exercise, we always think of sweating it out and burning fats. No doubt burning fats is of our main concern, however it suddenly occurs to me that certain exercises not only allow us to lose weight, they also allow us to pick up a skill and improve our overall fitness.

When I started swimming regularly, I asked myself ‘How can I better exercise so that not only I can achieve my ideal weight but at the same time learn a skill?’ Another important exercise that I decided to incorporate into my exercise plan is kickboxing.

Here are 5 reasons why kickboxing stands out from a typical exercise:

1. Self-Defense

Unlike many exercises, kickboxing trains you to be equipped with defensive skills. You will be learning punch and kick techniques that can prove valuable in a dangerous situation. Such defensive skills are very important as you never know when you may be in a life-threatening situation. Fortunately I have not been in such a situation but I really believe in ample preparation for the worst. The defensive skills you learn from kickboxing might just make a difference.

2. Body- sculpting

Kickboxing works the entire body. From cardio, fitness, strength and flexibility, kickboxing trains the entire body. A friend of mine who is very dedicated to kickboxing, used to have flabby arms. Now flabby arms are a thing of a past to her. When we lose weight, we may still not be able to get rid of the stubborn fat that remains in our arms. Kickboxing will also give you a more defined body because of its intensity and the different types of muscles involved in it.

3. Fun and Excitement

Kickboxing is one of the most fun and exciting exercises that I ever come across. It is very different from other exercises. Unlike traditional exercises like jogging, kickboxing is very dynamic. There is a lot of different movements involved, from throwing punches, kicking and also footwork. You get to move your hands, legs and body in a totally different way than you can ever imagine. During a workout class, there will also be music played. Sometimes I also kickbox in my own gym while listening to my favourite songs from a player. It gives me an exhilarating feeling as well as a great adrenaline rush.

4. Convenient

For some people, like me for example, you can choose to do it at home or at your gym. You do not necessarily need to travel far for your kickboxing workout. You can workout using kickboxing instructional DVDs. All you need is a DVD player, a spacious room and some leisure time and you can get an energetic workout as and when you feel like it.

5. Effective Weight Loss

Kickboxing workouts burn 400 to 600 calories per hour. It also maintains your heart at an optimum 75%-85% rate which is the recommended heart rate during exercise and training. My friends who kickbox share with me that they have lost up to 10 kg since they started 5 months ago. And they seem pumped up about it, so much so that it makes me want to go for it as well.

The more I learn about kickboxing the more I want to try, see you folks at the gym!

Losing Fats with Climbing Stairs

Since the time that technological advancements brought about the invention of elevators and lifts, it seems that stairs are only patronised during lift maintenances and emergencies. Just take a look around us and ask ourselves, how often do we take the stairs? Or do we even know where the nearest staircase to our office is located? Well, I leave the answer to you. I always make an effort to climb the stairs instead of taking the lift.

Here are 3 simple reasons why you should climb the stairs instead of taking the lift:

1. Tones muscles
Climbing stairs typically makes use of the leg muscles, particularly the quadriceps (front of the thighs) and the buttocks. It is a good form of training for the lower limbs as the entire body weight is put on the legs which increases the leg power and may be an important factor in reducing the risks of injuries from falls in the elderly. However, for those with pre-existing knee problems, please do take precautions with your knee joints when climbing stairs. Exerting too much pressure on your knee joints may aggravate or cause your old ailment to recur. As for normal persons, it is undoubtedly a cost-effective and safe form of workout.

2. Reduces body fats
Climbing stairs is time efficient as it reduces body fats and burns calories in a short period of time. Depending on the individual’s body weight and rate of climbing, it is generally estimated that fifteen minutes of stair climbing expends 75 calories, which works out to a total of 27,375 calories in a year. This is equivalent to 7.8 pounds of body weight! Therefore I always tell myself I must climb the stairs instead of taking the lift.

3. Enhances cardiovascular system
Another benefit of climbing stairs is that it enhances blood circulation and improves the lung and heart function as oxygen intake to the heart is increased. The risk of contracting high blood pressure and coronary heart problem is also reduced as a result of improved aerobic fitness.

So now, having known all the health benefits about stair climbing, how about climbing stairs to your office or homes?

Losing Fats with Jogging

In my opinion, when it comes to losing fats, jogging is the most cost-effective and spontaneous sport. All it requires is just a pair of running shoes and off you go to the nearest park and sweat it out. Whenever I pass by a park, it would always remind me of jogging.

Here are 5 reasons why jogging is recommended:

1. Jogging improves cardio-respiratory fitness
Regular jogging improves the ability of the heart to pump stronger and more efficiently. It also enables the muscles in the body to use oxygen more efficiently by increasing the activity of enzymes and hormones that stimulate the muscles. Over time, more blood and oxygen will be pumped with each heart beat which improves our cardio-respiratory fitness. Greater levels of stamina can also be built up.

2. Jogging reduces body weight
Like in all physical sports and exercises, a great deal of calories is being burnt when jogging. However, believe it or not, jogging or running doesn’t always burn more calories than walking. Surprised huh? Hope it’s useful information for you.

3. Jogging improves appetite
When you start to jog or run for longer periods or distances, your body will automatically call for more replenishment and nourishment. As a result, you will inevitably start to eat more than what you used to so as to repair your muscles and refuel them. This really works for me. I feel that I can control my diet better with jogging.

4. Jogging strengthens muscles and bone density
The continuous moving of the legs when jogging strengthens the muscles and bone density of the legs, hips as well as the back.

5. Jogging makes you sleep better
Not just jogging, this goes the same for all kinds of sports and exercises. If you exercise well, sleep comes so much easier and better. Having adequate rest is essential for improved health and fitness.

Well of course, this is not an exhaustive list. Apart from those benefits mentioned above, there are still many benefits that jogging can bring about. You are most welcome to add on to this list but before you do, make sure you start “running” for your life!

Losing Fats with Skipping

Since young I have always loved skipping. I don’t know what you guys out there think of it, but skipping is an intense exercise that is very demanding on the body. All around the world, you see children skipping rope. Somehow, we lose that simple joy when we grow up. Well, for your health’s sake, maybe it is time to start skipping again.

Here are 5 reasons why skipping is a great exercises workout:

1. Skipping helps to lose weight
Although not a great overall fat burner, skipping burns a great deal of calories, typically between 70 and 110 calories in a 10-minute session, depending on the intensity of one’s workout. It increases the metabolic rate of the body which results in a higher number of calories used later on even when the person is not exercising. However, for overweight and unfit persons, medical advice is recommended as skipping could cause injury if not done properly.

2. Skipping improves strength and endurance
Continuous jumping on the spot for the next 10 minutes or so builds up one’s stamina over time. Imagine the repetitive jumping that takes you nowhere but leaves you gasping for air after every skip. It is a test of one’s physical and mental strength, especially when skipping may become boring after a few workouts. Ideally, a person should do at least 20 to 30 jumps at a time and increase the number of jumps gradually. My cousin is amazing in skipping. He can skip 2000 times without a break and he hardly pants. I guess skipping has a lot to make him the ironman that he is.

3. Skipping improves body coordination
To complete a skip requires a well coordinated action and reaction from the upper and lower limbs respectively. The forearms and the wrists has to keep the rope turning as smoothly as possible for the feet to jump only as high to clear the rope and to land on the ground steadily. It takes practice to achieve this act and it improves one’s rhythm and agility at the end of the day.

4. Skipping improves cardiovascular fitness
Skipping is an excellent exercise for the heart and lungs and it improves the heart rate and blood pressure for cardiovascular gains. It develops a higher fitness level, which helps develop a much better energy system allowing the body to burn fat more effectively when performing other less intense activities.

5. Skipping helps in toning muscles
It mainly works on the arm, calf and thigh muscles as a result of constant swinging and jumping the ropes. It strengthens the chest and keeps the buttocks firm as well.

Well, I hope this list helps you to decide starting a skipping program.

Losing Fats with Table Tennis

If you are a hyperactive person who is constantly on the move, then table tennis may just be the sport for you. The continuous rapid movement around the table as well as the swiftness of the ping pong ball is likely to kill the sloth of boredom and keep you on your toes. Besides just being a sport of fast reactions, table tennis does have its health and wellness benefits as well.

Here are 5 reasons why you should play table tennis:

1. Table tennis improves reflexes and hand-eye coordination
Also known as “ping pong” at some time or another, table tennis is considered to be one of the fastest racket sports in the world, with the ping pong ball reaching speeds of over 160km/hour. As such, individuals who play the sport can expect and experience improved reflexes and hand-eye coordination over time. Agility can also be improved as the game forces you to constantly change directions around the table so as to make contact with the rapid on-coming ball. I now find myself to be sharper than ever after playing table tennis casually for 8 months.

2. Table tennis strengthens muscles
Apart from improved arm muscles as a result of frequent and rapid moving of the arms, the constant twisting of the midsection is also expected to strengthen the abdominal muscles. Stronger leg muscles are also being built through numerous starts and stops, and lunges during game play. The frequent bending at the waist while playing works on the lower back muscles as well.

3. Table tennis reduces body weight
Playing table tennis is also a good form of weight loss activity. About 300 calories are burnt for an hour of table tennis game. That's equal to a 27-minute power walk on a treadmill or 32 minutes of light gymnastics.

4. Table tennis improves aerobic and anaerobic fitness
Table tennis works on aerobic fitness by burning one’s fats and improving on one’s cardiovascular system. The rapid range of movements and fast game play keeps one’s heart rate up. It also improves on anaerobic fitness by offering short, intense bursts of activity during a certain point in time followed by rest which helps muscles use oxygen efficiently.

5. Table tennis keeps you mentally sharp
As table tennis requires is a lot of planning, anticipating and strategising during game play, it makes a perfect mind game for the retirees as well.

Let’s not forget about our women paddlers who brought us glory during last year’s Olympics!

Losing Fats with Badminton

Aright, I admit it; I’m a big fan of badminton. I have played badminton since I was a kid. I grew up playing badminton and I continue to live my sporting passion through badminton.

Here are 9 reasons why you should play badminton:

1. Badminton reduces bad cholesterol
Well, the main benefit of playing badminton is the reduction of the levels of bad cholesterols known as low-density lipoproteins (LDL) in our body. This takes place when several metabolic enzyme systems in the muscles and liver are stimulated from the physical activity to convert some of the cholesterol into favourable cholesterol known as high-density lipoproteins (HDL). These lipoproteins help to clear excess fat and cholesterol from the bloodstream in our body.

2. Badminton prevents heart diseases
Regular indulgence in badminton conditions the basal heart rate to drop a few beats a minute which reduces the blood pressure. It also strengthens the heart muscle and reduces hypertension in hypertensive individuals. However, hypertensive individuals or people with pre-existing heart diseases should play within their threshold levels as indicated by their doctors. Badminton, after all, is still a vigorous sport if played aggressively and intensively.

3. Badminton reduces body fat
Playing badminton helps to reduce body weight by burning the excess calories in our body. This prevents excess calories from accumulating as fats and increasing our mass eventually. Existing fat deposits are also being mobilised and broken down to produce energy while playing badminton

4. Badminton prevents osteoporosis
One major way to prevent contracting osteoporosis is to engage in regular physical activity and playing badminton falls into this category. Playing badminton strengthens the bones by promoting the activity of the bone forming cells and the assimilation of calcium in the bone matrix.

5. Badminton improves flexibility
For those of you who have played the sport, you’ll know that playing badminton involves the entire body. Playing badminton demands a large range of movements including leaps, lunges, twists, turns, stretches or even dives at critical times when one is desperately looking to save a match point. Due to the physical demands of the sport, it is expected that one will become more flexible and agile over time.

6. Badminton increases reflexes and hand-eye coordination
Another important benefit of playing badminton is the quick reflexes and good hand-eye coordination that one will build and improve over time. As the flight of the shuttlecock and the contact from the racket can be very unpredictable, reflexes as well as anticipation are crucial attributes of a player.

7. Badminton builds physical strength and stamina
Like all physical sports and games, playing badminton builds physical strength and stamina from wielding the racket and running across all parts of the court. It boosts physical strength mainly the arms and wrists from smashes and drop shots.

8. Badminton helps tone your muscles
The constant moving around and direction changes on court helps one to tone the muscles at the thighs, calves, buttocks, arms, back as well as the abdomen. The range of strokes stretches muscles from the shoulder and arms, through to the abdomen and down the legs.

9. Badminton builds mental strength
Playing badminton can keep one mentally strong and increases one’s level of concentration. The competitive nature of the point system requires the player to pay full attention to every motion of the shuttle. Every play of the shuttle is crucial to securing a point. Besides tenacity, skilful and intelligent play is also vital in a tactical game like badminton.

Well, seems like badminton is not just fun but is also extremely beneficial to our health. It is a sport that you can play throughout your life both competitively and for leisure. Even some of the sports celebrities like football legend Diego Maradonna and golfer Nick Faldo enjoy playing badminton. So what are you waiting for? Go pick up that racket and start hitting the shuttle down the court right now!

Lose Fats by Swimming

Swimming is considered to be amongst the most perfect of exercises. When you want to lose fats and burn calories, there is nothing better.

Not only does it burn a lot of calories, it also has a low injury rate. Land-based exercises often require you to go against the force of your weight. That is why for obese people, exercise is a struggle. In addition, you also put pressure on your joints and bones. Sometimes while doing land exercises, I accidentally hurt my ankles and knees. Swimming is very safe and a good form of exercise especially for people who are injury-prone as the buoyancy of water takes away excess strain on the body. After swimming so many years, I have not suffered any injuries.

Here are 3 reasons why swimming has always been a must in any exercise plan:

1. A Potential Life-Saver

Swimming is an important skill. You never know when you or your loved ones need it. It can be a life-saver. 400 people drown every year in the UK. And most of them are teenagers. I used to ask my family to swim with me during the weekend. It is a vital skill that your loved ones must have. Besides, it can be a good bonding session especially as you see your children in playing happily in the water, splashing all over the place.

2. Great Health Benefits

Swimming has helped me to build more muscle, strength, flexibility, endurance and cardiovascular health. Since water has much more resistance than air, it actually strengthens muscles faster. It has helped me in developing my major muscles groups and because swimming movements are smooth, it stretches and lengthen muscles instead of making it huge and bulky. A study from the University of Carolina has shown that swimmers were 50 percent less likely to die during the exercise than walkers or runners. Swimming adds to longevity. I feel so much younger after each swim. That kind of feeling is indescribably fantastic.

3. Psychological Benefits

When I swim, I have to be very conscious of my breathing, if not I will be breathless very soon. I feel very relax during swimming as the water flows through and it feels like a massage for my muscles. It almost feels like meditation. Many of us are uncomfortable in water. We are just not used to being wet. Swimming actually helps us stretch our comfort zone. I now find myself more energetic and willing to challenge myself to achieve more. Swimming makes me feel that I can conquer a foreign territory and break through my limits.

Swimming is truly the perfect exercise that you must do for a lifetime.

How to lose Fats safely

One of the most often asked question in the quest for losing fats and losing weight, is one of safety. How can we lose fats safely?

Frankly, the real danger of any diet is when you attempt to lose weight fast. Most people want to lose fats because they want to lose weight. Most want to lose weight because they want to look slim and trim.

There are many factors to losing fats. One of the most important is your metabolic rate. If you are able to maintain a high metabolic rate, it will help to burn off excess fats. How can you increase your metabolic rate?

Exercise.

To some, that one word is scary. It is impossible. Yet, it is not as difficult as it seems to be. In place of rigorous exercise, a long term approach would be to change your lifestyle. Become more active by taking up some sport, go outdoors more and so on; these are good ways to increase your metabolic rate.

Here are some simple ways you can lose fats safely:

1. There is no need to become an exercise fanatic. Simply become more active in your lifestyle and you will increase your metabolic rate. Take walks after meals. Walk up stairs instead of taking the elevators and other simple, daily tasks.
2. Join an exercise club. For example, some women might get together to form a club that goes walking in the park once or twice a week or guys who agree to meet up to do some cycling and so on.
3. Eat wisely. Rather than stuffing yourself at every meal, eat until your hunger pangs are gone. Stop before you feel completely full.
4. Drink plenty of water. Sometimes, when you are thirsty, your body sends out signals that are similar to that of being hungry. However, these are false. Your body is simply trying to get you to get some liquids.

In order to lose fats safely, you need to have a balance of a healthy lifestyle, a sensible diet and the commitment to see it through.