Break it down, break a sweat Break it down, break a sweat

NEVER be led to the illusion that your single session in the gym or that one-hour run around the track is all it takes to skyrocket you into a whole new world of health and fitness espcially when they don't happen as frequently as they should.

Exercise, which is defined as physical activity that is planned, structured, and repetitive for the purpose of conditioning any part of the body, is necessary in this day and age where we don't move around as much as our ancestors did. The perpetual search for comfort and convenience has transformed billions of human beings into sloths, constantly looking for the easiest and quickest way to do something and get somewhere.

Even commercials that seem to promote weight loss and encourage muscle mass try to target these individuals who either do not have so much time on their hands or are simply too lazy.

In the realm of health, there is no surefire shortcut. Medicines take time to kick in and even food requires time to digest before being absorbed. So why the rush?

Looking at models and sportspeople, sometimes we daydream about one day obtaining such a physique and for some of us, it kickstarts an enthusiastic burst of energy. For a short period of time, we are fueled by this desire to achieve this target body. But how many of us take the time to realise how long exactly did it take for those individuals to look they way they do now? Weeks, months or years?

Professionals obviously have all the time in the world to dedicate regular intensive training but what about us, mere mortals who have jobs, careers, families and responsibilities that we can't hand over to personal assistants to handle? No wonder we fall for get-rich quick schemes or the tireless "only five-minutes a day" tagline attached to just about every revolutionary 'exercise' gadget. We realise that we don't have that much time yet how do we spend our 24 hours really that justifies us lamenting "oh, I don't have time for that" every other day?

Those who are only starting out on their fitness journeys might find the minimum 30 to 45 minutes of physical activity per day too taxing in one go. But they can breathe sighs of relief. You can actually spread that along the day with various short sessions instead.

Let's say you take an early morning jog before work for 20 to 30 minutes (this would make a great start to your day as it would leave you feeling much more energised and ready to face the world). Then park far enough so that you'd spend five minutes walking to your workplace.

You could then take all the opportunities you can while at work to move around. Instead of calling up a colleague, walk on over to their table or cubicle. If you do that for the first half of the day, it could all amount between 35 to 45 minutes of low intensity physical activity even before lunchtime! Keep it up for the rest of the day and throw in an exercise session after work and it all really adds up.

The Malay saying "sikit-sikit, lama-lama jadi bukit" which is usually associated with financial savings can also apply here. So can anybody say that they really don't have time for physical activity?

The views expressed by the author are his own and do not reflect the views of The Brunei Times.

The Brunei Times