Health
6 Easy Ways to Stay Fit
By Aisha Shakti Hakim
C
reating lesson plans, applying
and
tweaking
behaviour
management
strategies,
attending
after
school
Professional Development sessions –
these and other teacher obligations
are enough to make you feel as if you’re
too busy and drained to work out on
a regular basis. By the time you get
home you may just want to veg out in
front of the TV, with a good book or
even take a nap.
The good news is that staying fit
doesn’t require hours of puffing away
during your free time at an expensive
gym. Of course, there’s nothing wrong
with that if you so choose, but there
are other options, like the following 6
activities:
Watch what you eat
Did you know that healthy eating goes
further towards a healthier lifestyle
than even exercise? The benefits of
exercise can be quickly destroyed if
your diet consists of soda, fried foods
and pasta. The easiest way to watch
what you eat and stay fit is to make
sure
that you have a healthy
breakfast of protein
and veggies – think
a veggie omelet
or a green
smoothie
with
nut butter or protein powder - followed
by a lunch filled with green veggies.
This is not to discount exercise, which
is a necessary part of any fitness plan,
but to emphasize the vital role of good
nutrition.
A little goes a long way
Current research shows that heart rate
increasing activities – dancing, walking,
jumping rope – done for as little as 10
minutes, can drastically increase your
health. Consider a quick walk during
your lunch break and/or after school;
put on your favourite party song
and dance like no one’s watching; or
engage in any other physical activity
that makes you breathe a bit hard for
at least 10 minutes to enjoy an easy
and quick way to get fit.
Use your bodyweight
Once you have the proper form,
planks and pushups are amongst
the most effective and easiest nearly
total body workouts you can do. If
you’re just starting out, hold the plank
position for 20 seconds and increase
by intervals of 10 once you’re able, and
do 3 sets of 8 pushups.
Prep your meals
All you need is a maximum of 20
minutes each week to significantly
decrease your cooking time and make
sure you’re on track for healthy eating.
Decide beforehand what recipes you’ll
cook for the week and then prep for
it to make your kitchen time efficient
and easy.
Reach for healthy snacks
Youtube it
If your personality is more prone
towards indoor activities, doing
things by yourself, or structured
programmes, there are plenty of free
exercise videos on YouTube that you
can follow along to from the comfort
and privacy of your home. One of the
best options is Fitness Blender, which
allows you to choose from full length,
to 10 minutes, to any body part you’d
like to focus on. Doesn’t get any easier
than that!
Sweet tooth? Have a cup of Greek
yogurt. Are you in the mood for
crunchy and salty? Go for spiced
nuts. Want something savoury? Try
pita chips with herb hummus. Need
something quick, filling and spicy?
Eat a boiled egg lightly sprinkled with
pink Himalayan sea salt and cayenne
pepper. These options will satisfy your
munchies in an easy and healthy way.
To sum things up, your diet plays a
key role in staying fit. If you do not
have adequate time to work out,
try following a simple but effective
exercise routine that will add to you
being able to enjoy a healthier and
happier you.
After The Bell
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Jan - Feb 2015
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