Get Fit In 2008 - Great Fitness Tips From Dr. Asif Qasim

The prospect of getting back into sport and exercise can be daunting. There are images all around us of buffed and glossy celebrities with perfect bodies – and all they have to do is work out for 3 hours a day with their personal trainer, and never even look at a chocolate bar. It is bad enough going to the gym for the first time where most people seem to exercise like they are possessed by treadmill demons!

There are all kinds of reasons why we find it hard to start exercising - our day-to-day lives require a lot less physical activity than in our grandparents' or even parents' day, most of us own cars and rely on them to get around, and more and more people spend hours sitting in front of the TV and computers.

It’s no surprise that so many people decide not to bother!

Dr. Asif Qasim has been working with a team of health and fitness professionals on his Every Day program – a simple plan that will help anyone to find a way back to regular physical activity.

The Every Day program aims to help everyone to build sport and exercise into their daily lives. Anyone of any age can take part, and you don’t need any special equipment, or to be a member of a gym or health club.

The Every Basics are very simple:

1. A 10-15 minute daily routine that can also be used to warm up
2. Regular walking, sport or exercise
3. Tips to help you to stay fit and healthy

Why Bother?

Life is busy, commuting, work, friends, family – there is so much to fit in. Why bother with exercise? What good will it do?

• Physical inactivity is a risk factor for coronary heart disease - in other words, if you don't exercise you dramatically increase your risk of dying from a heart attack
• On the other hand, exercise means a healthier heart because it reduces several cardiovascular risks, including high blood pressure
• Being physically active can promote good mental health and help you to manage stress, anxiety and depression
• Regular exercise can help you achieve and maintain an ideal weight, which can be important in managing many health conditions, or may just make you feel happier about your appearancen • All exercise helps strengthen bones and muscles to some degree, but weight-bearing exercise, such as running, is especially good in promoting bone density and protecting against osteoporosis, which affects men as well as women
• Different exercises help with all sorts of health niggles, such as digestion, poor posture and sleeplessness, and physical activity can be beneficial for a range of medical conditions, from diabetes to lower back pai

Fat Natio

Britain has been described as Fat Nation – with rising levels of obesity and a drift towards US patterns of unhealthy eating and inactivity. There are lots of positive reasons for getting fitter, including meeting new people, discovering new interests and generally feeling better, but if you need to be scared into doing more exercise, consider the following:

• On current trends a third of men will be obese by 2010, according to a 2006 Department of Health report
• Between 2003 and 2006, obesity in adults rose by nearly 40 per cent
• The picture is just as worrying for youngsters - by 2010, it's predicted 22 per cent of girls and 19 per cent of boys between the ages of two and 15 will be obese, with girls under 11 at particular risk
• Obesity is responsible for 9,000 premature deaths a year in this country, and is a major contributory factor to heart disease
• Coronary heart disease (CHD) is still the leading cause of death in the UK, accounting for about a fifth of all deaths, according to the Office for National Statistics
• About a third of deaths caused by CHD are among people aged under 75

Many thanks to Dr. Asif Qasim MA PhD MRCP, a consultant cardiologist with an interest in sports medicine, who contributed to this article.

If you would like more fitness tips and meet people interested in the same sports as you then visit:
http://www.comenplay.com

Written by Yunis Kha

Email: Yunis@comenplay.com

Web: http://www.comenplay.comn