adminInnocent Choga:Fitness
I know I am not the only person who is impressed by the work the Honourable Minister of Sport, Minister Makhosini Hlongwane is doing. He is promoting all sports regardless of their nature. He attends most national sporting functions. Last year he attended the National Body-building and Fitness function. He is here, he is there and he is everywhere.Of late, I read in The Herald on Tuesday that he is promoting fitness not for sportspersons only, but for the general populace. We all know how important the fitness of a nation is. It is not only good way of increasing production, but the well being of the nation plays an important part in helping to save dollars by cutting down on the importation of drugs and the easing the burden on the health delivery system. I disagree with the notion that being fit means avoiding doctors though, but I believe we get fit in association with doctors. At times finances can be a constraint, but ideally we all need regular check-ups.
We cannot down play the importance of exercise for rehabilitation purposes as well. I hear a lot of testimonies on how exercise has helped certain individuals to use their limbs again after illnesses or accidents. I have experienced and heard of how being fit has saved some people involved in near fatal situations escape the jaws of death. Of course the Almighty plays the major role.
The minister is talking of open fitness facilities to be used by the public for free. All the time when I see people jogging along the roads, I have always thought that when things get better it would be ideal for the city fathers to build exercise parks that are well lit and well guarded.
These could include some sort of avenues where people can run safely, without the risk of getting run over by cars and getting mugged. Most people find it convenient to run at dawn or at dusk to avoid the afternoon heat, that is, before and after work. I am certain most households would not mind paying a few cents built into the monthly rates for the upkeep of such exercise parks that can assist us and our children to get fit in safety.
I just want to digress a bit and delve into a subject that might seem not to concern fitness; but I feel like taking this opportunity to add my very small voice to the dissenting voices against an unfit situation currently bedevilling our sporting arena, hatred and violence. Sports and exercise have their own place in life and they are important for entertainment and the preservation of life.
We have often discussed on how the major health and fitness equation involves the spiritual, physical, emotional, mental and social balance. These components are interlinked and none is an end in itself.
To borrow from a religious pamphlet Awake (August 1991) We cannot classify sports and exercise as religions. Healthy support for our teams and seeing our sports stars as heroes is good and but we have to differentiate that with worshipping the team and idolising our sports stars.
According to the pamphlet the later is not only a sin but will fan extremism in unstable fans and participants. To classify these as religions will bring up addiction resulting in negligence of other duties since the spiritual aspect is on top of the fitness list.
Unstable individuals abuse sport and exercise fanning hatred and violence against opponents. These type of individuals lack spiritual, mental, emotional and social balance.
They are totally unfit fanatics left with just the physical aspect of fitness which pushes them to stir up hatred, ready to inflict bodily harm on perceived enemies (opponents).
The purpose of sport and exercise is to bring happiness to participants; winners and losers alike as a well as the fans. As fans we are fascinated by the team work of players, the feats of skills they display and the excitement brought about by the uncertainty of the outcome of the competition .
It is all about the benefits of exercise, sport and recreation; bringing health and fitness to participants and bringing entertainment and refreshment to fans. It is not about abusing sports and exercise to bring unhappiness to others, not about bloody fatal fights among rivals, and not about participants maiming opponents. Such fanatics are not fit to watch or participate in sports and exercise. Some exercise spas will even ban individuals who lack the total fitness balance and misuse the advantage of exercising and physical strength.
Food Factor — Green tea
Green tea is a substance that is good for weight loss. Green tea is an ingredient that is included in most if not all weight reduction supplements. I personally use it and I have no doubts about its usefulness. I had a word with herbal expert Mac Mucdam of Health and All, who initially introduced me to green tea when I was dieting for a body-building tournament. I had gained a lot of weight in the off season and failed to comprehend the fact that I was getting older. It worked wonders for me, but I was also exercising and dieting.
Mucdam says green tea’s benefits are not exaggerated and it is definitely not overrated, and it is a truly wonderful substance. One of the reasons is that the leaves are picked in a green state and it is air dried or sun dried, therefore it retains all its nutrients levels particularly chlorophyll and antioxidants, which are affected by the heating process.
In his own personal opinion Mucdam thinks on its own green tea is not very strong depending on the individual involved.
For example if one is overweight due to genetics there is need to take green tea along with a substance like kelp, that will address the thyroid function, thus increasing metabolism.
He also said if someone is overweight and diabetic then taking green tea along with chromium will greatly assist. If one is overweight due to lifestyle then it would be ideal to take green tea along with an appetite suppressant like coffee. If the idea is just to maintain the ideal bodyweight then one can just take it on its own.
Mucadam says green tea is mainly effective for weight loss due to its elimination properties, the fact that it detoxifies the liver and flushes out the renal system, improving their functions in the process. Mucadam hinted that there are differences in quality. The cheaper quality comes from the old leaves that have lost some nutrients and the expensive type comes from new buds that have high quality nutrients. So the pricey stuff is expensive for a good reason, it is not a rip off. But remember you also have to exercise and eat well and not rely on green tea alone.
Innocent Choga is a six time National Bodybuilding Champion with international experience. He is studying for a science degree in Physical Education and Sport.
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