Essays

When we talk of exercise, staying fit, the image of a slim person immediately comes to mind. We all view staying fit as staying thin, but this is not necessarily true. Many young women and now, with the advent of the Modern Age, even men are obsessed with staying thin. good looking as they term it. A person can be fit even though he or she may seem obese to the rest of the world. Exercise is the key to keeping oneself fit- Exercise is not necessarily standing at one place and moving your arms and legs as one used to do in school. One can incorporate exercise into or along with any activity one enjoys. Dancing is an exercise, provided that the pace is fast, climbing upstairs is another way to reduce weight or to come back to the earlier level of fitness, but overdoing it can cause your knees to pain, as I found out the hard way last year. One can do brisk walks as well, as an exercise in order to stay fit.

But then, first advise for those who are tar away from the fitness regime. Exercise must be combined with a proper diet. Regular exercise, is not a license to unhealthy eating habits. At times one does indulge in a binge but it should be once in a while only. One's diet should be well balanced with proteins, carbohydrates as well as minerals. Yoga has become a fad to stay lit these days. It has a rich and famous clientele outside India, and now, thanks to various TV channels (cable TV is really a boon), it is becoming quite popular in the country of its origin. Better late than never. Pranayam is quite popular in my neighborhood with the ladies swearing by its benefits. Many others wake up early each morning and go for walks to a park nearby where they walk barefeet on the grass, still wet with dew from the previous night. However, this stops during winters and children's examination season. Most men, I can't fail to notice, display a prominent pot belly by middle age, a sign of prosperity, they call it. Lack of exercise is what it really should be attributed to. The ladies should really convince them to come along for morning walks. Of course having hot-hot jalebis or chat pakodas while returning from morning walks is not permitted. Exercise is for fitness, not for creating appetite for unhealthy f god.

We eat to live, we do not live to eat. Fast food is the single biggest cause for making people unhealthy or unfit. The whole problem is that fast food seems tastier than the normal, proper healthy food. Promises, resolutions are hard to keep when temptation is at hand and saliva is literally dripping out your mouth. The battle however continues. I have a very simple policy of keeping fit. Enjoy your favourite dishes, but within limits, if however you do overindulge, as we or rather I usually do, control your diet immediately- For small errands such as provisions for the house, a visit to the market etc, try to walk out as far as possible. It is always good (a boon in one way) if a few things on the provisions' list are out of stock for the moment, so that an another trip becomes necessary.

Keeping fit and healthy begins from the mind; if you believe that keeping fit is necessary for better living only then can you succeed in the battle of good health despite the various traps to a healthy living that are laid down in any walk of life. Those obsessed with healthy skin, keeping fit keeps your skin smooth, firm and also clear and glowing. Our skin has its own way of showing off when it is in good, healthy condition and its benefits are for the whole world to see. To frighten others into staying fit I must add that heart problems, blood pressure, breathlessness, fatigue can be caused by having an unhealthy body, I do sincerely hope that by now all who read this are convinced or coerced into exercising in order to stay fit, to live a healthier and a longer life. Don't overdo it. Make an exercise programme which you are able to maintain over a long period of time.