Fitness Wisdom from Long Ago

Fitness is the new rage for these past few years. But many great minds of long ago have already told us... WE JUST WON'T LISTEN,.. ARE WE LISTENING NOW?

Age old wisdom (borrowed from Nathan S Collier's latest blog post)

“Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and methodical physical exercise save it and preserve it.” — Plato (428 BC–348 BC), Greek philosopher, mathematician, writer and founder of the Academy in Athens. Along with his mentor, Socrates, and his student, Aristotle, Plato helped to lay the foundations of natural philosophy, science, and Western philosophy.

“Those who think they have not time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness.” — Edward Stanley (I tried to find a bio for good old Ed but turns out there are a lot of Edward Stanleys, most of them Earls of Derby of one lineage or another, the 13th, 14th, 17th, etc., so I suspect the author is one of them.)

“Exercise and application produce order in our affairs, health of body, cheerfulness of mind, and these make us precious to our friends.” — Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826), third President of the United States (1801–1809), principal author of the Declaration of Independence (1776), one of the more influential Founding Fathers for his promotion of the ideals of republicanism in the United States. Major events during his presidency include the Louisiana Purchase (1803) and the Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804–1806).

Do read this too in the same post:
Creating a Calm Brain
http://www.nscblog.com/?p=1202

HAPPINESS comes when you :

Everyday I read how stressed people are, how unmotivated they are to exercise and generally how unfulfilled their life is. Everyone wants to be HAPPY. How to be happy - more money? better phone? saucy girlfriend? ..

I have concluded that happiness cannot be seeked, cannot be found, based on my experiences & observations from childhood right to up middle-age,

It will come naturally. Hey, happiness is already all around us! Only problem is that we don't see it. We lost the means , we don't know how to get it. Somewhere along the way, we got into our head that having material things can make us happy.

How many times has someone complimented you on.., let's say, your handbag and instead of being happy that someone appreciates your style & takes the trouble to let you know that they notice, that they appreciate - you go on and say - oh but it's not branded and you go on to say how you lust for that Coach/LV/Prada bag..

So, what happens after that? You begin to feel depress, wishing you had a better paying job, a limitless credit card to spend.. how terrible the world has turned out for you! Where's the happiness? Can you see it?

HAPPINESS comes when you :

• Notice, become aware -- engage your senses - feel, smell, see, touch


• Appreciate what is in front of you -- do not take it for granted. Competition has taught you to never be satisfied, to push on, to want more. But take time to appreciate your achievement, be happy of what you have achieved so far.. before you go off raising the bar.


• Accept that there are limitations in all things & do not dwell on it. Find the positive side in any downside. If your body shape is apple/ruler type, you may slim down & work out profusely but you won't get that hourglass (Beyonce) shape. Instead, be glad that you are toned, healthy & not overweight with all its health issues. Use clothes to achieve the achieve the illusion of a wisp waist & curvy hip. Right styles, size, colour & fit can really enhance your body.


• Control your desires - 'self-binding. Make a conscious effort to limit your vices. We have more than enough literature on all forms of deadly vices - from over-eating & exercise to casual sex & diseases. We know what's bad for us, yet we don't (wanna) do it, don't (wanna) change it. It's often linked to the impression of a boring existence. We want a thrill, so we throw caution to the wind & hope for the best. One day our luck will run out. Some sooner than others. If we make small changes & slowly move to a better lifestyle, we will feel happier. Exercise does wonders for improving one's mood - better circulation, less sluggishness, removes toxin through sweat, moves the bowels & expels trapped air/bloating.


• Work is a crucial part of your life. It denotes you - in modern life, you are known & judged by your job title. It gives you a sense of purpose - a chance to show your talents. Challenges, although a bummer & stress generator, if overcomed gives you character, makes you strong & give you a sense of fulfilment, validity. This is why I suspect many wives & mothers now do not want to give up their jobs to be full-time at home. They site money as the reason to continue working.. but give them a lottery, they'd still work and leave the 'dirty' job of raising the kids to maids & baby-sitters. Calling up the babysitter frequently to check on the kids is not the same as full-time motherhood.'


• Have hope -- cornerstone of happiness. People contemplate taking their own life when they run out of Hope for the future, no Hope of getting out of this predicament. They go into depression -- and lose further Hope. Do the above with diligence & Hope will be restored.

Find out how to in more details :

Art of living consciously
http://www.klyoga.com/2009/11/09/art-of-living-consciously/

Pratyahara
http://www.klyoga.com/2007/02/24/pratyahara-the-5th-branch-of-yoga/

Self-binding
http://www.nscblog.com/?p=1171

10 Most expensive vs 10 Most happy
http://www.nscblog.com/?p=1174

Internal peace vs External peace

http://www.nscblog.com/?p=1179

ARE YOU REALLY HEALTHY??

HEALTH is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. (World Health Organization, 1948)

He who takes medicine and neglects to diet wastes the skill of his doctors. (Chinese Proverb)

http://www.klyoga.com/

At-Home (No Equipment) Workout - ACE Workouts - American Council on Exercise

This is a very do-able safe, routine recommended by health experts from ACE. Has step by step video of the moves - warm-up ->workout-> cooldown. Many done lying down..ha ha..

Read the notes first before doing to get maximum benefit. DO IT REGULARLY TO SEE RESULTS. CONSISTENCY is the buzzword!

At-Home (No Equipment) Workout - ACE Workouts - American Council on Exercise

Make THAT change NOW, or else...

Your Health, your Quality of Life depends on you making an informed change!!

What you do to your body NOW (when you are young) will AFFECT your Quality of Life in later years. Some young thing foolishly said to me "I don't need to take care of what I eat, I'm still young". I believe this is what many (young & not so young) ones tend to believe. Remember, much of the suffering at an older age is ACCUMULATED baggage from early years, although some are hereditary & genetic. But even then a bad eating/lifestyle habit will increase the chances of triggering these inherent bad genes.

We all know that NOT all people in the high risk group get cancer. Why? It's due to each person's own lifestyle -

• how/what we eat
• how we handle problems/depression/stress
• do you drink, smoke or exercise it away or laugh & keep a positive attitude?
• how much real rest/peaceful sleep do we get daily?
• whether we can forgive & forget, not get bitter & revengeful
  

I must admit that another reason for slacking in my blogging is that I'm battling the same problem I had 3 years ago - being overweight & unfit. Getting from 63kg (small frame) to 50kg was a challenge which I embraced willingly & excitedly because getting fit became a passion & that I had mountains of support (my personal trainer & other trainers at the gym & mom were my mountains). They stood strong & encouraged me on. Learning & looking for fitness info kept me focused on my goal.

This time it's different. I have the knowledge, the experience and yet somehow it's MUCH MORE difficult to lose half of the kgs that I've put back in these past few months.

Of course, firstly I can blame it all on my advancing AGE - past middle age, metabolism slows down. Next, is the ATTITUTE. It seems I'm getting complacent. Have lost part of the passion! Then, its also the AIM. Previously, the goal was just to get fit. No pressure. I was having fun doing it. Now, its panic setting in as my weight started creeping back & 'spare tyres' are becoming prominent.

A vicious cycle begins. I tried to focus on getting fit (which I believe I am, albeit very slowly, when I began my PT training again & more mindful eating) but my focus kept reverting back to the weight (fat) loss problem. How not to be distracted. All my clothes began to 'strangle' me & curves became bulges. Mom has started to vet my clothes, telling me not wear this & that because it emphasized my unsightly fullness. Feeling vexed & not so hopeful, I reach for the nearest thing to comfort me -- my fave foods! And guess what, after the initial 'high' & relief, I feel queasy & regretful for having stuffed myself. Then you try to work it off and frustration sets in and you feel like comfort food again.

Now, since the first weight loss, I have noticed my stomach having a smaller capacity, ie. I feel full (on normal days) even when I eat just a little. But when in depression mode, I can eat so much, yet I feel 'empty'!!

The only way out of this is to break the vicious cycle by 'FORCING' myself to go to the gym. It's because I get motivated (most of the time) when I am there. Partly due to the happy memories (even when now I've joined another gym) & also due to the physical benefits of exercise which affects the emotion. Something to do with cardio generating more endorphins(natural form of happy drug). http://zikkir.com/health/1249?wscr=1280x800

But just being there does'nt help much if you are not doing the right amount of workout & at the correct intensity & stimulating the correct muscles. Friends still doubt the benefit of a paying heftily for a Personal Trainer but I trust him (having talked to many before choosing my current trainer). I'm using technology (power plate) in addition to regular weight/strength training.

Coupled with mindful eating, ie. choosing lesser of two evils (eg. tosai over roti canai, plain water instead of iced tea) & portion control I hope it will do the trick. Let's face it. Like many, I'm addicted to eating out & to eating supper (late nite meal), so the only way is to eat less by sharing or bagging (ta pau/takeaway) half of what you order. I don't encourage leaving un-eaten food on the plate, just because you've had enough. It's a sheer waste as we should be conserving our limited natural resources. Unfortunately, food serving proportions in Kuala Lumpur are huge. Simple economics. When they give you a big bowl, they can charge you more & sell more & make more profit in a shorter time!

Change comes when there's HOPE and DIRECTION. We all need to find what gives us hope and I hope my blogs (and posts) can give you direction.

FOOD FOR HEALTH

Sickness, sickness.. everyday we read in the papers about life threatening diseases - diabetes, hyper tension, cancer, ... It scares us! It worries us! It makes us panic! We look for miracle cures, latest supplements, new breakthroughs in medical science. We read about new studies... We feel hopeful! Then we read of a contradictory finding.. then we are confuse...

In school we are taught science - biology, chemistry, physics. And we have physical education class... YET most of us DON'T KNOW how our body works. We rely on 'simpleton' logic. If we feel we are fat, we just don't eat. That does not add up! Your body needs nourishment to work, just like a car needs petrol. And we give our beloved car premium petrol... but what do we give ourselves? JUNK food. Food laden with oil, additives, colouring, artificial flavouring & empty calories.

I have been slacking on my blogging because I started this blog to offer health advice to people like my former self who threw health caution to the wind partly because I didnt know any better. I had no knowledge on how to be fit. But after laying it all out, I found that most info & tips are starting to get repetitive. Readers may also realise - It's all the same!

Now it's down to us,..ourselves to make the CHANGE!! To take the knowledge gathered & put it to PRACTICE. Even this advice is so often stressed, I'm feeling redundant!

Having said that, it is refreshing to come across this:

FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Mark Bittman offers eight new rules for healthy eating.

1. Eat what you like, but think about proportion
2. Think plants first
3. Start shopping and start cooking
4. Buy and make extra
5. Don't set goals you can't reach
6. Ultimately, animal products are treats
7. Don't worry (too much) about "nutrients"
8. Don't confuse energy bars with real food

Now, DONT make the mistake of 'skimming' the above list an ASSUMING you know what he means! Do visit the link below and READ & DIGEST what is being said. YES! its long but it's packed with EASY TO UNDERSTAND & FOLLOW tips. All very do-able. Well, even it does not seem so, make it so!

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-242-303--13283-1-1-2,00.html

HAPPY MERDEKA DAY ! Free ourselves from ...

"To whom much is given, much is required.

Every now and then my attitude of gratitude strongly kicks in and I begin to think of the incredible blessings that are showered upon even the poorest of (citizens of xxxxx country). Yes, we have a long way to go, many challenges to face, but we are so very fortunate. So much of the world still lives in poverty and for so very long in human history, justice, liberty, and peace were the aberration, not the norm.

Most (citizens of xxxxxx country) are but a 911 call away from a standard of care and response that the majority of the world has never known and will never see. Our standard of living has jumped incredibly in the last 100 years as has our life expectancy. Now the greatest threats to our health are self inflicted: overeating, lack of exercise, smoking, alcohol or drug abuse, related with suicide rated as a top ten killer in many age categories. We have met the enemy and he is us.

Not only has our life expectancy greatly increased, the quality of that life has increased as well: xxx years ago many people lived with debilitating chronic illnesses or pains that now are treatable or curable.

To whom much is given, much is expected.

We have been given so much, we are so fortunate. But are we worthy?
I think much is required of us, as individuals and as a society. And I wonder how well we are fulfilling that responsibility..... "

When I read this post on Nathan S. Collier's blog http://www.nscblog.com/?p=1057 about Americans & the lack of gratitude & appreciation for what they already have & wanting more, I think this is universal for people of countries that have already achieved a certain level of progress. Some consider it the price to pay for progress - how sad!

My reminder to myself & my fellow Malaysians, when enjoying this long Independence Day weekend, is to Merdeka (be independent of, set free) the 'shackles' that still bind us :

• We all want to be fit & healthy, but still hide behind excuses & carry on with ways of living that are detrimental to our health & well-being - not enough rest/sleep, no proper exercise regime, indiscriminate eating, ...
  
  
• We complain of inferior local products & services & glorify imported good, but we are part of that 'production' chain, not only factory floor but up to accounts, advertising, admin, sales, etc. Are we giving our best at our jobs? Are we serving our customers (internal & external) the quality justifiable to the product? If we see any thing that should be corrected (even if it incurs the wrath of immediate superiors) are we brave enough to stand up for what is right & proper or just complain at the mamak stall & go about business as usual the next day ? Imagine where we will be if our fore fathers had not stood up to communists, colonial masters ...
  
  
• We are appalled at the extend of social ills among the young, but when they were younger & pliable did we take the time to each them respect for others? When the bus comes, do you tell your child to shove & push to quickly get a seat? When the young child accidentally knocks down a display in the department store, do you tell him to help put back the display or pretend nothing happened & quickly leave the scene? When your kid unintentionally bumps into an adult, do you reprimand him & ask him to say sorry to uncle /auntie or just call to the child to come to you & not wander there? When a child's ice-cream drips on the house floor, you immediately wipe it up yourself or teach the kid that he is responsible for what he does (even if it is by accident) and gives him the cloth to wipe the spot. The hand that rocks the cradle (both parents nowadays) rules the world!
  

We have come far, as a nation & as a person. Let us not be egoistic enough to be believe that our successful life is due to our own efforts only. We, in a society, owe our good life today to efforts of many from peasant farmers, estate workers, construction workers & engineers, teachers & educators, police & military,... right up to our politicians & Bapa Malaysia.

My dad joined the police force during the communist threat & risks his life every day going into the jungle, wading through muddy waters, protecting the villagers & seeking out communists. One day in camp, he over slept & his platoon went out on regular patrol leaving him behind. He awoke to the news that his whole platoon was wiped out by an ambush that morning!! Feelings of shock, horror, guilt, anguish for a young man not yet turned 20 was what my dad experienced and had to overcome...

Dad, I am grateful to you and all who have helped us reach our 52th year or independence.

MERDEKA! MERDEKA! MERDEKA!

Hey, you what size,ahh - XS, S, M, L, Xl, XXl, XXXL?

Does size matter? In the early days of Malaya (1930s), my mom was refused entry to 1st year primary school due to her size (too petite) --come back next year when you're taller, the nuns told her!

There's currently an initiative to measure Malaysians (adult & children) for standardising the size & fit, mainly for the RTW (ready-to-wear) clothing industry. This research is the first of its kind in Malaysia to utilise anthropometric data to structure a new sizing system

The project called MySize, will be launched on Oct 26, 2009 and in November it will tour the country for 4 months, hoping to measure up to 15,000 participants! MySize researchers will work with volunteers to get their whole body measurements. They will be scanned using a body scanner that uses the latest photogrammetry technology (based on safe white light, with no laser or radiation) and the data will be stored.


It is modelled after projects like Size US, Size UK and Size Thailand, the last of which was completed recently and using the same type of body scanner.

Pilot project started in July 26 in University Malaya

To volunteer (individual or company) : http://www.mysize.com.my/link_more1.php

Agreement of participation : http://www.mysize.com.my/Malaysian%20Sizing%20Survey%20agreement_WEBSITE.pdf

http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2009/8/2/lifefocus/4432705&sec=lifefocus
http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2009/8/2/lifefocus/4432892&sec=lifefocus
http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2009/8/2/lifefocus/4432694&sec=lifefocus

• Although this project is primarily for the clothing industry, I suspect it will have impact in other areas, especially highlighting Obesity in young Malaysians (children) and hopefully with concrete, statistical data, Malaysians (esp. parents) will not remain in denial and be more careful in what they allow their children to eat!

• I also hope Malaysians (esp. young teens) will know what is the average size for a Malaysian of their age & not over obsess about their weight & size. It is a real stigma to be labelled XL! I recently spoke to some teens and gave an average weight of 50kg & many cringed, saying that its too heavy!! I was shocked because although 50kg for a female a little below 5ft is only slightly overweight (based on BMI), the average teen is at least 5'4"- So 50kg, I would expect is average (even ideal) weight. So what do these young, impressionable girls consider an 'ideal' weight - 40kg?? -- that would be skin & bones, in my book!

SHAPE & MEN'S HEALTH Nite run

Runners trickling in.. most came by car or car-pooled with friends. A few, like me took the ERL & bus!





After sunset.. the inevitable, more waiting around. Notice the first group of runners all ready at the Starting Gate.

Finally, I'm ready to blog about - The day of the run - 25th July 2009 :

The run (interspersed with some walking) was so-so.. I made it without too much 'pain'... 0:43:40 (nothing to shout about by a runner's standard - nevertheless I am ok I made it at this time, but being a bit kiasu, I would have liked it to be less than 40min).

But what surprised me was the feeling (or lack of feeling) I had after THE run. Mixed feeling? Relief? Satisfied? Numb? Anti-climax? Bored? Over....?

So much has been blogged, right from the 1st day I started the idea of challenging myself physically - to see if I could go all the way - even before I formally registered. To keep me on The Plan (my training plan) I started to post daily (initially), reducing in frequency so that things are not repeated and bore my readers to an early death!. http://crazeefitpt.blogspot.com/2009/05/shape-run-2009-my-training-log.html

Things were going according to plan until I caught a terrible cold (and later, an episode of food poisoning) which halted all training efforts. I was greatly disappointed and was losing faith & panicking (quietly inside). This, and other events happening at the same time in my life, added more to the stress quotient, which, in turn did not speed up my recovery (a vicious cycle). Never is it more true that the emotional well-being affects the physical and vice versa.

Therefore, there was little training done. To ease my mind, I consulted a sports medicine doctor a few days before with the question- "Should I or should I not run, given my current fitness level & osteoarthritis in both knees?" I did not get a definitive answer."Limit my running mileage" and "Every part of our body has an expiry date" was roughly the answers I got... One thing he was very clear about was that I would have to take Glucosamine for the rest of my life!

On the day of the run, I was feeling most out of sorts. Panic attack? A subdued one, I guess. My last strategy to handle stress is to 'chill out', to 'take it easy' and basically, 'numb my senses'. Guess, I did too good a job, that even after the run, I was 'numb'. Just concentrated on getting myself back home while getting angry with the 'ugly' Malaysians who littered the place & hoarded the free canned drinks! Oh, yeah.. and getting irritated after the DJ played Billie Jean for the 4th time that nite. Enough, already! Displaced anger? or Stress reliever?

Another, was to treat the impending run as a sight-seeing field trip, taking more interest in the journey there (to Putrajaya, which I have never been). So off I went, dressed like a runner, but armed with a camera (albeit, handphone camera), I played the tourist - trying to read maps & bus schedules!

Collection of numbers & free Reebok Tee (singlet) Orderly & professional - Kudos to the officials & organisers

Well, there WAS some excitement stirring in me when I went to take my number & Reebok T-shirt from the organisers next to Stadium Negara a few days before. Showed it off to anyone who cared to listen (or forced to listen.. ha ha ) - lukewarm response. Commented on FB - got only one stirring RA RA cheer! Another email friend listened patiently and gave quiet support. I guess the rest just held their breath or went about their own business.

Goodies bag - for all participants

The 5km run was called the Fun Run for a reason - there are no prizes to be won, so everyone was not in a competitive mood! We had one who ran backwards so that he could talk to his 'slower' friends 'face-to-face', one brought his 6-year old daughter, another with his grey haired mom and a few with very wide derrieres. All these, I am glad to say I sprint passed in the last leg of the run.

For more photos and a complete account of my first 5 km run:
http://crazeefitpt.blogspot.com/2009/08/training-log-journey-to-shape-nite-run.html

The Biggest Loser Asia

The Biggest Loser is a reality program which got me thinking about improving my fitness 3 years ago. Seeing all those overweight people struggling but determined to make a difference in their life gave me the impetus to seek out a gym & get some REAL HELP with my own weight & health problems.

To be fit and in control of your body = being in control of your life!

Now, The Biggest Loser has come to Asia, offering a once in a lifetime opportunity for one lucky contestant to not only drastically improve their quality of life, and win USD $100,000.

If you have a BMI of over 25 then you are likely to be obese and should apply for the show. Filming begins in October 1st and lasts for 3 months. The show will be filmed in Malaysia at a secret purpose built location. Contestants living expenses during filming will be covered however no additional remuneration will be made available.

Do remember to preregister on the official site via this link: http://bit.ly/ongroundauditions

Applicants are required to bring photo identification, a current portrait photograph (size 10 x 15 cms) and wear exercise attire to auditions.

Audition
Date: Saturday 1st August.
Time: 10am – 4pm
Venue: Fitness First The Curve

Call-back for successful applicants
Date: Sunday 2nd August.
Time: 10am – 1pm
Venue: Fitness First The Curve

FAQ
http://biggestloserasia.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=52&Itemid=76