I am Too Old for This!

Its so important to PACE your exercise. After the long hiatus, looking back i think i was over ambitious to actually think that i could do a cycling morning with the group and not pay the repercussions!

It was a beautiful morning surrounded with lush greenery. The morning air was crisp and it was the weather was with us..After the first 10 minutes, I started panting and screaming from the back that my b*@tt was hurting! (Gosh! No wonder bicycle seat cushions is a huge industry ( I am sure it is!). Nobody told me that we would be rolling up and down the hills ( more Ups mind You) to get to the dam and to the picnic area! We incorporated the cycling with an outdoor birthday celebration.Despite the pain, I did not surrender..as my energetic nephews whizzed passed me several times to hurry up. I was grateful when one of them had to push the bike up the hill as it was too steep for him..( naturally i took the opportunity to "Stay Back" with him and walk up together, Could not possibly leave him alone!) I brought my nephews along so that they could enjoy themselves, roam free and yet be able to exercise at the same time.

At the end of the evening, i reflect back and saw a 15 year old girl cycling -who now feels close to 50 with her knee caps about to fall off!But it was a GREAT day of fun and exercise! I bonded with my friends and family and finally found something my nephews enjoyed doing which would help them have a more healthier lifestyle. They wanted to do more and more of it!

So, my little healthy lessons today are:(1) PACE your exercise routine- it does not matter if you are left behind, be kind with your body, (2) drink ( and carry) water with you (3) do something you really enjoy and (4) incorporate family and friend celebrations with a healthy activity.

Exercise Style

I thought it would be quite fun to get into ones fashion sense when exercising. Like the many things we do and wear, i believe it reflects who we are as a person and what we feel.

See Hannah for one, the Lady in Pink from head to toe. She is definitely most co-ordinated, looks good and wants to be in the pink of health!! ( corny i know..ha ha) and then we have Naga, who i believe is a little adorable boy/puppy dog deep down inside with his cartoon t shirt!

Take a look for yourself, how you look or your exercise partner and come up with your own conclusions! Its fun!

Move It!

Its almost 3 weeks into the New Year and boy has it been hard,...!

December was a lost cause with birthdays, holidays, Christmas, Boxing Day, merriment and eating ( and more eating)..So as usual, we hold tight to our ever increasing tummy/ thigh/hips or whatever and on 31st December we say to ourselves, next year things will CHANGE. Has it??

Personally, i find it so difficult to start exercising and living that healthy lifestyle again. But it has to be done! So get off the couch,..you lazy potato and start moving. Feeling tired, feeling lethargic, no energy..so sleepy all the time., that's because you have stopped the exercise,.!So no matter what or where you are today, START MOVING! Even if it is a walk round the office block or up and down your staircase..just Move, Move, Move and get the momentum going!

Record Taking No.3

I have come to realise that Record Taking Days are never quite fun. A few days before I will be even more vigilant on my food intake, exercise harder (like the extra 20 minutes for 3 days will make a huge difference) and take lots of water. I am guessing its the same for all of us in Get Healthy! Nothing is more depressing than seeing that the weight has crept in on Gina's weighing machine! However, one big consolation is that for some one us, we have lost more inches on our body even though the weight has not changed! (phew)

The "biggest loser" this week is Annie!! Yayy Annie! She lost 2 kgs and about 2inches around her body! Well done! The room was cheering for her achievement this week!We are so proud of you!

Anyways, whilst there are the focused achievers, we also have the what i call "the sabatouers"! We are not talking about self- sabotage here but GROUP sabotage! Thanks Arjan for SPREADING the GUILT and CALORIES around by bringing the 12 in- a -box donut to "CELEBRATE" the hard work we have been doing! This behaviour is of course, NOT ENCOURAGED under the Get Healthy! Campaign but whats a donut or two between friends!( I say while biting into my vanilla almond coated donut!) (And yes, the group picture shows Annie holding a donut!ha ha!) I guess once in a while, a little bit of fun and sin makes a difference to the soul!

We also had a group feed back session and it was thought that a buddy system might work during the weekdays. The group activity will be kept to the weekends. Will keep you posted!

Health Triangle

We had an interesting Rotary meeting a few weeks ago when Jambu spoke about Family and Health under Rotary information.

Jambu enlightened us about the Health Triangle. Under the World Health Organisation, health is " a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity." The Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion said that health is a resource for everyday life. It is a positive concept emphasising social and personal resources as well as physical capacities. Overall health is achieved through a combination of physical, emotional and social well-being which together is commonly referred to as the Health Triangle.

He also gave a picture of a triangle where Mental Health, Growth and Development Nutrition and Exercise and Fitness fell within the Physical and Mental ambit. Community and Environmental Health, Safety and First Aid, Consumer and Personal Health and Diseases and Disorders were under the Social and Physical side.

Goes to show what i have been saying all along , that a healthy body can create a healthy mind which can contribute to the community. Go Get Healthy!

Allan the Action Man!

"I have not execised for the last 2 years. I used to have a "V" Shaped body, then it went to "H". From there I got to an "A" Shape which made its way to "O". Very soon, if I don't watch it it will get to "K"! The Chinese say that "K" Means distorted figure!" Interesting and new definitions of the Body Shape Allan!

"I blame my career as a caterer as that has helped me to get overweight! I have been a caterer for the last 13 years, the first 10 years I gained 3 kgs and the next 3 another 10 kgs!" Allan continues moaning. As a young men, Allan had a very active lifestyle and considered himself as "Action Man"! He prided himself in doing things promptly and swiflly which put his catering staff to shame. But now he feels heavy and much slower than before, which frustrates him. After becoming the owner of his business, his life became more sedentary and the entertainment with clients ( yes, drinking) started taking its toll on Allan's body.

" A long time ago, girls used to ask me for my number! Since 10 years ago, if i asked girls for their phone number they would say "Uncle..you are a married uncle...please act like one". I was not even married then!" Allan continues whilst shaking his head. Sometime last year, Allan was hospitalised for 2 weeks for a fever of unknown origin. He would break into a sweat in the mornings and had high fever at night. The doctors could not diagnose exactly what was wrong with him.They checked everything and nothing seemed to be wrong. Allan was sick and tired of feeling that way.

Allan says that when he joined Get Healthy! ,he learnt that he had about 43% fat as measured from the body fat index. He had always thought that he was fat but did not realise he was actually obese! That shook him a bit. "When I lose my 15kg, I actuall fall into the fat category!", he sighs and laughs at the same time. He feels very lucky for joining the Get Healthy! Campaign as it has made him more aware of his body and as a result of participating in the group activities, feels that he has more stamina and energetic! Way to Go Allan!

Silat Morning Burn!

It was an awesome morning leaving us wanting more! I never thought silat could be such fun and really worked out all the muscles we never knew existed!The best thing is anyone can do it at any age!

JD, JC and Suri was rocking it with their silat moves, which made us want to master the steps. JD taught us the opening move of a silat movement which takes a bit to remember. Maybe in our next class we will get all the moves!! I loved all of the warm up exercises..burn baby burn!