Towards a fitter image

I'm not a fitness guru nor a dietician but keeping fit really is essential as far as prolonging life is concerned and also speaks to the image you portray. If you keep fit you feel well - if you feel well, you look good I think! Too boot, clothes look, hang, and drape better on a fitter body as today much of what we wear is about fit and cut.

There also seems to be a misplaced notion that wealth and girth are intrinsically linked in a positive manner. You don’t need to have the body fat of an elite marathon runner but neither is taking up two seats on a plane considered kosher anymore - it's true you'll pay double on some airlines! It's ok to have a little extra weight around you so long as it is not shortening your life expectancy nor hindering your ability to carry out your day to day activities.

In the good old days before colonization we spent a large part of our time roaming the plains and eating sparsely. Modern life has brought these activities to a grinding halt and there seems to be a marked lack of exercise accompanied by an alarming increase in Kenchic Inns. Trying to stay fit is vital at this point in human evolution, in fact anything to get the heart pumping. The exercise options available are so many from kick boxing, aerobics, yoga, weight lifting even walking instead of using the car, or taking the stairs rather than the lift. If the thought of jogging for miles appalls you and you cannot get (or afford) a gym, there are exercises you can do at home. Even ten minutes every other day is better than nothing.

It’s all very well to exercise every day but it has to be coupled with discipline when it comes to diet. You are what you eat! To look good, feel good and create a positive image we need to eat foods that are going to help replenish cells quickly, give us energy as well as give us pleasure too (it doesn’t have to be a diet of cherry tomatoes and black tea). If our diet is not well balanced, we'll experience low energy levels that can affect confidence in both professional and personal life. If we are tired, irritable and lethargic through a poor diet, there is no way we are going to perform at our best at work.

As we get older our weight redistributes itself around the body, sadly often ending up as a spare tire around our middle. The premise of this piece is that diet and exercise can help, but it is important not to fight too hard against nature. There is pressure to look a certain way but for many of us, it is not what nature intended, so look at your body and ask yourself how easy it is going to be to achieve the shape and weight you want to be. Most people do wish to be leaner but we should not get hung up on trying to lose too much weight. It is essential however that we keep fit, and not allow the body run to too much fat. Most people who are overweight eat too much of the wrong kind of foods. Over indulging in nyama choma, beer, masala chips, and ovenfuls of white bread are clearly hazardous for health and weight. Cutting out junk and fatty foods, drinking plenty of water (at least a litre a day), snacking on fruit instead of crisps, eating smaller portions, eating plenty of leafy green vegetables and making sure to chew the food properly all help. It really can be as simple as that. It is also a good idea to have two or three alcohol free days a week, you know who you are. Also calculating your body mass index(BMI) is a great way to see if you are at your ideal weight. Let me conclude by saying to create a positive image we must portray fitness and energy, whatever size we are.