Week:

1/21 – 1/26

Exercise of the Week: 30 sit-ups

Food of the Week: Beef or Beetroot

Moto of the Week: It doesn’t matter how slow you go, what matters is that you never stop.

There is an unhealthy level to becoming fit and one condition is called Anorexia. Anorexia is the lack, or loss of appetite, causing the person to lose excessive amounts of weight, and body mass in general. This can cause serious defects, like cardiovascular imbalancement, neurological symptoms, and lower mortality rate. Some physical characteristics of Anorexic people include:

• Protruding bones
• Thinner face, protruding cheekbones
• Very defined ribs
• Small waist
• Clear protruding pelvis/hips
• What you call “skin & bones”

This is a real disease, and it shouldn’t be ignored. Few anorexic people defeat this disorder and many suffer from various diseases and complications. 

Weight loss is good in some shape or form, and only when you need it, but starving yourself is never the way to go. 

What goes through peoples’ heads?

Most of the time, Anorexia is hereditary. This is mostly because of very high metabolism passed down from generations. Commonly though, Anorexic people believe that they are out of shape, and need to lose some weight. Accordingly, they starve themselves, have little interest in food, and have a very defined drive for excessive exercise. And everybody knows what happens when you cut down on diet, and workout excessively. You lose weight! To gain weight, and by that, I mean lean muscle mass, you eat and exercise. But what happens when you don’t eat AT ALL, and exercise WAY too much? You lose weight: in bad ways.

When eating nothing and exercising excessively combines, it’s never a good result. First off, if you don’t eat enough, you don’t receive enough calories. If you don’t receive enough calories, you starve. What happens when you starve and exercise? Exercise burns extra stuff you don’t need, and the more calories you eat, the more fat you burn during exercise. If you do not receive enough calories, and if you workout too much, your body starts to do things that can affect you in a bad way. You start burning lean muscle mass. What’s the point of exercise then?

How to make sure you don’t go down the Anorexic path? Embrace yourself! The biggest reason behind Anorexia is the lack of comfort and acceptance people have with themselves. Understand you are who you are, and you are just where you need to be. There is a limit to everything. 

Losing weight isn’t the goal for everybody. Gaining weight can also be a struggle for many people as well. People that are underweight, thin, and not toned are very self conscious of their body, and also struggle with the same issues as others who are trying to lose weight and be toned. Some people are only slightly thin, while others reach the point where they are anorexic. Now, gaining weight and looking toned doesn’t mean to eat as much as possible. It’s about eating right, in the right proportions, and exercising. 

Eating well will help gain weight in moderation, but will not do anything to help tone your body, and in the future, will reflect negatively. It’s best to make a habit of eating well and exercising together. 

Starting slow is the way to go. Pick a way you want to exercise! There are many possible ways to exercise specific muscle groups, and the equal amount of exercises for the whole body at once. Already athletic people don’t have to worry about extra exercise. 

Some examples of Full-Body fitness include:

• Swimming ★ Football
• Tennis ★ Running
• Wrestling/MMA ★ Soccer
• Basketball ★ Gymnastics/Tumbling
• Volleyball ★ Dancing
• Rock Climbing ★Hockey/ Ice sports

If full body fitness seems too hard, that’s totally ok! Focusing on specific muscle sections is a good way to tone only specific parts of your body you believe needs work. It’s also a great starting point when making a habit of exercise. If you haven’t noticed, every week, I assign a reasonable exercise to do everyday! What are additional exercises you can do?

There are two types of exercises: Isotonic and Isometric

Isotonic means “same tone” or “same tension” in Greek. This means it keeps the muscles at the same tension for a period of time. According to The HealthLine and LiveStrong, some good Isotonic exercises include:

• Upper Body 
  • Push-ups
  • Pull-ups
  • Bench Press
  • Weight Lifting
• Core
  • Crunches
  • Sit-ups
  • Russian Twists
• Lower Body
  • Squats
  • Stair climbing
  • Lunges
  • Donkey Kicks
• Other
  • Burpees 
  • Block Jumps

Isometric exercises are different. These exercises are the ones that you hold for a period of time, and target your entire body. Some examples include:

• Plank and Side Plank
• Superman
• Wall Sits
• Chair Pose
• Squat Holds
• Yoga Poses*

*Yes, Yoga is a type of an Isometric exercise, because you hold a strengthening pose until you feel like your limbs will fall off. If you are looking for something strong and relaxing, Tai Chi is a great choice. 

Find What You Like-

Exercise shouldn’t be accompanied with groans! Pick what kind of fitness you love most. If you love water, take up swimming! If you love running around in a court, take up either Tennis, Football, Soccer, Basketball, Volleyball, or Baseball! If you love to get toned and be graceful and relaxed, try Yoga, Tai Chi, Or Dance. If you want to travel to be with nature, and want to see it from different angles, try out Rock Climbing! Isotonic and Isometric exercises are helpful exercises that build strength, and should never replace a sport. Pick something fun to do, that is just hard enough to help you with your goal. Also, try it with a buddy! Doing activities with friends is always a fun thing to do, and you don’t have to be in a team to do it! Embrace what CCHS gives to you with their curriculum, and try new things!

When making a goal, one of the most important things to do is to stick to it, but you also need a motivator. For a diet especially, an example, or a person you look up to, is important. 

Your motivator doesn’t have to be a celebrity, like a football player or model. It can be anybody, whether it is a family member, a friend, or even a deceased person worthy of note! A motivator is just somebody you can look up to, and think about every time you want to complete a goal, or when you feel like your goals are going nowhere. 

My motivator is somebody that helps me keep up with my goal of being the best I can be when it comes to appearance. There are other motivators as well, whether it is for education, or someone who plays your favorite sport, or a musician you strive to be. Whatever or whoever it is, praise him or her like a celebrity, and strive to become like him/her. 

Who’s your Motivator?