Fitness

Exercise and physical activity: The cornerstones of a healthy life – Businessday NG

Published

2 years ago

July 12, 2024

Exercise and physical activity: The cornerstones of a healthy life – Businessday NG

Lisa, a 35-year-old graphic designer, had always been averse to exercise. Her job required long hours at a computer, and by the end of the day, she felt too exhausted to think about working out. Gradually, she noticed weight gain, frequent fatigue, and occasional back pain. Her wake-up call came during a routine health check-up when her doctor warned her about high cholesterol and the risk of developing diabetes. Determined to take control of her health, Lisa embarked on a journey to integrate exercise and physical activity into her life.

The Importance of Exercise and Physical Activity

Regular exercise and physical activity are crucial for maintaining overall health and well-being. They offer numerous benefits:

1. Weight Management: Exercise helps burn calories and build muscle, aiding in weight loss and preventing obesity. Maintaining a healthy weight reduces the risk of numerous diseases.

2. Cardiovascular Health: Physical activity strengthens the heart, improves circulation, and lowers blood pressure. It reduces the risk of heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular conditions.

3. Mental Health: Exercise releases endorphins, which enhance mood and reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. It also improves sleep quality and cognitive function.

4. Muscle and Bone Strength: Weight-bearing exercises and strength training build muscle and increase bone density, preventing osteoporosis and reducing the risk of fractures.

5. Longevity: Regular physical activity is associated with a longer lifespan and a higher quality of life in older age.

Read also: Physical health and coping with anxiety

Lisa realized that incorporating exercise into her routine could address her health issues and enhance her overall quality of life.

There are various types of exercises, each offering unique benefits. Incorporating a mix of these can help achieve overall fitness:

• Aerobic Exercise: Also known as cardio, aerobic exercises increase heart rate and improve cardiovascular endurance. Examples include walking, running, cycling, swimming, and dancing. These activities help burn calories and improve heart health.

• Strength Training: These exercises build muscle strength and endurance. Using weights, resistance bands, or body weight exercises like push-ups and squats can help. Strength training boosts metabolism, aids in weight loss, and improves muscle and bone health.

•Flexibility Exercises: Stretching and activities like yoga and Pilates enhance flexibility, improve range of motion, and reduce the risk of injury. They also help in muscle recovery and relaxation.

•Balance Exercises: Balance training, such as tai chi or specific balance-focused workouts, improves stability and coordination, reducing the risk of falls, especially in older adults.

Lisa started her journey with walking, gradually incorporating strength training and yoga into her routine. This variety kept her motivated and addressed different aspects of her fitness.

Several factors influence one’s ability to engage in regular exercise:

1. Time Constraints: Busy schedules can make it challenging to find time for exercise. However, short, consistent workouts can be effective. Even 30 minutes a day can significantly impact health.

2. Access to Facilities: Access to gyms, parks, or recreational areas can affect one’s ability to exercise. Home workouts and online resources can be valuable alternatives.

3. Motivation: Staying motivated can be difficult, especially when starting. Setting realistic goals, tracking progress, and finding enjoyable activities can help maintain motivation.

4. Physical Limitations: Health conditions or injuries can limit the ability to perform certain exercises. Consulting a healthcare professional or fitness trainer can help tailor a safe and effective workout plan.

5. Support System: Having a supportive environment, whether from family, friends, or fitness groups, can encourage regular exercise.

Lisa faced time constraints due to her job but realized that prioritising short, consistent workouts was manageable. She also found motivation through setting goals and tracking her progress.

A sustainable exercise routine involves setting realistic goals, finding enjoyable activities, and gradually increasing intensity. Here are steps to create an effective routine:

1. Set Clear Goals: Define what you want to achieve, whether it’s weight loss, improved fitness, or better mental health. Setting specific, measurable goals helps track progress.

2. Start Slow: Begin with activities that match your current fitness level. Gradually increase the duration and intensity to avoid injury and build endurance.

3. Incorporate Variety: Mix different types of exercises to keep things interesting and address various fitness components. This also prevents overuse injuries.

4. Schedule Workouts: Treat exercise like any other important appointment. Schedule it into your day and stick to it.

5. Stay Consistent: Consistency is key to seeing results. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week, as recommended by health guidelines.

6. Listen to Your Body: Pay attention to how your body responds. Rest and recover when needed to prevent burnout and injury.

Lisa created a balanced routine that included walking, strength training, and yoga. She scheduled her workouts in the morning to start her day on a positive note and found joy in tracking her progress.

Inactivity can have serious consequences for health such as:

Increased Risk of Chronic Diseases: Sedentary behaviour is linked to a higher risk of heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers.

Weight Gain: Lack of physical activity can lead to weight gain and obesity, further increasing the risk of health issues.

Mental Health Decline: Inactivity is associated with higher levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. Exercise helps release endorphins, improving mood and mental health.

Reduced Mobility and Flexibility: Inactivity can lead to muscle stiffness, joint pain, and decreased flexibility, impacting daily activities and increasing the risk of falls.

Lisa’s sedentary lifestyle had contributed to her health problems. By becoming more active, she not only addressed her immediate health concerns but also laid the foundation for long-term well-being.

Lisa’s transformation highlights the profound impact of exercise and physical activity on overall health. Regular exercise is essential for physical, mental, and emotional well-being. By setting realistic goals, incorporating variety, and staying consistent, anyone can make exercise a sustainable part of their life.

Exercise is not just about preventing disease; it’s about enhancing the quality of life and ensuring longevity. Prioritise physical activity today to reap the benefits of a healthier, more vibrant future.

Fitness

Put the fun back in your fitness routine with this 10-minute follow-along workout from The Curvy Girl Trainer Lacee Green

Published

5 hours ago

April 22, 2026

Press Room

Put the fun back in your fitness routine with this 10-minute follow-along workout from The Curvy Girl Trainer Lacee Green

Ever feel like beginner-friendly workouts are anything but?

That’s how BODi Super Trainer Lacee Green felt, so she devised a three-week, entry-level program designed for genuine newcomers to exercise—or those just getting back into it.

“My beginner-only plan is for every body and everybody,” Green tells Fit&Well.

Green’s program combines low-impact cardio, strength, core and mobility workouts for a total of five sessions a week and 30 minutes a day.

One of the routines she loves—that she says will provide a flavor of the plan—is a total-body cardio workout inspired by seven different sports.

“There is no repetition, it’s all bodyweight and super fun,” she says. “We do basketball, we do pickleball, we do soccer, and it’s really going to get your heart rate up.”

It will all count toward the CDC’s recommended 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity per week, while incorporating resistance training elements to strengthen your bones and muscles, she explains.

And Green has provided the full 10-minute routine below for you to try.

10-minute cardio workout for beginners

Press play on the video above and Green will guide you through the workout, or keep reading to see what’s in store.

Green’s 10-minute beginner-only cardio workout is inspired by seven different sports that she says will help channel your inner athlete.

Each sport links to an exercise during the routine. Follow the short warm-up, then perform each move for 40 seconds and rest for 20 seconds, for one round per sport.

In the video, another trainer demonstrates variations of each exercise so you can make it slightly more challenging as desired. The workout concludes with a short cool-down.

Here’s a brief breakdown of each exercise.

1. Basketball catch and shoot

Step to your side, then reach up into full extension as if shooting a three-pointer. Repeat by shuffling from side to side.

2. Quick football feet

Lower into a quarter squat with your feet wide apart and alternate quick stepping onto either foot. On Green’s cues, switch the direction you face from center to left and right.

3. Skater side-step

Step side to side as if skating, hitting an imaginary hockey stick across your body.

4. Soccer kick-up

Keeping light on your feet, hop from side to side as if juggling a football with your feet.

5. Pickleball shuffle

Lower into a half squat with your hands together in front of you. Keeping low, step or jump forward, then shuffle back to the start position.

6. Boxing jab cross

Stand side on with slightly bent knees and your guard up. Alternate throwing jabs with your left and right, switching your stance after 20 seconds.

7. Baseball squat to high plank

With your feet wide apart, lower into a deep squat with your hands up like a catcher. Place your hands on the floor and step back into a high plank, then back to the low squat.

About our expert

Lacee Green

Lacee Green is a BODi Super Trainer, certified personal trainer (CPT) and coach with more than 10 years of experience. She hosts a number of BODi on-demand fitness programs that are designed to challenge and motivate you while also providing a supportive and inclusive environment.

Fitness

Higher fitness levels linked to lower risk of depression, dementia – Harvard Health

Published

17 hours ago

April 21, 2026

Press Room

Higher fitness levels linked to lower risk of depression, dementia – Harvard Health

research review

People with high cardiorespiratory fitness were 36% less likely to experience depression and 39% less likely to develop dementia than those with low cardiorespiratory fitness. Even small improvements in fitness were linked to a lower risk. Experts believe that exercise’s ability to boost blood flow to the brain, reduce bodywide inflammation, and improve stress regulation may explain the connection.

Fitness

These 20-Minute Burpee Workouts Replaced His Entire Gym Routine – and Transformed His Physique

Published

1 day ago

April 21, 2026

Press Room

These 20-Minute Burpee Workouts Replaced His Entire Gym Routine – and Transformed His Physique

While many swear by them, most people see burpees as a form of punishment – usually dished out drill sergeant-style by overzealous bootcamp PTs. Often the final blow in an already brutal workout, burpees are designed to test cardiovascular fitness, muscular endurance and mental grit. Love them or loathe them, they deliver every time.

For Max Edwards – aka Busy Dad Training on YouTube – they became a simple but highly effective way to stay fit and lean during lockdown. Once a committed powerlifter, spending upwards of 80 minutes a day in the gym, he was forced to overhaul his approach due to fatherhood, lockdown and a schedule that no longer allowed for long, structured lifting sessions.

‘Even though I was putting in hours and hours into the gym and even though my physique was pretty good, I wasn’t becoming truly excellent at any physical discipline,’ he explained in a YouTube video.

‘I loved the intentionality of training,’ says Edwards. ‘The fact that every session has a point, every rep in every set is helping you get towards a training goal, and I loved that there was a clear way of gauging progression – feeling like I was developing competence and moving towards mastery.’

Why He Walked Away From Powerlifting

Despite that structure, Edwards began to question whether powerlifting was sustainable long-term.

‘My sessions were very taxing on my central nervous system. I was exhausted between sessions. It felt as if I needed at least nine hours of sleep each night just to function.’

He also noted that his appetite was consistently high.

But the biggest drawback was time.

‘I could not justify taking 80 minutes a day away from my family for what felt like a self-centred pursuit,’ he says.

A Simpler Approach That Stuck

‘Over the course of that year I fixed my relationship with alcohol and I developed, for the first time in my adult life, a relationship with physical training,’ says Edwards.

With limited time and no access to equipment, he turned to burpees. Just two variations, four times a week, with each session lasting 20 minutes.

‘My approach in each workout was very simple. On a six-count training day I would do as many six-counts as I possibly could within 20 minutes. On a Navy Seal training day I would do as many Navy Seal burpees as I could within 20 minutes – then in the next workout I would simply try to beat the number I had managed previously.’

This style of training is known as AMRAP – as many reps (or rounds) as possible.

The Results

Edwards initially saw the routine as nothing more than a six-month stopgap to stay in shape. But that quickly changed.

‘I remember catching sight of myself in the mirror one morning and I was utterly baffled by the man I saw looking back at me.’

He found himself in the best shape of his life. His energy levels improved, his resting heart rate dropped and his physique changed in ways that powerlifting hadn’t quite delivered.

‘It has been five years since I have set foot in a gym,’ he says. ‘That six-month training practice has become the defining training practice of my life – and for five years I have trained for no more than 80 minutes per week.’

The Burpee Workouts

1/ 6-Count Burpees

20-minute AMRAP, twice a week

How to do them:

Start standing, feet shoulder-width apart
Crouch down and place your hands on the floor (count 1)
Jump your feet back into a high plank (count 2)
Lower into the bottom of a push-up (count 3)
Push back up to plank (count 4)
Jump your feet forward to your hands (count 5)
Stand up straight (count 6)

20-minute AMRAP, twice a week

How to do them:

Start standing, feet shoulder-width apart
Crouch down and place your hands on the floor
Jump your feet back into a high plank
Perform a push-up (chest to floor)
At the top, bring your right knee to your right elbow, then return
Perform another push-up
Bring your left knee to your left elbow, then return
Perform a third push-up
Jump your feet forward
Stand or jump to finish

Kate is a fitness writer for Men’s Health UK where she contributes regular workouts, training tips and nutrition guides. She has a post graduate diploma in Sports Performance Nutrition and before joining Men’s Health she was a nutritionist, fitness writer and personal trainer with over 5k hours coaching on the gym floor. Kate has a keen interest in volunteering for animal shelters and when she isn’t lifting weights in her garden, she can be found walking her rescue dog.