SOCIETIES have been told for generations that exercise is necessary for wellness. There are, however, details that have been misunderstood, missing, misdirected, and damaging.

Intekai Academy has been training and certifying personal trainers in fact-based knowledge for over two decades and can not only guarantee that exercise is not a weight loss solution but also that it is only 20 per cent of your weight management solution, as continued good nutrition is the factor for short- and long-term weight management. You cannot exercise away an even slightly flawed diet.

Outside of weight management, regardless of you exercising, you cannot ensure your wellness if your nutrition is weak. A poor diet can result in triggering hereditary diseases; autoimmune diseases; neck and back pain; being overweight; cancer, gut issues, dementia, and so much more.

That said, exercise will present an entire world of wellness to you. In fact, ignoring exercise in your daily life will eventually result in tragedy.

With true and proper nutrition and exercise, however, you will likely enjoy the fullest, most pleasure-filled and positive life for which one can hope.

Live your best life with Intekai’s 5 pillars of fitness

For best wellness outcomes, in addition to great nutrition, sleep, and a good frame of mind, you must maintain a consistent, manageable, sustainable routine of:

1. Walking;

2. Progressive resistance training;

3. Cardiovascular exercise;

4. Stretching; and

5. Agility, coordination, and balance activities.

Walking

A minimum of 15 minutes brisk walking, two times per week, is recommended. Apart from the calorie burn and mild cardiovascular benefits, walking offers you the practise needed to maintain a proper and safe stride.

Walking also creates a healthy circulation, maintains alertness and cognitive function (especially in nature), and produces strong and healthy hip joints.

Progressive resistance training

This should be done at a minimum, for each body part (chest, back, shoulders, arms, and legs), twice within a seven-day cycle — even a well-planned, 10-minute workout five to six times per week will have profound changes.

Weight resistance training is often pushed down the list of fun exercises for most people, but after walking, resistance training is the most important form of exercise.

As you age, your muscle mass and bone density will decrease significantly. With muscle mass loss, your strength, mobility, joint, spine, and core stability and strength will decrease as well.

Weight exercises will:

• Maintain bone density;

• Lessen joint and back pains;

• Reduce the risks of breaks;

• Maintain mobility;

• Assist in heart health; and

• Preserve your all-important muscle mass.

Without resistance exercise our muscle mass will naturally decrease and fat levels will increase, resulting in a slower, fat-gaining metabolism. The only way to avoid this is to maintain more muscle mass than your body weight requires.

Calisthenics or body weight exercises are useful, but progressively increasing resistance is invaluable for maintaining muscle mass.

Cardiovascular exercise: Minimum 5-8 minutes, 3-6 days per week

Cardiovascular exercises are among the most popular forms of exercise, as they can take many entertaining forms such as aerobics and sports. The benefits are in the name. These activities target your heart and vascular functionality and your pulmonary (breathing) health, as well as address muscle tone.

Flexibility: Minimum 2 minutes per day

Flexibility is critical for balance, proper motion, tissue health, muscle maintenance, proper muscle development, range of motion, continued mobility, tendon and ligament health, and pain management.

Stretching is much more important than most people know.

Agility, coordination and balance

For a minimum of five to 10 minutes per week, you may incorporate this into your cardiovascular exercise or even dance like no one is watching.

Any activity requiring you to be on your feet, shifting your weight, changing directions, accelerating, and suddenly stopping can help you build and maintain agility and coordination. Sports, dancing, and martial arts can all be useful. Yoga and small lifestyle actions, such as how you bend and pick up objects, putting on pants and footwear, and choosing to walk on a narrow kerb (safely) can all help you to keep your balancing ability intact.

Find the time, you will thank yourself

We are designed to move for most of our waking hours, thus not doing so is a great way to signify to your bodies that we are ready to die, slowly and painfully.

Think past short-term gratifications in life, even past your business, job demands, life challenges, and family obligations; you are of primary value in your own life. Keep your wellness on track in this journey which is your life. These activities should be manageable, with a range of available intensities and easy workouts for the challenging days.

We offer custom-designed workouts for our premium members and can design workouts for you. Even workouts that cover all five of the principles per week are progressive and effective and can take up as little as five to 17 minutes per day. The time it takes you to shower can save and change your life. You will thank yourself.

Fitz-George Rattray is the director of Intekai Academy, which is focused on helping people live a healthy lifestyle through nutrition and weight management. If you are interested in losing weight or living a healthier lifestyle, give them a call at 876-863- 5923, or visit their website at intekaiacademy.org.