Pakistani fitness experts elaborate on the importance of a balanced diet and physical activity.
For a Pakistani woman, sticking to a regular exercise schedule isn’t easy. After all, there are plenty of potential hindrances — time, boredom, injuries or merely and most commonly ignorance as to how being physically fit is imperative for basic health. Needless to say, there are numerous health benefits of physical activity and having pointed that out, the hazards of being inactive are clear. Physical inactivity is a serious, nationwide problem. Its scope poses a public health challenge for reducing the national burden of unnecessary illness, prevalent health problems and premature death. Healthy, balanced nutrition and getting adequate amounts of physical exercise impacts your overall physical and mental well-being; few Pakistani women realise that and act on it.
The Express Tribune spoke to a few women, asking for their opinion on physical fitness and much to our disappointment, they were all completely oblivious to how imperative it is to incorporate exercise in one’s daily regime, everyone wants a slim, trim and healthy body, but no one really understands what they need to do to achieve it.
Shapes Gym instructor for females Summiya Ahmed reiterates the same fact and explained: “For a complete fitness plan to take off, one needs to develop a work-out plan. What is required is for one to delve on an 80 percent of a diet plan along with a 20 percent exercise plan. Many ladies in today’s age are usually very conscious about fitness, but one must remember not all depends on the exercise, you need to focus on a balanced diet.”
Broadly speaking, at Ahmed’s end there are three kinds of females who are often visiting the gym. “Firstly, there are those who are about to get married, they think it is mandatory for them to look good before the big day; then there is a second type that has ambitious plans as far as jobs are concerned and they want to look fit in their new assignments; finally, the middle-aged women too have started showing interest in fitness these days,” said Ahmed.
But who is good at maintaining a complete quorum of these fitness rules? “Whoever shows that they have the stamina to deal with gym instructions is able to maintain a fitness freak in themselves. Newbies or first-timers in the gym are not too keen on developing interest in the treadmill practice, but teenagers are more prone to developing better skills by practicing it,” answered Ahmed.
Ahmed stresses more on diet than on exercise. “Balanced diet intake should be enhanced to remain fit. Carbohydrates should not be completely avoided as it starts showing on your skin and makes you grow excessively weak. It is mandatory to have a balanced diet, which should consist of 30 percent proteins, 50 percent carbohydrates and 10 percent fat. Skipping lunch or dinner is not required and is rather harmful for the body. Try to have at least five meals a day, consisting of small portions of balanced diet in the given proportion,” explained Ahmad.
“A cause of alarm comes when the diet becomes a major focal point, once you live on imbalanced intake. Your fat intake increases leading one to move into aerobics, yoga or swimming, which then becomes essential,” added Ahmed.
Hasan Rizvi of Body Beat said: “An advice to the general people would be; Rule number one, have lots of water, I promote it. Secondly, avoid box food at all cost.”
Mubashara Khan of Shara’s (A weight loss centre) adviced, “In today’s world, diet is very imbalanced, there could be medical or gynecological related issues too, but these should be addressed, exercise is a better solution to most of the problems; but prevention is better than cure, so take care.”
All women aspire to have the perfect body; so act on it, eat healthy and have an exercise regimen. This is the ideal time to maintain your weight, build strong bones and prevent many chronic health problems like high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 21st, 2014.
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