I am happy that I have started treating my body well. I felt the need to change from just being a couch potato, from just playing ps3, and browsing the internet with nothing in mind. Today marks my third month of hitting the gym! That's for all the days of May-June with only the weekends as my rest days. I am so proud of myself for it took me a long time to fight laziness and to bring dedication to practice.
I have had a "normal" body my entire life - meaning for my age and height I have just the right weight. I have never become fat or too thin. However, being in the country with the highest obesity rate scares me, and I don't want to appear abnormally fat before I start to work out. Though who can blame these obese people. American food tastes so irresistibly delicious!
In the beginning I couldn't allocate my time for the gym. Reasons such as studying, watching TV, talking to friends, Facebook updates and etc always overwhelm the thought of going to the gym. Then my cousin came over from Texas and one day asked me to go the gym with her. Being nice and all I agreed. Being a newbie at this time when it comes to working out, I have watched her perform extremely strenuous physical exercises, which I couldn't perform at that time. Afterwards she asked me and my mom to join her do workouts without the machines, which were much harder. After 10 counts I gave up. Talk about a guy's pride – a girl has beaten a guy. From that day on pride has become my driving force in going to the gym.
Then from just the envious type of pride burst forth a lifetime routine. I think I cannot let a day pass without at least an hour of running on the treadmill. I usually lift weights while at the gym. Gym is boring to be honest. The primary reason people have when going to the gym is to lose weight. Since I have just said that I have a normal type of body, I keep this list of reasons on my mind to keep me motivated while working out.
Benefits of Cardio Exercise:
- Weight loss
- Stronger heart and lungs
- Increased bone density
- Reduced stress
- Reduced risk of heart disease and some types of cancer
- Temporary relief from depression and anxiety
- More confidence about how you feel and how you look
- Better sleep
- More energy
- Setting a good example for your kids to stay active as they get old
- Appetite Control
Benefits of Resistance Training:
- Strengthens the skeletal system
- Improves bone density (decreases the chance of osteoporosis)
- Increases metabolism
- Improves posture
- Limits atrophy of the muscles
- Aids in hypertension control
- Aids in cholesterol control
- Aids in body fat control
- Increases circulation
- Aids in prevention of adult-onset diabetes
- Improves mood and self-esteem
- Improves quality of life
- Aids in the prevention of heart disease and certain cancers
- (In addition to this list, I have just read that doing resistance training makes the body burn more calories even when you're not working out, or even in your sleep!)
In just three months I have experienced some of this health benefits. One remarkable thing I noticed is that I am frequently having dreams with sweet and sometimes bizarre plots. Sweet dreams range from me and my crush happily together to me in the Philippines with my friends. Bizarre dreams range from my grandfather being a serial killer to all our neighbors turned zombies! I have been told that these are all exercise related things – that I have an improved quality of sleep. I enjoy those dreams though because I wake up rejuvenated and laughing, and able to start a conversation with people. Hahaha.
With cardio exercise and weight lifting, I can just be free to eat whatever I want ( still in moderation, of course) without worrying of becoming too fat
PS: I am so happy to have cut bil-bils (tummy fats) in three months! Now there are much less tires on my tummy! And I am beginning to have a defined body and muscle mass. Whoa.
Reference:
http://www.fantasyfit.com/view.php?page=resistancetraining
http://exercise.about.com/od/cardioworkouts/a/cardio_exercise.htm
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