To be clean, we must follow all three laws of hygiene: showering, brushing our teeth and wearing clean clothes. Even if we have been showering diligently for years, the moment we stop showering, we will no longer be clean. It’s not because we have been cursed with dirty genes. It’s just the “what’s so” of being clean. In the same way, if any one of the following five health laws is not followed each week, we will no longer be healthy and will have problems eventually. It’s just the “what’s so” of being lean.
1) Eat right
In order to be a lifelong solution, your diet must contain three things: all your nutrients, at a proper calorie level to be a healthy weight, while still being able to enjoy some of your favorite foods each week. My book covers all three in an easy-to-do, habit-forming way.
2) Cardiovascular exercise
Cardiovascular exercise is probably the most important type of exercise since heart, lung, and circulation problems kill millions each year. Most people don’t do an adequate cardio warm up or cool down and exercise either above or below their heart-rate training zone. Proper use of a heart-rate monitor and professional instruction will fix all this.
3) Lift weights
Many get fat as they grow older, not because they overeat, but because they lose muscle, which in turn lowers the metabolism. If you don’t use it, you will lose it. Females who don’t lift weights lose 1 percent muscle and bone mass for each year they live past 35 and men lose 1 percent for each year they live past 55. Weight lifting is also the fountain of youth when it comes to looking good.
However, what you don’t know can definitely hurt you. Most either do the wrong weight lifting exercises or otherwise lift with improper form. Another common problem is holding your breath, which causes a dangerous elevation in your blood pressure.
4) Stretch
Tight muscles are more prone to injury. Stretching cold muscles, improper choice of stretches, and “bounce stretching” are three common stretching mistakes.
5) Rest / Recuperate
To be healthy, you need 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night. You also need to make sure you get enough recuperation time in between exercise sessions. The exercise breaks the body down, the time off and proper nutrition rebuilds it and makes it healthier.
According to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, seven of the top ten reasons people die are related to improper diet and lack of exercise. If any one of these five health habits is missing, you will eventually experience weight problems, diseases, and/or injuries associated with not following that particular health law. Do yourself a favor and take steps to remedy the situation immediately before it’s too late. Fortunately, professional help is available. The moment a dirty person starts showering again, they are on their way to being clean. The moment you start these five health habits, you are on your way to being lean.
” Jerry Hoskey is a Certified Personal Trainer and a Certified Weight Management Consultant from The American Council on Exercise. He’s been featured on CBS, NBC and ABC news and is the author of THE NO-DIET DIET. For more information or to order his book, please call 619-595-0506 or visit www.JerryHoskey.com.