A dose of wellness before we write down our 2017 (health) resolutions

After attending Herbalife's wellness symposium Thursday, October 27, I knew I'm back on track in terms of incorporating wellness into my lifestyle.  

Herbalife Philippines invited renowned wellness gurus Dr. Julian Alvarez Garcia, a member of the Herbalife Nutrition Advisory Board, and Fitness Coach Chappy Callanta to talk about the challenges of shifting into a healthier lifestyle and how to conquer it.  

The struggle to break free from a sedentary lifestyle is real, especially for people who clock in more than 6 hours of work every day. Medical studies linked sedentary lifestyle with critical illnesses, such as hypertension and diseases of the heart.  Write ups are proliferating the internet, and anyone can enumerate hundreds of reference through Google.  They say prolonged sitting is as hazardous as smoking.  

I sometimes wear a Garmin watch in the office, and it triggers an alarm whenever I stay seated for more than an hour.  Studies say that prolonged sitting slows down the metabolism, which is not generally healthy for our body.  The solution is to stand up and move for a minute or two, before taking a seat again.  So far, the bad thing I acquired through prolonged sitting is recurring lower back pain. It is made worse by sitting for hours due to worsening Metro Manila traffic.  Since I'm not into pain relievers, my doctor recommended that I exercise regularly to strengthen my back muscles - so the bones will not compensate for everything.  When we are seated, our lower back tends to carry most of the weight and pressure - and the result, recurring lower back (lumbar) pain that simply won't go away.  

Take-aways from the Herbalife wellness symposium:

1. This feeling:  we do not exercise because we do not have time - as if we do not own our time.  Remember, we own our time.  We own our body, and we ought to take good care of it - we only have one body, and we can always improve it, e.g. Meowthlovescoffee version 2.0.  

2.  Exercise and good diet must be part of our lifestyle, with or without symptoms of those so called lifestyle illnesses.  A missed exercise routine will probably make you feel like you did not brush your teeth in a day - one of the many ways to determine if exercise is already ingrained in your life.  

3. No time for exercise because of work?  Wake up 5 to 10 minutes earlier than usual, and start with dynamic stretching.  This can be done at home, anytime of the day.  It does not matter if you work at night and sleep all morning.  Wake up and exercise.  

4.  Diets and exercise routines are good - but which ones are considered the best?  Any exercise routine or diet that you will eventually do and stay committed at.  Part of the study that was shared during the symposium, 94% of the folks who enrolled at the gym did not come back after a month.  So, engage in a fitness routine or sports ,which you really love to do.  

5.  Support is also important.  Having a buddy or friend who exercises may help you stay on track, or join a sports community.  In true millennial fashion, a #FitnessInspiration may also help. For the Pinoy millennials, 'how to be you po?'

Here are some snapshots of the Herbalife wellness event held at the Conrad Hotel MOA, October 27.  

A demo of a regression push up, intended for beginners by Coach Chappy Callanta (during the wellness symposium).  

For the super final take-away, here is an exercise for beginners video by fitness expert Sam Clayton for Herbalife, as posted in Herbalife's YouTube channel.  This video includes tips on how to get started with a 5-minute to 10-minute workout from home routine.  

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Disclaimer:  This is a personal write-up, not a paid advertisement. 

Sam Clayton Shares Tips for a Healthy Lifestyle

Samantha Clayton, Herbalife’s Senior Director of Fitness Education and one of the world’s fittest mothers, and Chappy Callanta, Herbalife’s Fitness Coach, have shared during the recent Herbalife Asia Pacific Extravaganza 2015 some practical tips to overcome common issues of busy schedules and procrastination in order to kick start a healthy, active lifestyle.

• Get over your fear of exercise – Many people associate exercise with many negative things like sweating, exhaustion and muscle pain. The best approach is to start slow. By following a progressive approach to getting active, most will start to associate fitness with improved body composition, body confidence and feeling great.

• Make it fun – When you decide that you want to start leading an active lifestyle, make sure that you choose activities that you find fun. Inviting your friends or loved ones to join the activities can make working out fun and help motivate you. This will keep you coming back for more. 

• Make it a habit - The amount of exercise each person needs varies but as a general guideline, in order for you to reap the simple health benefits associated with physical activity, you should aim to be active for at least 30 minutes on five days of each week. 

• Choose the right nutrition - Nutrition also plays a critical role leading an active lifestyle. There is a true connection between the nutrition you consume, your activity level and your overall health. A good balance would be 80% nutrition and 20% exercise. 

• Find a class or program - Sometimes it’s easier to stay consistent and on track when you have a structure – this can mean joining a class or group activity. At Herbalife, we have created the active Body Fit workout program – a series of exercise videos that provide repetition, gradual progression and periods of rest. You can visit these videos anytime online at http://www.herbalife24.com/active.

Whether you have five, or ten minutes, Samantha and Chappy advocate that you can kick start a healthy active lifestyle easily, with just small and simple changes to your daily lifestyle routine. Samantha and Chappy also demonstrated the following exercises, which you can complete in five or ten minutes, to keep your muscles active and in shape with little space:

• Plank Walk Out: Take it down to the floor with a plank walk out – hinge at the hips then bend forward and walk out into plank and simply walk back up. Get down again, holding in plank – loosen off holding one knee to the elbows. Lift to the other side and come back up.

• Opposite Leg Lifts: Come down onto the floor on all fours and make sure your shoulders are directly over your wrists, and your knees are directly under the hips. You want a nice flat back and all you are going to do is simply lift one leg and lift one arm up. 

• Tricep Dip: Place your feet shoulder distance apart – heels on the floor, hands behind. Lift your booty up off the floor and do a simple tricep dip by pushing the arms back. You can also do tricep dips on a workout bench, but if you are out and about, this is a great one to do because you don’t need any equipment. 

About HerbalifeHerbalife is a global nutrition company that has been changing people’s lives with great products since 1980. Our nutrition, weight-management , energy and fitness and personal care products are available exclusively to and through dedicated Independent Herbalife Members in more than 90 countries. We are committed to addressing the global obesity epidemic by offering high-quality products, one-on-one coaching with an Independent Herbalife Member and a community that inspires customers to live a healthy, active life.