Staying fit and healthy well beyond 2018

By Gibron Rahim
“WHAT is your New Year’s resolution?”
The above question is not so uncommon considering that New Year’s resolutions are a traditional part of ushering in a new year. The practice draws on the hopes and expectations of a new year to create motivation to end old bad habits and to inculcate new positive ones. Among the most common resolutions are those that are related to health and fitness. Following through on these particular resolutions can lead to enduring lifestyle changes.

The Pepperpot Magazine contacted Dr. Sara Scott, a recent graduate of the University of Guyana’s School of Medicine for her expertise on health as it relates to diet and exercise. Dr. Scott said that those who follow a poor diet, combined with a lack of exercise, put themselves at risk for a number of preventable chronic diseases that are present in Guyana. Two of these diseases are diabetes and hypertension.

She explained that, while other factors such as family history also need to be considered, following a healthy diet and exercising regularly can decrease the risk of developing these diseases.

It is important to note that the concepts of eating healthy and exercising are linked to each other. Dr. Scott noted that there is a misconception among some that they can exercise while continuing to regularly eat junk food. With regard to a healthy diet and exercise, she said, “Both do go hand-in-hand.” In our agriculture-based society, we have many of the resources we require to follow a healthy diet she explained. Fresh local fruits and vegetables are available to us in most cases. It is also important she said to make an effort to stay away from saturated fats and fried food as much as possible. She clarified that, while it is not necessary to completely abstain from such foods, consuming them every day is not advisable.

The process of breaking bad eating habits is not an easy one. “For you to break a bad habit you have to make up your mind that you want to make the change for yourself,” Dr. Scott said. Failing to do so makes it difficult to break bad habits in general. Also helpful is having at least one person, such as a family member or friend, supporting efforts to make dietary changes. From her work at health clinics, she has observed diabetic and hypertensive patients returning for medical care due to not following their recommended diets.

She noted that, in some cases, it may not necessarily be their own fault but rather, due to the influence of persons around them. It is for this reason that positive support is so crucial.

Dr. Scott, herself, is skeptical of New Year’s resolutions in general. She noted that the motivation that is present at the beginning of the year when the resolutions are made usually wanes as the year progresses. She noted though that, considering the healthy food that we have available to us in Guyana, there is no reason for us to eat unhealthily. A majority of the diseases we have here she said are preventable. “My hope is that in the New Year I can influence other people to change their whole lifestyle, even myself.”

The Pepperpot Magazine also spoke with fitness trainer Asim Victor who offered his insights on health and fitness. Victor noted that there is generally a surge in persons looking to get fit when the new year comes around. This, he said, comes after a drop-off before the start of December due to everyone getting involved in the festivities and the eating and drinking that come with them.

One of the most common areas of complaint that Victor has encountered in clients after the holiday season is the accumulation of fat around the midsection. The thigh area is also a region of concern for women. For men, there is usually a desire year-round to be more muscular and to acquire defined arms and chests.

When it comes to resolutions and getting back into fitness, the ease with which this is achieved is dependent on a few factors. “It depends on how active you used to be and how long you’ve stopped off for,” Victor explained. For once elite level sportspersons, restarting an exercise regime may not be that difficult. On the other hand, for the average person who has not been into fitness for a period of time, he noted that it would be wise to ease into it. “Also, I would normally advise people not to think of getting results quickly but [rather] being consistent,” he said.

It is a matter of being consistent with the good habit of exercising just as they might have been consistent with the habit of eating unhealthily.
An observation that Victor has made is that the influx of persons wanting to get fit is centred around the cycle of holidays in Guyana. The upsurge comes around times such as New Year’s and holidays like Mashramani or Easter when body image becomes particularly important. “It’s never really consistent,” he said. “It’s always in spurts.” He explained that there are few people who are able to be consistent in their fitness and diet throughout the entire year. He opined that it may all be dependent on their motivations.

Victor had similar sentiments to Dr. Scott about the interconnectedness of diet and exercise. He noted that many persons have gross misconceptions with regard to tackling fitness. His preferred viewpoint is that of a pyramid. At its base is mental health and fitness.

After that comes nutritional fitness and finally physical fitness. He explained, “As long as you’re in the right mindset, you take care of one of the most pertinent factors that could affect somebody’s health – stress.” Once mental health and stress are being well managed then the focus can be on nutrition. He noted the importance of adequate nutrition to physical fitness with an analogy. “You can’t put substandard gas in a premium racecar and expect to get the best performance out of it.”

As we move forward into 2018, we will all undoubtedly want to break old habits and start healthier ones. Caution must be taken that these new habits do not become merely temporary. Resolutions that affect our health should especially be followed through. By so doing we can attempt to ensure that we keep on going strong well beyond 2018.