Is physical exercise a necessary part of our lives? Yes, it
definitely is. Without regular physical exercise, our bodies degenerate
faster and our lifespans are shorter as well. It is a well known fact
that regular physical exercise not only strengthens our muscles,
tendons, ligaments, bones and internal organs, it also makes us more
immune to various kinds of diseases. Apart from these benefits, it also
makes us look leaner and younger and gives us a sense of well-being,
happiness and confidence.
During the Stone Age, whenever our
ancestors needed food they had to hunt for it and this hunting involved a
lot of running and jumping (after wild game), climbing (to pluck
fruits) and even swimming (to catch fish). But the physical exertion did
not just end there. After they had gathered their food, they had to
carry or drag them back to their caves. All these involved a lot of hard
manual labour and we can rightly say that our Stone Age ancestors
certainly "exercised" a lot.
With the advent of the Industrial
Revolution, machines replaced more and more of manual labour until
today, that is the Information Age, almost everything seems to be
mechanized or automated. As a result, it is now necessary for us,
whether we are male or female, young or old, to make regular physical
exercise a part of our lifestyle.
The purpose of regular physical
exercise is to make us become more physically fit so that we can live
not only longer but better and more useful lives. The physical exercises
that we participate in should include these essential components in
order for us to be truly fit:
- Strength training
- Stamina and endurance training
- Flexibility training
What is Strength training?
In this modern day world, whenever we talk about strength training,
barbells, dumbells and machines come into our minds. We can achieve much
strength by training with these three equipment, but strength can also
be achieved by using our own bodyweight as the resistance.
What is Stamina and endurance training?
Again, whenever we talk about stamina and endurance training, running
and jumping come into our minds. But stamina and endurance training can
also mean training with barbells, dumbells, machines or our own
bodyweight as the resistance in a circuit-style fashion.
What is Flexibility training?
Any kind of stretching exercise is considered as flexibility training.
The stretching exercises that martial artists and athletes perform as
warm-up before or after their actual training are flexibility exercises.
Flexibility training is the most neglected component of many exercise
regimen and sport. This training is a must-have ingredient for any
exercise programme or sport as it not only helps prevent injuries but
also transforms one into a better athlete.
