Fit is the ultimate fashion statement

Stores have already announced the winter sale. With the coming of spring the style racks will be cleared up to make space for the spring line. Within months the summer merchandise will be lined up. Clothes make the obvious style statement, but the ultimate fashion statement is the level of fitness of a person. While clothes offer cyclical fashion impressions, fitness is regular and permanent.

Fitness can have many levels. Well muscular, toned and sculpted people put in hours of dedicated work, which is planned and scheduled for their individual needs. Exercise routines are hardly random — they may offer dynamic, progressive and alternate options, but follow a scientific and specific pattern.

Let’s start where it matters – the mid region of the human body always tells a story. When men hit their mid 40s, most end up being pot-bellied. In previous times, it was considered a sign of prosperity. A man in his 40s who is doing reasonably well in his profession and has a family that respects him, children are in high school and his work and career are being recognised by his peers, feels a sense of well being and achievement.

All these result in partying and eating and no time or inclination to exercise. The size of his rounded girth is directly proportional to his mental state.

In contrast, most women at the similar juncture maintain their bodies better. The women are growing along with their spouses’ prosperity. Marriage is settled and there is more time for them since their children have grown up and there is more money with the growth of business or growth in career of their husbands. The free time is spent going to an aerobic class or to a gym, which results in the women being fitter of the two.

For beginners fitness can appear a real daunting task. In reality fitness regimes are really quite simple. Fitness has basically three parts to it — proper nutrition, regular exercise, sleep and relaxation.

Dieting is so commonplace that most food items sell under the concept of diet food. In simple terms, proper nutrition is about eating right. It is important to watch both — what one eats as well as what one does not eat.  It is common knowledge that sugar, fried and white foods are avoidable. The other maxim, eat breakfast like a king and dinner like a pauper is also a sound proverb as dietician and nutritionist have begun to subscribe to it. Eating right can control nearly 70% of weight-related issues.

With the health industry gaining momentum, exercise routine is becoming common for people. One or two hours of aerobic activities like running, cycling, jogging, treadmill, elliptical, kickboxing or anaerobic exercises like weight lighting, exercising has to be a daily routine. The power of stretching the body is understated, although people rely on yoga, a routine all body stretch can keep the body supple and many muscle cramps and spine and slip disc related issues can stay under control through flexibility and agility.

Sleep and relaxation is as important as exercising. Whether young or old the body needs time to recoup. Sleep is the best form of letting the sore muscles, tired mind and emotional psyche rest, recoup and recover. A large segment of population has realized the importance of fitness and has amended and adopted lifestyle changes, yet there is an equally large number that is completely blind to the benefits of fitness. To those people who have yet to test the fruits of fitness – make this your resolution for 2013.  Let 2013 be a year of fitness as the ultimate fashion statement.
 

(The writer is  an entrepreneur and educationist)