Executives need to exercise to stay fit

Executives need to exercise to stay fit

JAKARTA (JP): When the clock strikes at 5 p.m, Rani, a young
working mother, rushes to a gym on the 10th floor of a high rise
office building in the city center.

Her office, an advertising agency, is on the fifth floor.
Instead of using a lift, she prefers to climb ten stairs to the
gym.

"I need regular exercise to boost my physical and mental
fitness. At first I did not realize the benefit of taking an
aerobics class but it changed my habits," said Rani.

"Exercise gives me a better outlook. If I don't do it, I get
tired in the afternoon. It gives me a burst of energy that gets
me through the day," she said, adding that she goes to the gym
when the pressures of work and taking care of her three small
children get her down. "Afterwards, I feel more jazzed up about
what I'm doing," she said.

Many experts think exercise has both physical and
psychological benefits -- more efficient use of oxygen, lower
blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

But what kind of exercise?

Noted sports doctor Sadoso Sumosardjuno offers this advice:
"People will benefit from working out only if they do it properly
with appropriate assistance from trainers and medical persons,"
explained the doctor.

Many young people love to exercise, but few of them know the
right way, he said.

The doctor suggested that beginners, particularly those over
35, have a medical check-up first. People who have not exercised
for more than six months should also undergo a health
examination, Sadoso said.

If people don't have time to have a medical check-up, they can
try a walking test, Sadoso said.

Walk around for five minutes, and chat with your partner or
sing, then rest for ten minutes. When you are taking your break,
keep moving your legs. Then check your pulse. If it's below 100
beats per minute, you can work out. If it is more than 100 per
minute, you should go for a medical check up.

For the best results, beginners should keep their pulse at
around 65 percent of their maximum heart rate (subtract your age
from 220 and multiply by 6.5) and limit the workout to 30
minutes. As you become fitter, you may need to increase the
intensity or duration of your sessions to maintain a sense of
well being, the doctor said.

"Don't push yourself too hard. If you overdo it in the gym,
your body may actually suffer rather than improve. Exercise three
to four times a week for 45 minutes," he said.

Steps

There are three important steps -- warming up, working out and
cooling down.

"Injuries and cramps may result if you do not follow this
process," said Sadoso.

Proper shoes and clothes are also necessary to make the
exercise effective, the doctor said. You should eat two hours
before the exercise. Drinking a lot of cold water helps to lower
the body's temperatures.

Sadoso said people who exercise vigorously at least four times
a week had a minimal risk of heart attack.

Moreover a little exercise seems to be better than none: Even
people who work up a sweat for just one hour lower their risk of
heart attack, he added.

"You can benefit from any physical activity as long as it
gets your heart rate up and you break a sweat," the doctor said.

Regular physical activity also improves alertness and energy.

In addition to physical advantages, taking an exercise also
improves one's mood. The effect is most obvious immediately after
a workout and can last for several hours, the doctor said.

People that exercise seem to possess an overall sense of well-
being that extends into other ares of their lives, he said .

A study by American researchers also indicates that exercise
reduces tension by desensitizing the body to stress. The study
also indicates a vigorous workout stimulates the body to pump out
the so-called stress hormones, such as cortisol and epinephrine,
that prepare one's heart, lungs and muscles for busy and
stressful activities. Regular workouts train the body to react
less intensively to stress, and makes it easier to cope with
anxiety-provoking events, according to the study.

Sadoso also added that in addition to aerobics and hard-impact
exercise, rhythmic exercise such as cycling and swimming may
induce a meditative state that brings deep relaxation and offer
the most consistent mental payoff. A session at the gym, he said,
may simply provide time out from unpleasant thoughts and
emotions. That may explain why even a slow walk can banish a bad
mood, he said.

Pursuits that encourage deep rhythmic breathing such as yoga,
Hindu meditation, and tai chi, Chinese martial arts, help induce
relaxation as well, he added. Such exercises, he said, offer
harmonious control of people's minds and their bodies.

The combination of body and mind workouts may bring something
new to the life of many people, Sadoso said. (raw)