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)