knowledge.”
-Daniel J. Boorstin, The Discoverers: A History of Man’s Search to Know His World and Himself.
It often happens that once we get on the exercise bandwagon several well wishers bombard us with useful information (isn’t that what i am doing??). Some of it is based on real training, some on experience and commonly on hearsay. Its the last kind that can be dangerous. Its the illusion of knowledge unsupported by formal learning that can lead us to doing the wrong exercises, wrong techniques or demotivate us. Hence its vital that we update ourselves on the correct terminology and its meaning, best practices and so on.
Let me try to demystify some jargon:
BMI: Body Mass Index. Often considered to be the last word in deciding if we are obese or overweight. Yet this measure can be misleading. This article on WebMD gives a
detailed explanation. Bottom line, dont be disheartened if the BMI is on
the higher side and take drastic steps. Take a step back and assess the
entire picture. Then decide what is to be done.
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| This is part of my health column first published in Windows & Aisles, the inflight magazine of Paramount Airways |
Click here to calculate your BMI .
DOMS: Delayed Onset Muscle Syndrome. Simply put its the muscle soreness that arises for newbie exercisers or when we exercise after a long break. It usually goes away within a day or two without any pain relief measures.
Lats/Glutes/Quads/Obliques: Shortened names of muscles namely Latissimus dorsi, Gluteus group (in the buttocks) and Quadriceps (front of the thigh) and Obliques which are part of the Abdominal muscles.
Interval Training: Dividing the exercise period into short bursts of high and low intensity work
Cross Training: Incorporating a variety of exercise types to help prevent muscles from ‘getting used to’ a specific routine. It is and excellent way to prevent boredom.
You can brush up on some more terms here.
Stay updated about fitness trends.
Cheers!
Disclaimer: All
suggestions are general in nature. Readers are advised to exercise
caution before implementing them and seek expert advise about what is
suitable for their specific needs.
Exercise is something I struggle with but am determined to persevere so that I can be happy and healthy after 60…which is coming right up!
And here I was thinking BMI is a better indication of health than weight.
Thats the spirit Kathy!
Sonia, weight must be considered along with other factors like age, height, body type and so on. Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
I know all about sore muscles as I rejoined the gym in February to try and increase my strength and stamina. Weight loss was an aside but would be nice too. This time around I purchased 6 sessions with a personal trainer because the last time I was not using the equipment correctly and caused some damage to muscles and tendons. I love how I feel after my sessions, it's the getting there that are the hard part.
Thank you for your comment in my blog.
I am impressed with the quote:“The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge.”
There are many different theories on fitness and diets, and we need to collect objective information, and see which works best for ourselves. It may not always be easy, but worthwhile.
You have a great theme for the A to Z Challenge.