VitaminX

There'sanessential"vitamin"that'salmostextinct.thoughit'sthesecrettostayingslim.It'svitaminX-vitaminX-ercise-andmostofusareseriouslydeficientWe'vecutoutbigandlittlesources.suchaswalking,rakingleaves,hoistinggaragedoorsbyhand-evenstandinguptochangeTVchannels.Weallknowtheresult:anationalflab-idemic.TenyearsagooneinfourAmericanswasobese;todayit'soneinthreelAtlast,eventhenewDietaryGuidelinestorAmericansrecognizesthatwecan'ttameourwaistlinesbyheathyeatingalone:wemustgetvitaminX,too.

MagicStepsToAHeatlhyWeight

GoingupintheworldmaybetheeasiestwaytogetsomevtiaminX-ercise-Ifyouclimbbytakingthestairs.·likeadaycoindroppedinabank,littlebylittlethoseflightsofstairscanhelpadduptoafitter,trimmeryou.·InaLondonsubwaystation,someresearcherspostedthesesignsbytheescalators:"StayHealthy,Save,Time,UsetheStairs."Inthethreeweeksthesignswereup,men'suseofthes1airsrosefrom12to20per-;cent;women'suserosefrom5to12percent.Sonexttimeyouhaveachoicebetweenstairsandescalator-:remember:•StayHealthy,SaveTime,UsetheStairs."

•••.,•••••••I'..............#'...-.r•.

_{,.•.....,.,..,...,,.,._,..,..,.,..,.,!If,.,....,,,_._..,.,,.,"----·-'···. .rr;.,,.,"*.,,.•..,.}

^l'lu114 193

Howfitareyou?

Ifyouhaveneverconsideredthatyouneededtotakeexercisejusrconsidorthese'

fewsimplequestions:

1_Doyousometimesgotobedmentallyexhaustedbutfindthatyouareunabletosleep?'

2.Doyouautomaticallyrideupandavoidthestairswhenyouarevisitingsomeoneinan

_{officeormulti-storeybu1ld1ng-evenwhentheyareonlyonthefirstorsecondfloor?- ,}

₁

3_Ifyoucanjustmanagetocatchyourtrainorbusbyrunningforitdoyoumaketheef­

fort-ordoyouwaitforthenextonetocomealong?

4 Ifyouhavetoundertakesomeunexpectedstrenuousphysicalexercisesuchasmow-ingthelawnordecoratingthespareroom,doyoufeelachingandexhaustedthenextday?

5.Doyoueversufferfrombackacheorheadaches?

6.Areyoudissatisfiedwithyourfigure?

7.Isyourholidaytheonlyt1mewhenyoufeelreallyrestedandInvigorated?

8.Intheevenings,attheendofanothertiringday,doyousit.slumpedandexhausted.withjustavaguefeelmgthatyouarenotgettingasmuchoutoflifeasyoushould?

Iftheanswertoonlyoneofthesequestionsis'yes'thenyouarenot100percentfit,andyoucouldbenefitfromacontrolledprogrammeofregulardailyexercises.

SkillDeveloping

Ex.1Workinpairs.Askyourpartnerthequestionsabove,thenchangetheroles.Ex.2Drawyourconclusionaboutyourpartner•sfitnessandtellthegroup.Prove

youropinionbyusingtheargumentsfromthepartner'sanswer.

WhyExercise?

Ifyouwanttofeelfit-andyoushould-thenyouhavetomakeupyourmindtosetasidealittletimeeachdayforexerciseYoudonothavetoembarkonathree-hourpro­grammeofphysicaljerksstraightaway.{Indeed.youwillprobablyharmyourselfifyoudo)Withthehelpofthegradualexerciseplanyoucanworkup,atyourownpace,toapro­grammewhichsuitsyou.Thevitalthingaboutgettingfitisgettingstarted.Sowhileyouarebusydecidingwhatyoucandoandwhenyoucandoit.trygoingforawalk_Thengoforanother...andanother.Sustainedwalksof10minutesormore,once,thentwoorthreetimesaday.willsoonhelptobuildupyourstamma.Andifyouareover35andratheroutofcondition.walking1sJUStaboutthemostcomfortableandthesafestwayofgettingbackintoshape_

Onceyoustarttodevote10,20or30minutesadaytoexercisingyouwillbegintofeelthebenefitsYouwillfeellesst1red.moreabletocopewiththedemandsofabusylifeand,miraculously,abletof1tevenmoreactivitiesintoeachday.Ifyouareyoung,youwillstay

feelingandlook1ngyoungforlonger.Ifyouareolder,youwillstartfeelingtrulyyouthfulagain_Thosenaggingeverydayproblemswillfallintoperspectiveandlime-consumingmi­norachesandpainswillbecomeath1ngofthepast.Ifallthissoundstoogoodtobetrue,just11)1it-youcouldbeverysurprised

YoumaysayyouareconservingenergybynotwalkingupthestairsorrunningforthebusButisth1sanexcuse?Doyouusethatenergyforotherthings?

194

Ex.3Workinpairs.Giveadvicetoyourpartnerhowtostartexercisingandnotexhaustoneself.

_ModusVivendi

Lotsofyoungpeoplearenotfitatall.Theyhavealreadylosttheenergyandhappinessthatcomesfromfeelingreallywell.

Frtnesscomesfromthewayyoulrveallthetime.notJUStfromsomeexercisesdone

nowandthenGoodeatinghabrts,wisedrinkinghabits.regularsleepmghabits.andplentyoffresharrandexerctsekeptupdunngtheweek(andnghtthroughtheyear)areallrmpor­tantpartsofthewaytokeepf1t

ClassDiscussion

Herearesomethingsyoucandotobefit.Whichtwodoyouthinkarethemostimportantforyou?

Notsmoking

Takingregularexercise

Eatinggoodqualityfood

Havingregularcheck-ups

Dietingtokeepyourwefghtdown

Notdrinkingalcohol

ComplimentingPeople

Thesearetypicalconversationgambits,especiallyHyouaremakingsmalltalkwithsomeoneyouhaven'tseenlong.

_1.

- YoudolookwellKitty'

DoI?I'mafrardI'vega1nedsomeweight.

- Haveyou?Alittlewalk.Ithrnk,willhelptokeepyoushm.

- ThankyouII'llfollowyouradvice

^2.

Youreallylookverynice,Pat!

Oh,thankyouI'mjustbackfrommyholiday.

Thatexpla1nsyourbeautifultan.Hadagoodtimethere?

-Wonderful!Iswamalot.sunbathed,hadshortwalkingtripsinthemountains.1twasverypleasantindeed

3.

- Gladtoseeyoulookingsofit,mydar1ing.

- ThankyouIt'sverypleasanttohearit.

- ImnotJUStberngpoliteYourcomplexionrsreallymarvellous.Howdoyouachrevethiseffect?1trsn'tmakeup,Ibelieve

-No,tttsnIlJUStspendalotoftimeintheopenair.I'vebeenskungeveryweekendthiswrnter

_{- Howcleverofyou'Iw1shIcouldfollowyourexample.butI'venotime,I'mafra1d}

195

ClassCommunication