Most if not all people will like to save money; either to satisfy their conscience that the future is safe or probably for the love of knowing that they have a lot of money. My advice to you will save you money especially if you realize that lost time and days off work are both as destructive as taking money out of your pocket (or card). Matters can even get worse since you may have to do all three; spend a long time in the hospital (so you are away from work) and then pay bills for an injury you could easily have avoided.
Cobba’s First Law of Exercising is “Do No Harm” and I strongly believe we should all aim at that. Accidents do happen but when we take the appropriate precautions we reduce the probability of injuring ourselves while trying to improve our health.
The majority of us do not start an exercise programme with the sole aim of entering into a competition so why the rush? Slow down the pace, it is better to err on the side of caution. Yes; I know some of you have twelve days to your wedding and in your opinion need to lose over 10kg. On a lighter note, your wedding gown may end up falling off on your day and on the other hand you may not be equipped to lose that much weight in that time in a healthy way and still look bright and well for the cameras. Can it be done? Yes all things are possible……………but in some circumstances there may be terrible consequences. So spare yourself and start a programme that is healthy and sustainable. Forget about visiting the gym two to four times a day to get “fast-track” results.
Below are three extremely bad advice that can derail your fitness ambitions;
1. DO NOT REST BETWEEN SETS
a. “there is a difference between tiring someone out and actually improving their physical condition.” I believe your goal is to improve your condition. You will never be able to train muscles fully if they do not have time to recover in between sets. Even if you are doing super-sets, going through circuit training or you simply do not have time, I believe at the peak of your fitness you should rest your muscles for at least forty-five seconds in between sets. This implies for beginners one may sometimes need two minutes or more rest periods.
2. IGNORE PAIN – NO PAIN. NO GAIN.
a. Why do we virtually want to maim ourselves in the name of building muscle? As you challenge yourself, you will experience soreness from small tears in your muscle. This soreness may start over twelve hours after your exercise and is referred to as Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS).
b. Soreness is completely different from PAIN. If you experience pain such as pain in your joints or excruciating pain in a muscle you are exercising; STOP! Ensure there is no immediate danger and seek professional medical advice.
c. Do not rush to increase the weights you use. The key to success is to make small incremental gains. There is no point rushing to lift heavy weights and increasing the repetitions till you can hardly stand on your feet. Such poor posture for any exercise may either cause injuries or you gain absolutely nothing from all the time spent.
3. STOP BACKPAIN WITH CRUNCHES & SITUPS
a. When you repeatedly flex the small bones of you back (vertebrae), there is an inherent risk of injury especially if you already have a back problem. Sit-ups and crunches when done properly together with adequate cardiovascular exercises and the appropriate eating plan may lead to well chiseled abdomen but you may create new challenges for your body.
b. If you have back pain avoid these and talk to your fitness professional about balancing/stability exercises.

AS ALWAYS LAUGH OFTEN, WALK AND PRAY EVERYDAY AND REMEMBER IT’S A PRICELESS GIFT TO KNOW YOUR NUMBERS (blood sugar, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, BMI)

Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel
Moms’ Health Club
(dressel@healthclubsgh.com)

*Dr Essel is a medical doctor and is ISSA certified in exercise therapy and fitness nutrition.
Thought for the week – Remember to ICE (in case of emergency) YOUR PHONE. If you haven’t done this already put “ice” before the name of at least one of your contacts. This person should be reliable and at least know about some of the medical conditions you may have.
Reference:
1. “The Most Dangerous Fitness Advice” – Men’s Health. May 2013 Edition