Category Archives for "Fitness 101"

Why You Should Lift Weights, Especially If You Are A Woman

This post is the third post in my FITNESS 101 series.

First Post: You Don’t Need Exercise To Lose Weight

Second Post: Cardio Is More Than Running

In this post, you’ll learn about why you must lift weights, especially if you are a woman.

You need to lift weights as a woman! No, I’m not talking about those pink, 1kg dumbbells that have become some women’s favourite. I’m talking about weights.

 To Lift Weights Or Not

One reason is that many cardio exercises don’t require special instructions or equipment. For instance, you don’t need anyone to teach you how to walk or run; these are movement patterns that come naturally to every healthy human (You may need someone to coach you on the proper running form if you plan to make distance running a hobby. Having a running coach will help you become a better recreation runner and help you prevent running-related injuries), and don’t need an instructor to teach you how to groove to the beats of your favourite songs; you just want to move with the rhythms. But when it comes to strength training, you have to know what you are doing and do it the right way for it to be safe and effective.

Why You Must Lift Weights, Especially If You Are A Woman

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Cardio Is More Than Running

If you have been on the fitness train for an extended period, you must have come across the term “Cardio”. And depending on which camp you belong, you may either love or hate it or have a love-hate relationship with it.

Anytime I hear people talk about how they don’t like cardio or how they see it as a necessary evil; I always wonder if they understand the meaning of the word.

Cardio is more than running

For many people, Cardio means, running! But that is incorrect. Yes, running is a type of cardio exercise, but Cardio is much more than running. A cardio exercise is any exercise that requires the movement of the large muscle groups.

To explain in a simple term, a cardio exercise is any exercise that requires that you move your legs, arms and torso at the same time.

This type of exercise places a higher demand on the organs that are responsible for respiration and nutrients transportation. For example, when you stand up to move to the beat of Shoki at that party, you are doing a form cardio. (Apologies if you are not a Nigerian. Shoki is a type of dance step in Nigeria).

Cardio-respiratory fitness

Like I did explain in the first article in this series, cardio-respiratory fitness is the ability of the heart, blood vessels and respiratory system to supply nutrients and oxygen to the muscles and the ability of the muscles to utilise fuel to allow sustained exercise. Whether a person is walking or dancing, the heart, blood vessels and the organs of the respiratory systems are working in concert to deliver nutrients and oxygen to the working muscles.

How fast and far a person can go, depend on the efficiency of the cardio-respiratory system. A fit person can exercise for a relatively extended period without unnecessary tiredness.

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You Don’t Need Exercise To Lose Weight

Truth moment…You don’t need exercise to lose weight!

When some people think of exercise, the first thing that comes to their minds is weight loss. Somehow they have come to believe that exercise is something you do when you want to lose weight.

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