Men exercise more, women eat healthier

The most popular resolutions include more exercise and having a healthy lifestyle. Roughly 64.8% of Czechs over the age of 16 engage in some form of exercise. However, only one-third of them exercise at least once a week. More than 35% of youths and adults do not actively exercise. Of course, this is not a good indicator at all, as exercise helps to prevent many illnesses. It is generally true that men are more focused on exercise, as they dedicate an average of 3.6 hours to it per week. On average, women spend “only” about 3.2 hours a week on exercise or recreational activities.

However, surveys have confirmed that women surpass men in their consumption of fruits and vegetables. Approximately one-fifth of women eat fruit two or more times every day. Only 12% of men consume fruit to this extent. It is crucially important that we do not try to implement drastic changes in our dietary regimen all at once. Our bodies take several months to adapt to a new regimen, whether it’s vegetarianism or, for example, a keto diet. In all cases, one’s diet should be varied and balanced – including protein, fats, sugars, vitamins, minerals and enough fluids.

How to stay motivated throughout the year?

The first step to fulfilling our exercise goals over the course of the year is to have a realistic view of those goals. In short, we should be able to keep our goals reined in. In the ideal case, we should also find a partner so that we can support and motivate each other in our exercise. It is also advisable to plan workouts so that going to the gym becomes a routine over time. It’s definitely not a bad thing to appropriately reward ourselves after exercising so that we will eventually start to look forward to going to the gym. The most common reason that we put off exercising is that we don’t have enough time for it. With respect to motivation, it helps to remember that we are exercising only for ourselves. We must not perceive a visit to the gym as something unpleasant. On the contrary, exercise helps our minds to relax, thanks to which we will fall asleep more easily, among other things.  

What to focus on when carrying out a new year’s resolution?

We should also be careful when exercising. When getting started, it is best to hire a trainer at the gym for at least the first few weeks. A trainer will not only show us how to use the weight machines properly, but will also explain what happens in the body when we train our muscles. Thanks to this, we will be able to prevent serious injuries. It is always crucially important to stretch and slowly warm up your muscles before exercising. It is also important to wear appropriate shoes. For example, when running, we recommend shoes that reinforce your joints, which can prevent a sprained ankle, for example. It is also inadvisable to ask too much of your body and try to needlessly break personal records if your body is not prepared for that.

Exercise as a miracle drug

There are several reasons that exercise is healthy for the body. Regular physical activity is an important part of preventing cardiovascular illnesses and type 2 diabetes. In the case of diabetics, exercise is even a part of treatment. Physical activity also improves circulation and strengthens the heart. Regular exercise helps to regulate blood pressure and cholesterol in the blood, while also improving blood supply and function of the brain and strengthening bones and muscles. Of no less importance, it also floods the body with happiness hormones that improve our mood. Therefore, we should keep an eye on key indicators that warn us in time if anything is wrong. In doing so, we should rely on the opinion of medical professionals rather than our intuition. Laboratory tests can be an ideal tool for maintaining our health in the new year. Such tests check for the risk of cardiovascular illnesses, while also examining our blood count, the condition of our urine, liver, metabolism, thyroid and vitamin D levels, as well as muscle condition and even possible muscle damage.

If we exercise properly, our bodies will reward us for it.