Health: Is There A Fitness Standard For Men?

Health:

Is There A Fitness

Standard For Men?

by Tom Rochelle

Sometimes guys need a push to take them where they need to go, to pursue the discipline of getting their bodies in shape.  My push came when I accidentally overheard a conversation between a woman I had been admiring at work and another co-worker.  The woman who had been the object of my lustful stares said that though she found me attractive, she found it very distracting that my stomach hung low over my pants.  She also stated that she could never be attracted to a man who didn’t take care of his body. 

I couldn’t believe I was hearing this.  I, who had always been the object of female attention was suddenly being rejected because of my physical appearance.   However, her words changed my life.  That very night, I went home and stood in the mirror naked surveying my body.  The woman was right.  I had become complacent about my appearance and I was ashamed.  That night I did two hundred sit-ups before I went to bed.

That episode began a whole turn-around for me as it related to a fitness program.  My vanity, which I had always viewed as an integral part of my personality, suddenly took on a new dimension because of that one comment.  I changed my whole lifestyle from a ridiculous workaholic to a dedicated bodybuilder.  I began running two miles a day and doing five hundred sit-ups every night.

Ironically, ninety days from the onset of my new regimen I had lost forty pounds and had reduced my stomach by seven inches.  In addition, I looked better…felt better, and had energy galore!  I also learned that women have fit standards as well and that I had become cocky from my previous success with women.

I discovered that anyone can become fit as a fiddle if they become motivated to get their body in shape.  Motivation is quick to die when enthusiasm peters out and time constraints prevail.

However, if you choose an activity you can enjoy, you are more likely to stick with it and whip that body into shape.  I realized that for too long I had neglected my body and my health in the pursuit of financial prosperity, and I was unaware of the harm I was doing because the women in my life were accepting of me and what came with me.

In a matter of months, I learned that those who are fit and active enjoy reduced risks of cardiovascular disease, better muscle tone, better weight control, and generally higher feelings of self-esteem and overall well-being.  And all of this can be accomplished for as little as fifteen minutes a day or thirty minutes, three times a week. 

There are many fitness activities that are fun and burn calories well.  My favorites are golf and swimming.

Here’s a breakdown of the activity vs. calorie loss.

• Brisk walking burns 300 calories per hour.
• Golf burns 300 calories per hour.
• Jumping rope burns 400 calories per hour.
• Aerobic exercise burns 350 calories per hour. Enroll in a gym or buy a bike.
• Bicycling burns 350 calories per hour (moderate pace).
• If you don’t have a lot of time, jog in your living room for 30 minutes each day and feel the difference.
• Tennis burns 450 calories per hour.
• Racquetball burns 600 calories per hour.
• Swimming burns 600 calories per hour.