How fit are you?
We took three people who were well within the correct weight range who eat quite well and put them through their paces
Just because you eat the right things and are not overweight, it does not mean you are necessarily fit. Couch potato lifestyles and sedentary jobs mean the most strenuous thing many of us do is walk to the car. We put three people through their paces to see ow fit they were.
Personal trainer Pisti Nicolaou said the key components to a healthy lifestyle are physical activity, good nutrition, stress alleviation/management, physiological balance and routine check-ups. Now, while we all probably know all that, how many of us put it into practice?
She put us through a general fitness test that included flexibility, muscular and endurance testing. “Flexibility is defined as the range of motion of a given joint. It is often associated only with muscular flexibility, the extent to which range of motion is limited by muscles and tendons, surrounding the joint,” Nicolaou said. “Inflexibility increases risk for joint and muscle injury. Low back inflexibility, which relates to low back pain and injury, is a common example.”
Pisti explained that problems with flexibility can be “fixed” through Pilates or Power Yoga classes as these floor exercises are perfect for lengthening and flexing muscles especially the lower back. Muscular strength and endurance can be powered through jogging, walking, biking or swimming, three times a week.
Lex Nicolaides
Age: 33
Weight: 75 kg
Height: 1.79
Going against everything we have learnt about starting the day with a big dose of energy, Lex starts his with a cup of tea followed by a large lunch at around 1pm. He takes a light dinner and eats out around once a week. Although water intake is high (2litres a day), he does not eat fruit or snacks.
Lex also admits to eating junk food three to four times a week and while he goes out regularly does not feel he overindulges in alcohol.
As far as fitness is concerned, he plays tennis once a week in the summer and also swims but does nothing in the winter.
Dietician Alexia Stephanou said: Lexs’ BMI is 23.4. This shows that Lex’s weight for his height is perfectly normal. Having said this, despite the fact that Lex’s BMI is healthy; his eating habits tend to put him at risk of developing health problems later on in life.
The biggest mistake Lex is making is not eating breakfast. This causes him to overeat at lunch. His diet appears to be adequate in the grains, cereals and potatoes (potatoes, rice, beads etc) group, however I feel that these foods are not spread properly throughout the day, and may be coming from unhealthy sources such as junk food as well. The same applies for the protein group. His saturated fat intake is probably on the high side as a result of junk food. The fruits and vegetables group is inadequate as is the milk products group.
Lex could improve his daily diet by adding a small breakfast consisting of a high-fibre cereal with milk, or toast with cheese and fruit. This will allow him to eat a smaller portion at lunch, and not crave junk food as much. Lex could also incorporate two to three snacks consisting of a fruit, yogurt or some crackers and cheese. Having a sandwich at dinner is fine as long as Lex makes sure he adds lean meats or cheese. Souvlakia once in a while are also fine as they are not fried.
Fitness test showed:
Trunk Flexion = Below Average
Trunk Extension = Fair
Hip Flexion = Tight Flexibility
Shoulder Flexibility = Excellent
Push – Up Test = Poor
Half Sit – Up Test = Average
Percent Body Fat Estimation = 12.4% Excellent
Lenia Petrou
Age: 25
Weight: 51 kg
Height: 1.60
Lenia starts the day off with breakfast of crackers, cheese and coffee and has a balanced lunch, eating red meat only once a week. Dinner rounds off the day, during which she will normally also drink another coffee and have biscuits or a cereal bar twice.
She eats junk food about once a week and drinks one to two litres of water a day. Alcohol consumption is restricted to nights out – about three times a month. She also suffers from IBS and takes no fruits regularly.
In terms of fitness she walks everyday for an average of 30 minutes although stopped attending gym and pilates classes at the beginning of the summer.
Stephanou said: Eleni’s BMI is 19.9. This is on the normal-to-low side. However if Eleni is eating well generally and exercising (which she does daily) then this is not a problem. Eleni’s diet appears to be adequate in the grains and cereals group, and in the protein group. The fact that Eleni avoids red meat is not a problem; however she should make sure she is getting her iron from other protein sources. Furthermore she should keep an eye on her iron status.
Eleni’s diet is adequate in vegetables however low in fruits. People with IBS can still eat fruits, it just takes a bit more preparation. Choose fruits that don’t contain seeds, peel the skin off the fruit, and choose fruits that are low in acidity. Good choices include peeled apples, pears, banana’s etc. The same applies to vegetables. Try to avoid ones with seeds and cook them very well.
A lot more can be said on IBS but each individual is different – it would be good to have a one-on-one consult with a dietician if your problem is severe.
It appears that Eleni consumes milk and cheese. Maybe she could substitute one of her snacks for a pro-biotic yogurt, which may help with the symptoms of IBS. Eleni’s diet also appears to be low in saturated fat – eating junk food once a week isn’t harmful is one is being careful the rest of the time.
Fitness test showed:
Trunk Flexion = Very Poor
Trunk Extension = Fair
Hip Flexion = Tight Flexibility
Shoulder Flexibility = Excellent
Push – Up Test = Above Average
Half Sit – Up Test = Poor
Body Fat Composition = 16.3% Very Good
Maria Iacovides
Age: 40
Weight: 50 kg
Height: 1.60
Maria’s days starts with breakfast of Weetabix, porridge toast with butter, marmalade or honey and a coffee. She will lunch on pulses, salads and meat. While she goes out to dinner about two to three times a week she avoids fried foods. She snacks in between and has three to four cups of coffee a day.
A social smoker, she enjoys glasses of wine up to three times a week.
A bit of a fitness freak, she has been working out three times a week for 10 years.
Stephanou said: Maria’s body mass index (BMI) is 19.5. BMI measures your risk of developing disease by being over or underweight using your weight according to your height. The normal range is between 18.9 and 24.9. Maria’s BMI is on the normal-to-low side. Having said this if she is eating well generally and exercising, which she is, then this is not a problem.
Maria’s usual intake appears to be adequate in the complex carbohydrate group (grains, cereals, etc), and it also appears to be adequate in the protein group (meat, chicken, fish, legumes etc). Maria’s diet appears to be low in saturated fats (by avoiding fried foods) – eating out once or twice a week isn’t harmful if Maria is being careful about the choices she makes. For example, she could choose Chinese stir-fry over sweet and sour, or she could choose a pasta with a red sauce instead of a white, creamy sauce.
Her diet appears to be low in the fruit and vegetable group (fruits, salads, vegetables) and in the milk products group (milk, yogurt, cheese etc.)
Since Maria has many snacks that consist of coffees, she could fix these inadequacies by incorporating a snack of a fruit, yogurt or some crackers and cheese two to three times a day. Or she could have cheese with her toast and marmalade in the morning. It would also be a good idea to have one of these snacks before she does her exercise routine. Once these small changes are made, Maria’s
daily diet would be perfectly adequate.
Fitness test showed:
Trunk Flexion = Excellent
Trunk Extension = Good
Hip Flexion = Excellent
Shoulder Flexibility = Excellent
Push – Up Test = Above Average
Half Sit – Up Test = Below Average
Body Fat Composition = 13.3% Excellent
Sedentary ways to keep fit
* Use the stairs not the elevators
*Do some stretching and breathing exercises in the morning before you go to work
*Go for a walk before or after work to kick-start your metabolism
*During your break take a walk in the office, don’t just sit! That way you will stimulate your circulation
* Park your car a distance from work or walk to work if you can
* Stretch your body frequently during the day at work
* Make sure you keep your back straight while sitting at your desk
