Clean diet, exercise inevitable for healthy lifestyle

Although many of us might get motivated quickly to begin physical training in order to have a healthy lifestyle, workout on a regular basis often seems to be difficult and we delay our training plans to never-coming “next weeks”.

The more one delays such plans and does not step into action, the more difficult and unrealistic it becomes to turn exercise into a daily habit, which not only boosts one’s physical and mental health but also contributes significantly to the overall health status.

According to an expert, an individual -- regardless of her/his age -- should begin physical training by setting short-term goals without seeking overnight results.

“General recommendation is that you exercise three times a week, varying from three minutes to an hour,” said Dr. Julián Álvarez García, an expert from Spain specializing in sports medicine and sports physiology, adding training frequency should be in accordance with one’s physical and health condition.

García, a 55-year old physician, said the ultimate goal of exercise and training was not to get ripped like the Greek-god sculptures but to develop training consistency and discipline through which one gets healthier and stronger in the long run.

“First, get inspired and start exercising,” he said, adding one could then become a source of inspiration for others such as family members, friends and colleagues.

“It is never too late. You improve and get better than yesterday. That is all that matters. The key is to have progression,” he said but warned that a healthier body was not entirely dependent on physical activity, as nutrition also plays a vital role in this regard.

He said people should prefer a regular healthy diet containing required macro and micronutrients.

Macronutrients -- carbohydrates, fats and proteins -- provide the human body with energy, or calories, whereas the micronutrients -- including vitamins and minerals -- are taken in low amounts but play an important role.

- Muscle building

Riza Sahin, a Turkish bodybuilder who ranked fourth in National Amateur Body Builders' Association (NABB), said one’s consistency and determination with quality diet is inevitable to build a strong and healthy body.

He said up to 70% of muscle building is directly related to eating habits although beginners thought the training was the only instrument that would enable muscle building. He added that sleeping was another significant factor in the process.

Sahin said the nutrition-based diet played a key role in muscle-building. "You are what you eat."

Financial concerns or pre-existing health conditions might deter people from doing sports regularly in the early days, he said, however, one can even build muscles by sticking to basic training methods so long as a proper diet is followed.

"You can even obtain concrete results by training at street parks," he said, but urged that the training system should be based on a scientific and systematic structure.

He advised that people should check with their doctors prior to starting to work out and make sure that training will not pose any sort of risk to them.

An intense-cardio training sounds tempting to many, Sahin said, but people with heart problems might “regret” to do this kind of training and suffer from serious health complications.