Monday, March 13, 2006
Health conscious Dabawenyos
By Barbara Carla R. Quiero
DABAWENYOS today are becoming more and more health conscious. This can be gleaned from year's theme of the Araw ng Dabaw 69th celebration, which is "Kalusugan, Kalinisan Bukas ng Kabataan", highlighting health and cleanliness.
Pondering on the health side of the theme makes one think that a person's health or "kalusugan" can determine his or her future.
Another proof is the mushrooming of fitness centers and spas in almost all corners of the city.
If one were a health buff, Holiday Spa and Fitness Center, Metro Lifestyle Fitness Center and Spa, Smashville and BeeFIT Gym and Aerobics would really sound familiar.
Holiday Gym and Fitness center operations manager Ivy G. Fernandez said an average of 350 Dabawenyos a day register in the gym to exercise for at least an hour.
Mary Ann Arellano, operations manager of Holiday Spa, said they'd get at least 60 clients a day.
Among her clients, Fernandez said, 60 percent are men and 40 percent are women, showing a sign that Dabawenyos might be more health conscious than the Dabawenyas.
Meanwhile, Metro Lifestyle Fitness Center Gym manager Jimmy O. Javier said their clients in a day are never lesser than 200.
Javier, also the owner of BeeFIT Gym and Aerobics, said he receives at least 120 clients a day who also spend at least an hour and thirty minutes per session.
Fernandez said, these spas and fitness centers are sending messages that there is indeed a market for the said "fitness industry" in Davao City.
Today, the industry continues to grow and becoming more and more updated with exercise equipments even coming from outside the country.
Gyms are not only competing for clients through good services but through equipments such as a world-class and top of the line cardiovascular machines like treadmills, elliptical trainers and bikes.
Spas are also competing through the best masseurs and massages that keep their client satisfied.
Fernandez, who is accredited by the American Council of Exercise (ACE) as a lifestyle and weight management consultant said that there are many reasons on why Dabawenyos go to gyms or aerobics center and spas, but, the major reason, she said, is to become healthy or stay healthy.
Health, according to the American Heritage Dictionary, is the soundness of body and mind or the overall condition of an organism and being healthy possesses a good or sound body and mind.
Staying physically fit or healthy, Fernandez said, has many advantages and rewards.
Fernandez said if one's goal is to lose weight, the best way is to combine proper diet with exercise. "If you just go in a diet alone, for a time medyo mabilis siya depending on the age, if your 25 or 24 you go in a diet, after a week or a month you lose weight but when your slowly to reach your 30's your metabolism slows down, that's why you really need to partner it with exercise," Fernandez said in an interview.
Getting into exercise, she said has an overall effect such as an increased stamina and energy to do all the things that a person wants.
"Kasi ang common knowledge natin is pag sexy, physically fit na. Pagnakakita ng sexy, healthy na yun, fit na for them. But, it does not necessarily follow na pag yung tao has a waist line of 25, physically fit na. You can have a waist line of 36 but you can still be physically fit," she added.
Physical fitness, according to her, is when one is able to do all the activities one has to do in a day with at least extra energy at the end of the day to do some extra or any leisure activities after a hard days work.
"Pag di ka physically fit after 8-5 pm work tired kana, you want to go home na, sleep or rest. Wala kanang extra energy or time to socialize. Wellness naman ay may social aspect, hindi lang sa bahay or office," she said.
But Fernandez warned exercise buffs not to get overboard, saying this may trigger over-exercise syndrome where one easily gets tired.
Over-exercise syndrome, she said is when a person does not give his or her body time to rest like, spending at least five hours a day to exercise whether in a gym or at home. She added that exercise should be done three to four times a week.
According to Fernandez, physical fitness has three components: cardiovascular, strength and flexibility. Developing the cardiovascular component of the body will avoid heavy breathing or panting even when doing strenuous activities, such as climbing stairs or running, she said, while developing the strength component of the body will help bones produce more calcium, making it stronger.
"Maraming babae gusto puro cardio or aero exercise. Feeling nila pag nag weights, lalaki sila but that's a misconception. When you carry weight, you don't gain muscle right away," she said.
The third component, Fernandez said is flexibility. Flexibility exercise, she said, is done at the end of the cardiovascular and strength exercise.
"You stretch to improve the range of motion your body can do," she said. Fernandez said that as young as five years old can start engaging into exercise. But, those who are not yet into exercise, it is not too late to engage into such activity. However, one should also take precautionary measures since not all exercise is appropriate for a person.
After all, health is wealth and it can also help determine one's future, if one is healthy there is a bigger chance to live longer and live life to the fullest.
For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here. (March 13, 2006 issue)
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