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The power of exercise
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The power of exercise

Everybody needs exercise; adolescence, girls as well as boys. Exercise makes you look good, beautiful and shinny, shapely and brightly-eyed.

It makes you stronger, because it strengthens your heart and lungs, builds your muscle and thickens your bones. It also makes you better able to resist diseases by boosting your immune system.

Exercise has some other benefits. It improves your mood, builds your self-confidence and makes you feel good. If you are feeling stressed, moody or sad, go for a fast walk or play game of football. Do some sit ups, play netball, or ride a bicycle, skip a rope or go for a swim. Anything that gets your heart pounding will lift your spirit.

Exercise can also be a good way to work on some important life skills such as confidence, coordination and teamwork. Many people first learn these skills when they join a team and this naturally happens as you call on one teammate or the other, all in the spirit of working together to win.

Apart from all these benefits, exercising will also help you shed some fat, especially if you are obese (overweight) and even if you are not, it will help you prevent it. A lot of walking around will be good for you, you can make it at a habit to walk at least 30 minutes a day.
Moreover, if you are fond of eating late, you have to try and put a stop to it and reduce the quantity of you take in the evening. This is because that meal might not be properly digested before you sleep and will, therefore, turn into fat which will be stored in your body.

A nutritionist, Mrs Christiana Nti, the former Head of Home Science Department of the University of Ghana, Legon, once expressed concern about the fact that ‘ obesity is becoming increasingly common in children, because they no longer engage in games that would help burn fat in their bodies, but are always glued to their TV sets or computer games’.

Getting plenty of exercise, however doesn’t mean that you have to join the sports team in your school or keep fit club in your vicinity before you can even do so.

Even helping your mother with her shopping, helping in the garden or around the house can be a good exercise. Making yourself useful at home can at the same time improve your relationship with your parents.
While some people are very athletic, others are not.

Some people have special talent for football, running fast or swimming well, just as some people are especially good in maths or learning languages.

Even if you don’t think you are an athletic, you should get plenty exercises. Everyone has a body that needs stretching, pushing, and testing. You may find that as you exercise you enjoy it more.

It can be difficult initially if you are not used to exercising. You may find that you get out of breath when you run. This may feel unpleasant and put you off. So start gradually, find an activity that you like and build your strength and build your strength so you can do more and more.

The aim should be get your heart pounding, to feel that you are breathing faster than normal, and to get warm. Try to do this for at least 20 minutes, three times a week and you will get used to it.

Even if you don’t think you are an athletic, you should get plenty exercises. Everyone has a body that needs stretching, pushing, and testing.

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