By Vivienne Amijee
You never know the value of organic food until its all you want. Most African homes have a backyard full of vegetables that mums start for fresh produce, mainly for subsistence use. In my teenage years, it felt like a punishment to be asked to water the crops and tend to the weeds. Fast forward to my twenties and my life in America, “organic” is a term often used in only specific stores like Whole Foods, plus it’s way more expensive then non-organic groceries.
The price most Americans have to pay in exchange for consuming mainly non-organic foods is expensive gym membership fees and constantly participating in marathons or campaigns against obesity.
Heaven knows working out is not an easy task, especially when you are busy enjoying all the summer barbecues. But later you decide to scroll down your pinterest page or instagram and see how others are keeping fit or controlling their portions or going on diets that you know your body can’t handle. It is draining just to think about getting off the couch and exercising, let alone selecting a gym and attending religiously.
Story of my life summarised above. Back home in Kenya we walk a lot, that tends to count as the day’s workout. In America you drive everywhere so workout time has to be scheduled. It was not easy to adjust but I eventually got the hang of it. It’s amazing what traveling to a new continent can make you realise. For instance, my calling all along was to be a Yogi and I discovered it because I explored a new place. Traveling is great :), get your passport and book a ticket! But I digress…
When I first started working out I did six days in the gym, cardio and intense strength training. My body gave in and I was constantly unwell, this was because all I did was copy the exercises that the bulk men in the weights section were doing; you know, the ‘I-want-to-get-there-faster’ mentality. A year of that yielded very little results for me and I decided to tone it down and tried other fitness routines such as pilates (not for the faint-hearted), tabata (you shall breath fire), HIIT (great for athletes), zumba (my first love), cardio (you need great music to get through) and lastly I settled for YOGA (my go to workout).
Yoga is great for toning; not that I have eliminated the other routines but I do them two or three times a week, as opposed to yoga which I do daily. The beauty of yoga is its versatility. I do it at the park, in the living room, with friends, with kids, at the subway while waiting…even under the table during a boring date. 🙂
Zumba is my drug on days when I am feeling down, I dance my heart out as I sweat the stress away.
My point: find the exercise that suits you and makes you want to get up to it in the morning or do before you sleep, then go ahead and kick the fitness out of it. We all have different preferences, the good thing is that there is enough out there to suit everyone’s needs.
Go ahead and get your fit on, let me know which routine suits you best and why! 🙂