Note:
If you are keen and have queries, please contact Coach Rameshon at 9100 4369 or you can email him at m.rameshon@gmail.com or swift.rameshon@gmail.com. Please refer to website http://flexifitness.com.sg (for more information on him and his programmes)
By Editors of Flexifitness
During the circuit breaker period, some may be unsure if they should exercise or not and what food they could consume to be less prone to contracting the Corona Virus. Seeing this as a complex issue to discuss, it is good to ask an experienced person. He does not only have the experience, but he also has a Masters in Education. Therefore, I decided to ask Coach Rameshon a few important questions and hear his thoughts on it.
1. What is the difference between normal flu and Corona Virus?
Normal flu is quite contagious. In fact, in the USA, part of the Corona Virus death could be from normal flu that people are dying from. Flu is a virus and those with immunity can recover from it. However, if one gets the Corona Virus, they need to have a much higher immunity level to recover from it.
Children from 1 to 4 years old are still building up on their immune system. Hence, they can be more prone to getting the virus. Therefore, it is important for parents to adopt a healthy eating habit for their children so that they can build up on their immunity.
For adults, the older they get, their immunity goes down due to ageing as they are moving closer to death. Hence, they could be more prone to getting the virus as well. Therefore, it is important for adults to adopt a healthy lifestyle by exercising regularly and keeping themselves fit.
2. What are the advantages of an active person and the disadvantages of an inactive person?
An active person will be able to keep their health and fitness. Health is about increasing their vitality and immunity. Fitness consists of 10 components and we will be focusing on some of the very important components. If a person exercises and stays active, they will be able to improve/maintain their stamina, balance, strength, coordination, agility and power of their hands and legs to be able to perform their daily tasks without getting fatigued easily. Their heart and lungs will be kept strong as well. Most people who are healthy also focus on their diet and hydration.
An inactive person, in three weeks, their stamina can drop by 50%. Since they are not exercising, their fitness components such as their stamina, balance, strength, coordination, agility and power of their hands and legs will start to drop. This would cause them to feel fatigued easily and may find it difficult to complete their daily tasks as they would have to put in more effort compared to an active person.
For adults at the age of 50 to 70 years old, they will lose at least 40% of their muscle mass regardless of whether they are active or inactive. Their bone density also starts decreasing.
3. Can people go out the parks like Bishan Park and Pasir Ris park to exercise during the circuit breaker period?
Firstly, due to the government ruling, one can only exercise in their neighbourhood. This is because, example, if a person travels on public transport to other parks to exercise, it increases the chances of them getting the virus. Hence, it is better to follow the government’s ruling and only exercise in your neighbourhood.
Some parks like the Tiong Bahru park are small. Hence, a person needs to be disciplined to exercise at such parks and do several rounds in the park to achieve the minimum requirement of physical activity per day. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, one should engage in 30 minutes of moderate aerobic activity (23-26 beats per 10 seconds) every day.
People may have several parks near their house that they can run at. They should compare the parks and see which park has a longer route for them to run at so that it motivates them to complete the route and run a longer distance as well. If a person stays near parks as big as the Botanic Gardens, one should choose to run there instead because it is a very big park and one can cover more distance by running around that park.
When a person goes out to exercise, it keeps their mind occupied compared to a person who does not exercise and they are too free, their mind goes goofy. This causes the person to be unaware of the time being wasted during the unnecessary thoughts going through in the mind. Some may even start to quarrel with others for small things which do not matter.
4. Is it safe for the elderly to go out to exercise during this period?
Elderly should exercise because exercising can help slow down the ageing process and improve their health. This will help reduce the chances of them getting the Corona Virus.
In countries like Singapore where there is heat and humidity, the virus dies. Hence, when a person goes out to exercise, it is less likely that they would contract the virus.
5. What are the benefits of running?
Some of the benefits have been mentioned above in question 2, the advantages of an active person. People can also relieve their stress when they go for their run. They get to clear their mind.
Note:
By Narayanan
Rameshon has taught in Hwa Chong Institution, plus several schools, and Republic Polytechnic as well. He has won many accolades and he was awarded Merit Award for 1991 marathon performance in breaking the national record of Singapore, at that time. He has made 22 male athletes do a marathon in sub-3hrs. He has made 7 female runners do sub-4 hours for the marathon, as well. He was inducted to the ‘Roll of Honour’ by the then College of Physical Education, organised by Singapore Olympic Academy, in 1998, for breaking the National record repeatedly 4 times, till he did 2hr 24min 22sec).
He also has a Coaching group and he trains them on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 7pm at Botanic Gardens. Those interested can call him at 91004369 for coaching assistance, to improve performance. There is also personal training that he does for many in a week. You can e-mail him at swift.rameshon@gmail.com.
