Thursday, August 13, 2009

More pictures during the Fiesta Kecergasan

The lone table
During the competition



Formal introduction of judges
queuing to go up the stage before the introduction
1Malaysia pose during our break. sitted left Suziana (sabah) Gilbert (sarawak), Adilla (selangor), Aisyah (johor)
standing from left: Fadila (perak), yours truly, Josephine (perak), Rashid (WP KL), Aisyah (selangor), Mahani (perak) and Chik (pahang).
at the back is Malek (selangor)


some of the judges, waiting for their turn to judge
tokey KBS : from left Pn Lidyawati, Pn Fazulia, Pn Ziella and Cik Hani (cewahhh posing gitu)
the day before the competition, the technical meeting - head judge

Exercise and Flu

It saddens me when i read the paper yesterday that two babies died of A (H1N1) swine flu. 6 deaths was reported yesterday and the worst number of new cases reported was 270! Omigosh.... what should we do? Should we not get out of our houses? Should our children not go to school? What are the guidelines that we should follow? I keep myself updated with news of the flu, although i must say, i really dont know what to do. All of us know the usual procedures of washing hands, no more handshakes and cheek kissing, wear a mask and the usual stuff. What caught my eye was the catergory of high risk patients. High risk patients are (i hope i have my facts right)

1) babies
2) old age
(uhuk uhuk, terbatok la pulak..ahaks)
3) pregnancy
4) obesity
5) hypertension
6) asthmatic

No 4 and 5 is something we can do without provided we have a healthy lifestyle.

I questioned myself and got all these informations to share with you. Below are some tips for you to ponder.

Can exercise keep away the flu?

What if you're already have the flu symptoms? Should you push yourself to workout? Should you continue to exercise? Would even a light workout worsen the flu?

No one can deny the benefit of a regular exercise regime on overall health. Findings continue to support the benefit of regular exercise in strengthening the immune system, enabling it to fight viral and bacterial infections.

The most effective way to stay well is to keep your immune system strong. Taking care of yourself by eating nutritious foods, exercising regularly, getting ample sleep, and avoiding and reducing stress can go a long way towards helping you prevent illness.

According to recent findings, when moderate exercise is repeated on a daily basis, there is a cumulative immune-enhancing effect, which leads to a sustained response by the immune system to illness. When you exercise, your white blood cells -- the blood cells that fight infections in the body -- travel through your body more quickly, fighting bacteria and viruses (such as flu) more efficiently. To maintain good health, it is recommended at least 30 minutes of aerobic activity such as aerobic dance, cycling, brisk walk, swimming etc each day.

While regular exercise helps keep you trim and fit, there are also other benefits as well, that is to reduce stress and help you with a better sleep. Stress can wreak havoc with your mental and physical health. Regular exercise helps reduce stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline that can tear down immunity. Getting 7 to 8 hours sleep each night is equally important for staying well and helping your immune system fight viral and bacterial invaders. Exercising daily helps to improve healing sleep.

On the other hand, extremely vigorous forms of exercise, including working out for hours at the gym and running marathons, can have a negative effect on your immune system. Studies show that extreme workouts can decrease the number of white blood cells flowing throughout your body while increasing the level of stress hormones, such as cortisol and adrenaline, in the bloodstream. These emergency hormones help you cope with the physical stress but can also increase your likelihood of illness.

While mild exercise can help boost your immune system, you may want to be gentle on yourself if you already have the flu. That's when it's time to listen to your body, and give it time to recover.

The bottom line is to REST YOUR BODY WHEN YOU HAVE THE FLU. Allow your body a chance to adjust to the stress of illness. Your immune system functions best when it is not stressed.

When Not to exercise??

A fever is a sign that your body is battling a viral or bacterial infection. Exercising may stress your body even more and result in dehydration. It could delay your recovery from the flu. Be patient and wait a few days until your fever has broken and your body's feeling more energetic before returning to your regular exercise regime.

If you don't have a fever yet suffer with other flu symptoms, it's advisable to see a doctor first before you start exercising again.

Get well soon...

Get em' shoes ready, lets kickbox!

Monday, August 10, 2009

3 Diva