Recreation is an essential service for Health and Wellness.

"Recreation Activities is the foundation of care, and every event, encounter, or exchange with an individual is an activity."

"People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but they will never forget how you made them feel..."

"The word recreation really is a very beautiful word. It is defined in the dictionary as the process of giving new life to something, of refreshing something, or restoring something. This something, of course, is the whole person.

FUNCTIONAL INTERVENTION: to maintain and/or improve functional abilities, enhance well-being and facilitate independence.

LEISURE EDUCATION: to teach or enhance recreation skills and attitudes that can be used throughout life.

RECREATION PARTICIPATION: to promote health and growth.

Recreation services and leisure experiences help people with physical, cognitive, social or emotional limitations make the most of their lives.

RECREATION IS…
* Empowering
* Dynamic
* Treatment, Education & Purposeful Recreation
* Fun
* For People with Unique Leisure Needs
* About Quality of Life
* Facilitating Leisure Lifestyles
* Practiced by Recreation Professionals
* About Mind, Body, and Spirit
* Important to Know About

THE ADVENTURE OF SURPRISE GHANA

it a recreational activities that focus on Fitness Health, Travelling, Informative Programs, Facilitating Opportunities, Interactive and a Dynamic Program of Social Event.

It a Life Experience.... 

Package by Reindz Star Concepts and Charlotte Club House. 

WORKOUT SAFETY TIPS FOR EARLY MORNING EXERCISE

If you’re going to be doing your workouts first thing in the morning, it is extra important that you pay attention to these safety tips.

Getting in regular workouts is one of the most important things that you can be doing to improve your health and fitness level.

That’s why more and more people who are adopting the caveman lifestyle with their eating habits are turning to early morning workouts to make sure they get physical activity into place.
When you do your workouts first thing in the morning, there’s less of a chance that something else is going to crowd them out of your day.

PERFORM A LONGER WARM-UP
Early morning workouts should start with an extended warm-up. Take at least 15 minutes to get the blood flowing throughout the body in preparation for exercise.
Those who rush through their warm-ups are far more likely to experience injuries when their ligaments are still tight and stiff and have a greater chance of being strained or torn. Although a longer warm-up takes a bit more time, it will be well worth it in the end.

TAKE CARE OF PRE-WORKOUT NUTRITION
Many people postpone having breakfast until after their morning workout is done; eating is the last thing on their mind when getting out of bed. But in fact, fueling up is recommended before performing any type of intense physical activity.
Have some lean protein and a piece of fruit before starting your routine. This will give your body the nutrients it needs. A couple hundred calories is sufficient, and it only takes a few minutes to get it in..

ADD WARM-UP WEIGHT LIFTING SETS
Another aspect to include in your early morning workout session is some warm-up weight lifting. Rather than jumping right into the usual weight lifting exercises you have scheduled, include one warm-up set performed with a lighter weight.
This will ensure that you’re muscles are ready for the contractions that they’ll be doing and that you can lift the most weight possible when it comes time to doing your set.

Start Exercise, Stay Healthy
#Fit4LifeLive4Life

7 TIPS TO HELP YOU START A MORNING EXERCISE ROUTINE

The solution that works best for me is exercising in the morning. I know, with work schedules and other commitments, this might be difficult for some. However, if the only thing holding you back is a warm bed and sweet dreams then creating a morning exercise routine is within reach – you just need to form the habit.

I recommend exercising in the morning for two reasons. First, it gets exercise out of the way before a million excuses start to form and, quite frankly, before I shower. Once I shower and start my day I will not be working up a sweat. Regardless, I can’t even tell you the number of times I would plan to exercise after work. Then 5:00pm would hit and I would be too tired to even think about getting in a workout. Not to mention, I needed to get home and feed my family. By the time all the nightly activities were done it was time to pass out. Therefore, if I don’t exercise in the morning it won’t happen at all. The only excuse that keeps me from getting on my treadmill is waking up late. In my opinion, this is a much easier fix than trying to find an hour or two in the middle of the day or at night.

The second reason I like to exercise in the morning is it starts my day on a positive note. I use that time to think about life, solve problems, and just be in solitude. That one-hour of exercise helps me stay focused and energized throughout the entire day. Feeling productive and accomplished is a priority for me. I need that. When I start my day with exercise I feel productive, accomplished, and ready to take on the world – all by 7:00am!

If you think exercising in the morning could benefit you then here are 7 tips that can help you start a morning exercise routine.

#1 Pick a realistic time
It is often tempting to set my alarm clock for 4:30am so I can have my workout and shower done by 6:00am. However, that is not realistic or sustainable for me. Trust me I have tried many times. A time I can stick with is 5:30am. This allows me to get the proper amount of sleep and still enough time for a solid workout. If you pick a time that you can never stick with then you will find it very difficult to create a routine and habit around that.
Once you pick a early morning time to exercise then protect that time. It is easy to get off track doing other things. However, if you decide 6:30am – 7:30am is exercise time then make sure nothing else takes priority.

#2 Get a good night sleep
This goes along with the first tip. If you go to bed at midnight not only will it be difficult to wake up at 5:30am it will be even harder to find the energy for a quality workout. We need at least 7-9 hours of sleep to function at our best. I know we all think we are superhuman and can survive on much less. However, we are looking to thrive, not just survive, so we need our sleep. My goal bedtime is 10:30pm. Any later and I will struggle waking up in the morning.

#3 Put out clothes, sneakers, and earbuds the night before
This is huge! Trust me the last thing you want to do after waking up is search around for all your work out gear. The number of times I went back to bed because I could not find my ear buds is embarrassing. Having your workout gear ready the night before will put you 10 steps ahead come the morning.
Also, plan to get into your workout clothes and put your sneakers on as soon as you wake up. This lets your mind know you are getting ready for a solid sweaty workout!

#4 Plan out your exercise routine ahead of time
Wake up each morning with an exercise plan. What exercises are you going to do? How long? Are you going to switch up exercises on certain days? Having an exercise plan helps you getting started and stay focused on your workout. However, don’t feel like you need to do an iron man workout every day. Even a little exercise is better than no exercise so do what can. The point is know what those exercises are going to be.

#5 Give yourself a few minutes to wake up
In the past, I would wake up and immediately drag myself down to my basement to exercise. I was barely coherent and many times this caused my workouts to be mediocre at best. When I gave myself 10 minutes to wake up I became more alert and ready to exercise. During that 10 minutes I will drink water, stretch, and start listening to my music. I know this seems very basic but it is these simple tips that have shown some of the biggest results for me.

#6 Put together a motivating play list
The right music is essential to staying motivated during a workout – at least it is for me. When I have high energy motivating music playing I can run 30 minutes without thinking twice about. I highly recommend taking the time to put together a playlist specifically to listen too when exercising.

#7 Exercise often
Whenever you are forming a new exercise habit the key is to do it often (at least 4-5 days) and for a long period of time (3-4 weeks). If you exercise sporadically it will always feel like you are starting from the beginning. Challenge yourself to stick with it.
When you begin waking up early to exercise it will be hard – very hard. You won’t want to do it and will probably have to push yourself a bit. However, after a few days it will get easier. Then after a week or so you will wake up before the alarm goes off and look forward to exercising. After a few weeks it will become second nature – exercising in the morning will become a habit. Once you form the habit you don’t need to be as strict. However, in my experience, keeping exercising consistent will help sustain your exercise habit.

I say this all the time…IT NEVER GETS EASIER YOU ONLY GET BETTER! Keep that in mind when things feel impossible or out of reach. You can do this!

Have a wonderful day!
#Fit4LifeLive4Life

7 AMAZING BENEFITS OF DRINKING WATER FIRST THING IN THE MORNING!

DEAL WITH A HEADACHE
The human brain is made up of 85% water. So, if there is the absence of enough water in the brain, it can lead to serious headaches. You can drink water in the morning to stop these aches.

IT REHYDRATE YOUR BODY
When you wake up after a sleep marathon, your body will be dehydrated. No matter the amount of water you drank the previous day, your body will still lack water in the morning.

EASE MENSTRUAL PAIN
Every month, women suffer from cramps which can sometimes be unbearable. Drinking water helps to reduce the water retention in the vagina which causes cramps thus easing the pain.

REDUCE ARTHRITIS
Your joints are filled out with fluid that can increase or decrease depending on your water intake. This fluid also reduces due to tough activities and ageing. Drinking water in the morning helps your body to restore fluid so that your joints can move freely.

BOOST YOUR KIDNEY HEALTH
A kidney stone is a hard, crystalline mineral material formed within the kidney or urinary tract. Kidney stones are a common cause of blood in the urine and often severe pain in the abdomen. You can tackle kidney stone by downing lots of water, especially in the morning.

IT’S ABSOLUTELY REFRESHING
Gulping water after you wake up in the morning is absolutely refreshing and makes you feel good.

GET RID OF UNUSABLE TOXINS
Water can assist in flushing toxins (a toxin is anything that damages the body) out of your body. This is because while you are asleep your body cleans itself, restores lost energy and balances hormones. After the cleanup, toxins and other waste materials will be released and wait to be flushed out. So, to clear these toxins, you should drink water in the morning.

Have a wonderful day!

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News Paper Publication

News Paper Publication

We are very proud of our good team, Fit4Life Live4Life is being published on The Province Newspaper. #BetterDaysAhead. 

PROSTATE HEALTH

MEN - MY CHILDHOOD; MY MANHOOD; MY PROSTATE.

Is Prostate strictly for Men?

Yes, ONLY men have prostate and ONLY men over 40years but the healthcare enlightenment is for everyone. There is no woman who does not know a man 40 years and above – Father, Uncle, Brother, Son, Friend, Neighbor, Colleague …

Essentially what I will be doing today is health promotion. Responsible health promotion must provide three things:

1. Information

2. Reassurance

3. A Plan of Action.

Let me start with a background on Prostate Health.

Everyone has a pair of kidneys. The job of the kidney is to remove waste. It is the LAWMA (waste management company) of your body. Everyday your blood passes through the kidney several times to be filtered. As the blood is filtered, urine is formed and stored in a temporary storage tank called the urinary bladder.

If there were to be no urinary bladder, as a man walks on the road, urine will be dropping.

Now think of the plumbing work in your house. Think of the urinary bladder as the overhead storage tank. From the storage tank, a good plumber will run pipes to other parts of the house, including the kitchen. God in His wisdom ran pipes from our urinary bladder to the tip of the penis. The pipe is called the urethra. Just below the bladder and surrounding the urethra is a little organ called the prostate gland.

The prostate gland is the size of a walnut and weighs about 20grams. Its job is to make the seminal fluid which is stored in the seminal vesicle. During sexual intercourse, seminal fluid comes down the urethra and mixes with the sperms produced in the testicles to form the semen. So semen technically is not sperm. It is sperm + seminal fluid. The seminal fluid lubricates the sperm.

After age 40, for reasons that may be hormonal, the prostate gland begins to enlarge. From 20 grams it may grow to almost 100 grams. As it enlarges, it squeezes the urethra and the man begins to notice changes in the way he urinate.

If you have a son under 10, if he has a little mischief like we all did at that age, when he comes out to urinate, he can target the ceiling and the jet will hit target. Call his father to do same, wahala dey. His urine stream is weak, cannot travel a long distance and sometimes may come straight down on his legs. So he may need to stand in awkward position to urinate.

Not many men will be worried their urine stream cannot hit the ceiling. Toilets are on the floor and not on the ceiling. But other symptoms begin to show.

TERMINAL DRIPPLING:

The man begins to notice that after urinating and repacking, urine still drops on his pants. This is the reason why after an older man urinates, he has to ring bell. A younger man simply delivers to the last drop and walks away. Just see an older man coming from the bathroom. Sometimes he may clutch the newspaper closely to hide the urine stains, particularly on plain colored trousers.

HESISTANCY

At this point you wait longer for the urine flow to start. There are 2 valves that must open for you to urinate – the internal and external sphincters. Both open but because of obstructions in the urethra, you wait long for the flow to start.

INCOMPLETE EMPTYING

You have this feeling immediately after urinating that there is still something left.

As all these things happen, the bladder begins to work harder to compensate for the obstruction in the urethra. The frequency of urination goes up. Urgency sets in. sometimes you have to practically run into the toilet. Nocturia also becomes common. You wake up more than 2 times at night to urinate. Your wife begins to complain.

Men being men may not talk to anyone even at this point. Then the more serious complications start.

Stored urine gets infected and there may be burning sensation when urinating.

Stored urine forms crystals. Crystals come together to form stone either in the bladder or in the kidney. Stones may block the urethra.

Chronic urinary retention sets in. The bladder stores more and more urine. The size of the bladder is 40 - 60 cl. A bottle of coke is 50cl. As the bladder stores more urine it can enlarge up to 300cl. An overfilled bladder may leak and this leads to wetting / urinary incontinence. Also the volume may put pressure on the kidney and may lead to kidney damage.

What may likely bring the man to hospital is acute urinary retention. He wakes up one day and he is not able to pass urine.

Everything I have described above is associated with prostate enlargement, technically called benign prostate hyperplasia.

There are other diseases of the prostate like:

1. Prostatitis – inflammation of the prostate

2. Prostate cancer – cancer of the prostate.

This discussion is on prostate enlargement.

I have bad news and good news.

The bad news is that every man will have prostate enlargement if he lives long enough.

The good news is that there are life style changes that can help the man after 40 to maintain optimum prostate health.

Nutrition

Look at what you eat. 33% of all cancers, according to the US National Cancer Institute is related to what we eat.

Red meat everyday triples your chances of prostate disease. Milk everyday doubles your risk. Not taking fruits / vegetables daily quadruples your risk.

Tomatoes are very good for men. If that is the only thing your wife can present in the evening, eat it with joy. It has loads of lycopene. Lycopene is the most potent natural antioxidant.

Foods that are rich in zinc are also good for men. We recommend pumpkin seeds (ugbogulu).

Zinc is about the most essential element for male sexuality and fertility.

Men need more zinc than women. Every time a man ejaculates he loses 15mg of zinc. Zinc is also important for alcohol metabolism. Your liver needs zinc to metabolize alcohol.

ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION

As men begin to have urinary symptoms associated with prostate enlargement, it is important they look at alcohol consumption. More fluid in means more fluid out.

Drink less. Drink slowly.

EXERCISE

Exercise helps build the muscle tone. Every man should exercise. Men over 40 should avoid high impact exercise like jogging. It puts pressure on the knees. Cycling is bad news for the prostate. We recommend brisk walking.

SITTING

When we sit, two-third of our weight rests on the pelvic bones. Men who sit longer are more prone to prostate symptoms. Do not sit for long hours. Walk around as often as you can. Sit on comfortable chairs. We recommend a divided saddle chair if you must sit long hours.

DRESSING

Men should avoid tight underwear. It impacts circulation around the groin and heats it up a bit. While the physiological temperature is 37 degrees, the groin has an optimal temperature of about 33 degrees. Pant is a no - no for men. Wear boxers.  Wear breathable clothing.

SMOKING

Avoid smoking. It affects blood vessels and impact circulation around the groin.

SEX

Regular sex is good for the prostate.

Celibates are more prone to prostate illness. While celibacy is a moral decision, it is not a biological adaptation. Your prostate gland is designed to empty its contents regularly.

Thought: when someone share something of value with you and you benefit from it. You have a moral obligation to share it with others because someone might be saved.

10 Benefits of Your Child's Physical Activity

When many people decide to "get fit," they assume it involves rigorous activity. But you don't have to spend hours in a gym to be physically active. People can get in shape by performing everyday activities in the home. Every time you and your child throw a softball, swim a lap, climb a flight of stairs, walk to the store, or carry packages, your health and fitness levels are improving.

When someone is physically fit, he or she feels and looks better, and they stays healthier. The earlier a child starts getting in shape, the more he/she'll reduce her risk of numerous illnesses.

Here are some of the benefits that physical activity offers your child:

1. It strengthens the heart. The heart is a muscle. Like other muscles, its performance improves when it's regularly challenged by exercise. The heart responds to exercise by becoming stronger and more efficient. Strengthening the heart muscle can help ward off heart disease.

2. It helps keep arteries and veins clear. Exercise reduces the amount of harmful cholesterol and fats in a person's blood. It increases the flexibility of the walls of blood vessels, and helps to lower blood pressure. This can reduce a person's risk for heart attack and stroke.

3. It strengthens the lungs. Working hard increases lung capacity, and their efficiency in moving air in and out of the body. As a result, more oxygen is drawn into the body and more carbon dioxide and other waste gases are expelled. Regular exercise helps prevent the decline in oxygen intake that occurs naturally with age or as a result of inactivity.

4. It reduces blood sugar levels. Exercise prevents sugar from accumulating in the blood by triggering muscles to take up more glucose from the bloodstream and use it for energy. This can reduce a person's risk of developing diabetes.

5. It controls weight. When a person is sedentary, he tends to be taking in more calories than are needed. These unused calories accumulate as fat. A person who is physically active may have a deficit of calories, which takes fat away and lowers weight. Lowered weight is good for the heart and can be beneficial in people with diabetes.

6. It strengthens bones. Just as muscles grow stronger when physically stressed, bones also respond by getting stronger. Exercise increases bone density, which helps prevent osteoporosis, a condition in which bones lose density, weaken, and become porous and fragile.

7. It helps prevent cancer. People who exercise regularly have lower incidences of cancer. The cancers most affected include colon, prostate, uterine, and breast cancers.

8. It regulates blood pressure. Exercise has been shown to reduce stress levels. As the levels of stress in a person's body subsides, his blood pressure and his risk for heart disease decline.

9. It improves energy levels. Regular exercise often makes people feel more energetic, allows them to be more active, and reduces the likelihood that they'll tire during the day.

10. It enhances emotional well-being. Most people report that they feel calm and have a sense of well-being after they exercise. Exercise, according to one theory, releases beta-endorphin, a natural substance in the body that is hundreds of times more potent than morphine. Another theory points to serotonin as the cause of the exercise high. Increased levels of serotonin in the central nervous system are associated with feelings of well-being, heightening of appetite, and lessening of mental depression. The weight loss that accompanies exercise can also cause people to feel better about themselves.

Sources: American Academy of Pediatrics; American Medical Association; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Reviewed
13/03 by Olayinka Ajibola , Director of Operations / Fitness Expect @ Kc Gym & Fitness Centre.

All content here, including advice from doctors and other health professionals, should be considered as opinion only. Always seek the direct advice of your own doctor in connection with any questions or issues you may have regarding your own health or the health of others.