There is one universal rule of thumb when it comes to achieving a healthy body and perfect figure. If you fall asleep, you lose. Exercise is a long term game.
It’s not a short-term program that you abandon after achieving a certain goal, as your body can lose the gains you’ve made over time through regression.
As Nairobi-based certified physiotherapist and fitness coach Dennis Okaka says, some workout proponents may include strenuous activity or prolonged periods of sitting.
“Most people fall short of their fitness goals when they make a habit of working out at the gym, pool, or track, but over time they start to backtrack on the gains they made while exercising regularly. “Some people start to lose it,” he says.
3 categories
Dennis has been a fitness coach in Kenya and Sweden for the past nine years and has distilled exercise into three categories over time.
“Some people are just starting out. I call them beginners, but anyone from 0 to 2 years falls into this category. The next category is intermediate, who have 2 to 5 years of experience. These are the people who are actively practicing. These are the people who have been actively training for more than 5 years. In my experience, the group that recedes the most is the first. “Beginners. Unmet expectations rank highest among reasons for regression,” says the expert, who has been actively working out for 17 years. say.
There are many reasons why people get lost. For some, it’s a change in work or family obligations, a relocation, a feeling that they’ve already achieved their fitness goals, or a lack of enthusiasm.
In 2014, Emma Waigwa started jogging to get fit.
“It was out of personal choice. I had what many people would consider healthy; toned and in great shape. Gradually, I began to achieve higher personal goals, and I started working at 10 in the morning. I can now comfortably jog for kilometers without stopping,” she says.
Emma Waigwa stretches before her morning jog in front of her home in Utawala on September 20, 2024.
Photo credit: Francis Nderitu | Nation Media Group
gain 30 kg
That was my girlfriend from college. After graduating and transitioning into work and family life, she gradually dropped this habit and ended up gaining more weight than ever before.
“I gained about 30 kilograms and started to feel more and more weak. I found it difficult to walk and do simple tasks like climbing stairs.”
When she returned to regular jogging about four months later, she could barely keep up with one kilometer continuous jog.
“All the gains I had made were washed away. I wasn’t that unwell before I started exercising, and that’s all I needed to get back on the road.” It was motivation.”
Work-related travel and long working hours were the main reasons Nairobi-based finance executive Michael Muema stepped off the treadmill.
fear for health
“Following my doctor’s advice, I started exercising in 2017. My job involves sitting for long periods of time. This, combined with a laissez-faire approach to eating, makes me think that without intervention I would develop a lifestyle disease. I enrolled in a fitness class and within a few months I began to see visible changes: I could breathe easier, exercise without feeling more fatigued, and my muscles were less sore after exercise. says Michael.
As the changes in his body became more apparent, gaps began to appear in his gym attendance.
“I started traveling a lot, and when I wasn’t traveling, I was working longer hours,” Michael says.
Once you start, you need to align your journey with intention.
“I think of fitness as a never-ending, intentional journey. To maintain it, you have to keep going, even when you don’t feel like it. Sometimes it’s not possible to maintain a regular routine, and for those people I recommend a basic training routine. “It has everything you need to do simple routines that don’t require much effort,” says Dennis.
It seems easy for someone who has been in fitness circles for nearly 20 years, but how difficult is it for others?
“Getting my body back took some careful decisions. This meant waking up early and planning the next day in advance so that my exercise wasn’t interrupted by other early morning activities. It took me a while to get the stamina I had before. It took me months to get there and even more to achieve the fitness I wanted. I don’t think I would have had to do that if I hadn’t fallen,” says Emma.
refuse to realize one’s potential
Even after getting the horse back on the road, she still hasn’t reached her full potential and hasn’t returned to her previous highest level of training. Her body fell hard, refusing to rise to that level again, but she kept pushing. BDLife caught up with her right after her morning jog.
“Right now I’m running 7km without a break. I can say I’m doing well, but it’s not my best,” she says.
This also applies to Michael. After his regression, Michael struggled with the time and motivation to return to the gym.
“It’s painful to see your gains go to waste. Training fills you with guilt, but it’s just as hard to control the desire to get back on track. Dare I say it? It’s harder to be a backslider than a beginner. It’s a little discouraging to know that you’re working on the same goals you achieved before, instead of aiming higher, but I’m getting more consistent.” she says.
a high price to pay
Both Michael and Emma agree that returning to a workout routine comes at a high price.
Can fitness enthusiasts avoid fitness regression when they can’t keep up? As Dennis says, the simple answer is yes.
“Everyone has different goals and fitness needs. Fortunately, there is science to assess and determine a person’s needs. Seeking the services of a qualified coach can help you find an alternative therapy that is right for you. Pursuing fitness doesn’t force you into a vacuum; life goes on and you’re mentally balanced. Everyone needs to realize that taking exercise is part of fitness,” says Dennis.
He goes on to say that we need to abuse the concept that strength trumps consistency.
“A daily routine is more important than a once-a-week high-intensity activity. It not only keeps you healthy but also teaches discipline, which is the biggest component of fitness.”
