A quarter of women avoid exercise in fear of being judged, poll claims
A lady takes part in a yoga session. File
One in four women shy away from exercise for fear of being judged, according to a new poll.
Almost half of 2,000 surveyed had at some point felt negatively judged when working out - with this number highest for those aged 18-24, 70 per cent of whom said they felt that way.
Thirty-seven per cent felt others believed they were not “good enough” to exercise and 28 per cent feared people thought they were "unattractive" when working out.
A third worry others will think they are a novice.
The poll also revealed a lack of movement which could have serious health implications.
The results revealed that the average respondent was physically active for just four hours a day, equating to three quarters of the waking day spent inactive.
More than one in five (21 per cent) admitted to participating in physical exercise less than once a week, if at all.
Many preferred to spend time watching TV (55 per cent), browsing the internet (42 per cent) or doing nothing at home (36 per cent).
The poll, commissioned by Sure Women, also claimed that despite women spending nearly £300 on gym memberships and fitness classes per year, many do not take advantage of the facilities they are paying for.
Protein shakes have long been touted as a gym bag essential, consumed by gym-goers in an effort to boost muscle recovery and minimise post-workout muscle soreness, but they may not be the most effective way to relieve aching muscles, a new study suggests.
The researchers have found that neither whey-protein based shakes nor milk-based formulas enhanced the rate of muscle recovery following resistance training when compared to a carbohydrate only drink.
"While proteins and carbohydrates are essential for the effective repair of muscle fibres following intensive strength training, our research suggests that varying the form of protein immediately following training does not strongly influence the recovery response or reduce muscle pain," said study lead by author Thomas Gee from the University of Lincoln in the UK.
The experiment involved 30 male participants, all of whom had at least a year's resistance training experience.
Researchers asked participants to rate their levels of muscle soreness on a visual scale from 'no muscle soreness' (0) through to 'muscle soreness as bad as it could be' (200).
Participants also completed a series of strength and power assessments to test their muscle function.
The results showed a significant rise in the levels of muscle soreness across the three groups 24 hours and 48 hours after the initial resistance training session, with ratings for all groups rising to over 90, significantly higher than the groups baseline ratings, which ranged from 19-26.
The study also showed reductions in muscle power and function.
The findings published in the journal Human Kinetics, suggest there was no difference in recovery response between the different formulas and no additional benefit of protein consumption on muscle recovery.
"The dependence on protein shakes is one of the fads that need to be dispelled, especially when one uses it as a post-workout concoction to combat muscle pain," Ashutosh Jha, Consultant Orthopaedics, Columbia Asia Hospital in Ghaziabad, told reporters.
Hollywood star Jennifer Aniston revealed an unusual "wellness ritual" that she undertakes with her "Friends" co-star Courteney Cox.
The 50-year-old actor opened up about her "self-care", and said she has a passion for joining Courteney in infrared saunas.
Speaking to "Shape" magazine, Aniston said she was a "major fan" of this "one can't miss wellness ritual".
Cox and she were so into these saunas that the 55-year-old star, who played Monica Geller in the much-loved sitcom, has even bought a portable one so she could enjoy at any time with Aniston.
Singers Selena Gomez and Lady Gaga are also reportedly fans of the treatment, which involves sitting in an enclosed sauna and letting infrared light hit the body.
It reportedly helps augment skin radiance, and "Vogue" magazine said it helps "release of endorphins, increased circulation and relaxed mind and muscles which leads to better sleep".
Recently a report on fitness levels of corporate Indians revealed that 63 per cent of executives are overweight with a Body Mass Index (BMI) greater than 23.
The report has been compiled by reviewing the diet and activity levels of close to 60,000 working professionals across 20 plus companies over a period of 12 months.
These professionals range from factory workers, sales professionals, IT professionals, bankers and others in cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata and remote locations like Jhagadiya, Khandala and Vapi. The professionals were in the 21 to 60 age group.
When it comes to the number of steps taken in a day, an important indicator of activity levels, consumer goods sector has taken the pole position with a count of 5,988 when it comes to average steps taken in a day.
The least active are executives from the financial sector who have an average count of just 4,969 steps. While, executives from other sectors like retail, manufacturing, marketing and IT take upwards of 5,000 steps.
According to the data, running is the most popular activity for both males and females. Other activities that are popular amongst male executives are bicycling, gym workouts and swimming. Women prefer more of indoor activities that can be done at home, for e.g. Yoga and other home workouts.
The data also shows that weekends are the least active days of the week for workouts. The calorie burn rate drops down to an average of 250 on weekends compared to 300 on weekdays.
Agencies
