​Source: Fitness, Men’s Health, 25 September 2018© Singapore Press Holdings Limited. Permission required for reproduction.

Bye, Bye Dad Bod!

Even though the dad bod has been gaining acceptance, you prefer to ditch yours. That’s great! You may feel more relaxed with your apple belly but a widening waistline could spell troubles in the form of chronic illnesses like diabetes.

Achieving a healthy weight is about increasing your physical activity while maintaining a balanced diet. Having high-calorie meals and eating one too many slices of pizza without working out can cause even the leanest body types to gain weight.

Get on a healthy diet plan and a workout plan. Getting active with at least 150-300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity and at least 2 days of muscle strengthening activity a week. These 5 weight management workouts for men should get you off to a good start!

Added: 14 Jun 2019 by the Health Promotion Board

Post-ORD Fitness: 5 Fitness Classes to Help Build Muscle and Keep the Dad Bod Away

It seems to get harder to lose fat and gain muscle once you ORD, doesn’t it? Get rid of the dad bod with these fun classes and you’ll get fitter and stronger in no time.

Every Singaporean guy looks forward to the day they ORD. But let’s face it, serving NS led to many of you being in the best shape of your life. You could run as fast and long as you wanted, IPPT became a competition with your platoon mates, and it felt like no matter how much you ate, you wouldn’t put on much weight.

The bad news is after you ORD, you may not have the motivation and time to maintain that same level of fitness as before. With all your time devoted to establishing your career and starting a family, the chiselled physique and six-pack you once had has disappeared, and in its place is the dad bod.

In the original article where the term was coined, the dad bod is described as, “a nice balance between a beer gut and working out. The dad bod says, ‘I go to the gym occasionally, but I also drink heavily on the weekends and enjoy eating eight slices of pizza at a time.’”

If this sounds like you, you may not think it’s such a bad thing since it’s considered attractive. But make no mistake – you’re still worse off in terms of health, and an ever-increasing waistline has been shown to have dire consequences, leading to diabetes, heart disease, and even cancer.

“Increase in fat mass leads to a release of inflammatory chemicals in the blood,” says Dr. Guillem Gonzalez-Lomas, orthopaedic surgeon at NYU Langone’s Preston Robert Tisch Center for Men’s Health. “These chemicals wreak havoc on every organ system.”

In addition, the World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that physical inactivity is the fourth leading risk factor for global mortality (accounting for 6 percent of deaths globally), while being obese and being overweight are responsible for 5 percent of global mortality.

To combat the negative effects of inactivity in the long run, you should aim to achieve at least 150-300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity a week. By engaging in moderate-intensity aerobic activities for this recommended amount of time, such as brisk walking or playing a recreational game of soccer, you will be fighting fit and healthy again in no time!

So don’t let your fitness and health slide downhill even further. If you want to make a change but find regular exercise too boring, these trending classes will be exactly what you’re looking for to lose that belly and gain the muscle you’ve lost.

Trampoline Fitness Classes

Trampoline Fitness Classes

Duration: 45 min

Description: Trampoline fitness classes offer something completely different compared to your usual cardio or HIIT classes. Jumping and rolling will make you feel like a kid again and you won’t even feel like you’re working hard. They are usually high-intensity, low-impact cardio workouts which work your whole body and improve cardiovascular fitness in the long run.

HPB’s MOVE IT Classes, Fight-Do

HPB’s Fitness @ Work, Fight-Do

Duration: 60 min

Description: FIGHT DO® is without a doubt, the most dynamic program in group fitness. Attitude, energy and a whole lot more, FIGHT DO® is by far the best cardio workout and the ultimate fat burner. Boxing, kickboxing, and martial arts. These are just some of the techniques you will use to fight imaginary opponents in animated and exciting workouts. Step in the ring and prepare for a fight, the fight to enrich your life!

Can’t wait to kick and punch fat away? Find out more about HPB’s free classes here.

Water Spin Classes

Water Spin Classes

Duration: 45 min

Description: These unique spin classes take place underwater! Cycling feels completely different while partially submerged compared to doing it on land and will get your heart pumping quickly. It will also be easy on your joints as you will be using water resistance. This intense cycling session will give your legs a workout like no other.

HPB’s Quick HIIT

HPB’s Quick HIIT

Duration: 60 min

Description: Led by professional trainers, Quick HIIT features short bursts of high-intensity exercises that build muscle and burn calories in minimum time.

These free group exercises combine a variety of total body workouts, from traditional callisthenic and body weight exercises to interval training and strength training.

Work your core, upper and lower body muscles, improve your aerobic threshold for a higher fitness level, increase energy expenditure for weight management, and also train for your IPPT.

Prepare to get sweaty. Find out more about HPB’s free Quick HIIT classes here.

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