We live in a world where people are becoming more and more fond in shortcuts. Desktops have icons as shortcuts to access files, instameals are manufactured to as shortcuts to cooking the real viands, Abflex machines and the likes are popularized as shortcuts to avoid doing crunches and "still attain" a well-trimmed abdominals, and gym instructors being pressured by rich busy clients to come up with a fitness program that is a shortcut to a total body workout program.



I would like to put emphasis on the latter issue: the "shortcut workout program". There is no such thing as a shortcut workout program, only a shortened workout program which means that you have to spend less hours in the gym because you have something to catch after. But this means slow and poor fitness results. However, a person that is doing a shortened program still has to workout all his body parts and muscle groups. There is no such thing as spot training. There are clients walking in the gym who asks gym instructors what exercise is best to get rid of their big bellies or trim their fat arms and thighs. Of course a good and educated gym instructor will tell them to work everything out, not just the abs. Because doing abdominal workouts alone will only cause body injuries and pains without even minimizing the belt size.

Such is the common issue of busy or miseducated people. They thought that since most photographs and video footages frame people's upper bodies only most of the time, then they justify that it is enough to workout the upper body only and hide the chicken legs underneath the pants. Of course who would want to take a normal picture of you with only your lower body in the frame? And yes, if you always have a whole body picture, then chances are you are being deprived from close-ups. So normally, you would want a picture where your face is detailed enough to be appreciated, thus the norm of framing the upper body in pictures, and thus the abnormal practice of upper body workouts only.

Our lower body supports our upper body. It is what makes us stable, gives us balance, and makes us move from one place to another with ease. If you have a buffed upper body and yet have chicken legs, you are most likely not stable because your lower body could not support the weight of your upper body. You could be easily thrown off balance. What's the use of having a buffed upper body if one blow could already knock you off and you could not stand anymore? You better hide that upper body than flaunt it and attract a punch or two from somebody with issues who thinks you're showing-off. That's one bad thing, and saddening indeed.

Now you are starting to be convinced that you need top workout your lower body as well. Just think of the many cases of heart attacks and heart failures. Heart problems are brought about by neglecting to train the heart. The best way to train the heart is through cardiovascular exercises. These are exercises that requires you to sweat for a minimum of 30 minutes non-stop. These exercises also trains the lungs and your breathing. Moreover, these exercises are mostly executed with the major play of the lower body. They include: running, jogging, dancing, walking, swimming, playing basketball, volleyball, tennis, table tennis, and other cardiovascular induced sports. All these activities need the lower body to execute them. Having a poor lower body will mean poor performance in these activities. And if you are less involved in these activities, you will have a high chance of having a heart attack.

So do not shortcut your workouts. Train not only the upper body but the lower body as well and live healthier and longer!

*The author is a content provider of booty

If you want to know more skateboarding, fitness, health and the outdoors, visit www.booty.com.mx