Gradually Myanmar people are recognising the need for regular exercise.

IS exercise or “working out” an essential part of your daily agenda or something that can be dropped if you’re just too busy? Around the world, people are realising the value (and necessity) of exercise – even the US president manages to find an hour a day to keep fit.

Personal trainer Ko Lu Lu says the trend has spread to Thailand, where many people now consider regular exercise a must. Compared to its close neighbour, very few people in Myanmar put in the same amount of effort, he says.

Ko Lu Lu, who has trained models from Plan B model agency, says exercisers fit into one of the three categories; those wanting to lose weight, gain weight or maintain a healthy weight.

For weight loss, he recommends a two hour program, with more repetitions at a lower weight, undertaken four days a week.

For weight gain, more weights with fewer repetitions are needed every second day for an hour and half, while those who want to maintain a normal weight and stay fit should perform a regular 45-minute workout.

“Those serious about losing or gaining weight should continue the program for about a year – only after that can you switch your program to one that will maintain your body,” says Ko Lu Lu.

Thirty-seven-year-old Kimberly Dara Bily from Ontario, Canada has been practicing yoga for about 10 years. She agrees with Ko Lu Lu that exercise is important but, as a mother of two children and the manager of a business entrepreneurs association, it is often difficult for her to find the time.

While there is awareness in developed countries that exercise is essential, Ms Dara Bily says, there are still many people who don’t exercise regularly.

“Many youths in developed countries like the US have exercise programs included in their school day and are also able to participate in after-school sports activities,” she says.

“However, the growing problem with a large percentage of young people in both Canada and the US is childhood and adult obesity and the serious health problems linked to these.

“It has been recognised as a huge issue and many ‘talk shows’ and ‘reality shows’ are now focusing on educating people further on the benefits of exercise and healthy eating,” says Ms Dara Bily.

Dr Vernette Myint Myint Sann, medical director and consultant physician at Kembangan-Radiant Medical and Aesthetic Centre, said exercising does not need to be difficult – walking for an hour a day and maintaining a balanced diet is enough for those who want to stay slim and healthy.

“Diet goes hand-in-hand with exercise. It’s an important factor, one that should be considered. Everyone should eat three healthy meals a day, with not more than two of these high in carbohydrates,” said Dr Vernette Myint Myint Sann, adding that a healthy diet should contain enough protein and also be low in sugar.

She said those wanting to lose or gain weight should be aware of their calorie intake after exercise.

“Those wanting to gain weight should not just replace the calories they’ve burned during their workout, they need to increase their calorie intake.”

But not everyone takes their exercise so seriously.

Lisa, 24, started going to the gym when she was a teenager but now does her workouts at home, using weights ranging from 15 pounds down to half a pound.

“I understand enough about how I should train from when I was a teenager. But I also studied the exercise movements from Cindy Crawford’s workout video and borrowed fitness magazines from the library,” she says. “I have even bought an exercise ball and an exercise mat – it’s kind of a hobby for me to buy my own stuff and work out at home instead of in the gym.”

“I enjoy working on different movements, like using the exercise ball and doing simple yoga movements on the exercise mat.”

Like Kimberly Dara Bily, she says the hardest part of exercising is finding time out from her job as an accountant and admits to sometimes not exercising for weeks in a row if work is particularly busy.

It is something Ko Lu Lu sees all too often. He says that while there are many young people who recognise the need for regular exercise, very few are really dedicated to the task.

“I see a lot of young people who come to me wanting an exercise program,” he says. “But the truth is most of the trainees I have still don’t put in enough effort on a regular basis.”