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Toastmaster Justin Noel Manikam completed his Competent Communication Assignment No 9 on Tues meeting. Club members and guest were greatly impressed with the information shared and quality of his speech. Awesome feedback was given by his evaluator – Sue Chan, DTM. Well done, Justin!

The objectives of this speaking project are to “persuade with power” and the title is Stop Sitting Around!.

Here is his complete speech:

Don’t worry I am not going to collect the survey forms I passed out earlier.  You can keep it.  But if your answer for question no.5 is YES, I seriously suggest that you reconsider your lifestyle.

Let us now review what are the excuses people give for avoiding exercise?  “I am happy the way I am”.  “I feel pretty good already”.  “I don’t have to worry I have good genes”.  “I don’t like to sweat”.  “I don’t know where to start”.  And the most common excuse is of course “I don’t have the time”.  You know what? I think all this are just lame excuses.  The President of the USA Barack Obama, who without a doubt is one of the busiest men on earth, even he finds time to exercise.  So I believe these people who avoid exercise, their real excuse is, “I am lazy.”  Full stop.

Fellow toastmasters and guest, the effects of not exercising are tragically horrifying.  According to studies, an estimated 250,000 deaths occur each year due to a lack of regular physical activity.  It is true that most of the 250,000 deaths are people who are overweight or obese but please remember slim people are not necessarily fit and healthy.  According to a survey published by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition which followed nearly 22,000 men over a period of eight years, found that men who were overweight but fit had a lower death rate than those who looked slim but were actually unfit.  This shows that it is fitness and not how much you weigh that really determines your health status.

That is why I liked to urge all of you today to start getting fitter by exercising regularly.  Exercise has got immense physical health benefits.

1. When we exercise, the heart becomes stronger, blood pressure drops, HDL (good) cholesterol increases, LDL (bad) cholesterol decreases.  The risk of heart attacks may also drop by 20% in those who exercise regularly.
2. Exercise also boosts our immune system, which means fewer infections, and therefore fewer visits to the doctor.
3. Exercise helps us manage our blood sugar levels therefore preventing the occurrence of type 2 diabetes.
4. Exercise improves our blood circulation and in doing so it improves our skin complexion.
5. Exercise improves our digestive system.

Exercise also has got tremendous mental health benefits.

1. Exercise relieves stress.  After a mentally strenuous day at the office it would be a good idea to sweat it out by exercising.
2. Exercise triggers the release of endorphins.  Endorphins are the body’s natural feel good chemicals which gives us an overall sense of well-being.
3. Exercise also boosts our self-esteem.  With improving fitness you begin to look and feel younger.  And for the older gentleman who wants to have a romantic evening with his wife to rekindle their youth, you don’t need artificial stimulants like Viagra to ignite those feelings; no you don’t; all you need is regular exercise to improve your blood flow to all regions of your body.
4. And to those of you who after hearing me mention all the benefits of exercise still think you don’t have the time.  I got a bargain for you.  According to studies, as fitness levels increase, quality of sleep also increases.  This means fit people need lesser hours of sleep.  And with lesser hours of sleep means you have more time to do whatever there is you need to do.  Fantastic bargain right?  The fitter you get the lesser sleep you need.

So let’s get started.  It doesn’t matter if you are young or old.  All you need for a start is 20 minutes 3 times a week.  You can take a brisk stroll, a moderate jog, cycle around your neighborhood, a swim in the pool or even dancing for fun.

And to those of you with families of your own, get them involved.  If they understand how important your exercise program is for your good health, they would want to be involved as well.  You can do all those activities I just mentioned with your family.  It will not only boost your health but also strengthen your family ties.

Another alternative; try out a gym.  Gyms nowadays are different they are not just the boring treadmills and stationary bicycles that go nowhere.  Gyms today have yoga, pilates, kick-boxing, aerobics and other exercises to keep it lively and interesting.  Trainers at most gyms today are also quite well-trained and knowledgeable.  They are able to tailor make suitable exercise programs for you.  Besides exercising and keeping fit in the gym, the gym is also a good place for single people to meet other single people.  It’s like killing two birds with one stone.  So, single people go join the gym.  It’s perfect for you.

In conclusion my fellow toastmasters and guest, we must not allow excuses to control our minds and keep us from reaching our fitness goals.  It is ultimately we ourselves who have the power to improve our lives.  I also earnestly want to stress here that exercising is not a chore but a fun activity that we should all enjoy.  And remember this, everyday you give an excuse not to exercise, is a day lost in getting closer to your fitness goal.  But if you follow your workout program everyday; everyday would be a day closer to your fitness goal.  So stop sitting around.  No more excuses.  Just Do It! like Nike.  Start exercising immediately!

Thank you.