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Knowledge is Vital

“The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of
knowledge.” 
-Daniel J. Boorstin, The Discoverers: A History of Man’s Search to Know His World and Himself.

It often happens that once we get on the exercise bandwagon several well wishers bombard us with useful information (isn’t that what i am doing??). Some of it is based on real training, some on experience and commonly on hearsay. Its the last kind that can be dangerous. Its the illusion of knowledge unsupported by formal learning that can lead us to doing the wrong exercises, wrong techniques or demotivate us. Hence its vital that we update ourselves on the correct terminology and its meaning, best practices and so on. 

Let me try to demystify some jargon:
BMI: Body Mass Index. Often considered to be the last word in deciding if we are obese or overweight. Yet this measure can be misleading.  This article on WebMD gives a
detailed explanation. Bottom line, dont be disheartened if the BMI is on
the higher side and take drastic steps. Take a step back and assess the
entire picture. Then decide what is to be done.

Body composition, weight loss
This is part of my health column first published in Windows & Aisles, the inflight magazine of Paramount Airways

Click here to calculate your BMI .

DOMS: Delayed Onset Muscle Syndrome. Simply put its the muscle soreness that arises for newbie exercisers or when we exercise after a long break. It usually goes away within a day or two without any pain relief measures.


Lats/Glutes/Quads/Obliques: Shortened names of muscles namely Latissimus dorsi, Gluteus group (in the buttocks) and Quadriceps (front of the thigh) and Obliques which are part of the Abdominal muscles. 


Interval Training: Dividing the exercise period into short bursts of high and low intensity work


Cross Training: Incorporating a variety of exercise types to help prevent muscles from ‘getting used to’ a specific routine. It is and excellent way to prevent boredom.


You can brush up on some more terms here.
Stay updated about fitness trends.
Cheers!

Disclaimer: All
suggestions are general in nature. Readers are advised to exercise
caution before implementing them and seek expert advise about what is
suitable for their specific needs.

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Jealousy will take us no where

When exercising in a gym or in a group its quite likely to meet people
who can do more reps, lift heavier weights, or are more flexible. They can
be a source of inspiration or envy. The first is good to some extent as
it can get us to work harder and raise the level of our effort. However
jealousy will eventually be detrimental. It may cause us to attempt
exercises we cannot do and lead to injuries and loss of self esteem.

I have
encountered some men in their thirty’s who have hurt their shoulder
joints in trying to better some Bench-press.  Ligaments have been damaged
n backaches precipitated by doing unnecessarily strenuous  Squats or
Yoga.

Some of these have meant surgery, a long post-op rehabilitation program and loss of self pride, thinning of the wallet. 

 

Envy, jealousy

Bottom line: never compare yourself with others. Each of us has
unique capabilities and limits. Know your own and challenge yourself
within those. Jealousy is certainly not among the helpful emotions when exercising for fitness. 
Cheers!



Disclaimer: All
suggestions are general in nature. Readers are advised to exercise
caution before implementing them and seek expert advise about what is
suitable for their specific needs. 
The above image has been taken from Microsoft Clipart Gallery.

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Indulgence

When I chose to write about exercising
for fitness for this 2014 AtoZ Blogathon, I was a bit apprehensive that all of
my posts would end up being ‘preachy’ Don’t do this, Don’t do that, Do this, Do
that… 

This post is deliberately meant to break
the trend. Continuous exercising and adhering to proper diets can become
boring. In fact the restrictions and strict regimen can be a turn off and I
speak from experience.  That’s when I
came across this wonderful article that gave a rational point of view. As long
as one follows fitness guidelines for most of the week its OK to indulge
oneself once in a while. That means sleeping in late on a day or skipping a
workout or even giving in to temptation of a plate of fries or fried chicken. An
indulgence can be a motivator of sorts, something to look forward to. Remember to strike a balance.

Here are some tips before you indulge:

Plan ahead: If you have an invitation to
a party then accordingly modify the other meals of the day to low calorie, high
fibre ones. Then go ahead and tuck into the cake but be regular in the diet and
exercise in following days. Trust me, whatever its benefits, the indulgence is
not worth erasing days of hard work already put in.

Split: Share a serving with your friend which
will reduce the number of calories you consume. Its quite common restaurant
order here for one smoothie topped with icecream but served in two glasses. Its
called 1X2 (one by two) or 2X3 and so on depending on the group size. Cool!

If you have worked hard, you have earned
this ‘break’.   

Indulge, Profiteroles
Photo courtesy @puneribaker

Take
a break: Taking a day off from exercise is actually good for the body
especially when doing resistance training. This is because the muscles
get a chance to rebuild so they become bigger and stronger. 

Go on. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: All
suggestions are general in nature. Readers are advised to exercise
caution before implementing them and seek expert advise about what is
suitable for their specific needs.

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Health Benefits of Cycling (Worldless Wednesday)

health benefits of cycling,

This image is from the Times of India Pune edition dated 02 March 2014
http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOINEW&BaseHref=TOIPU/2014/03/02&PageLabel=2&EntityId=Pc00209&ViewMode=HTML

Disclaimer: All
suggestions are general in nature. Readers are advised to exercise
caution before implementing them and seek expert advise about what is
suitable for their specific needs. 

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Grouping up!

Exercising with a friend or as part of a group is tremendous fun! It instills camaraderie and the group spirit is a huge motivator and challenger. If you are feeling down or need to pump up your workout to a new level, these members will be the ones to stand by you. And I speak from experience. I was able to increase my cycling distance only when I went along with a friend – I know I would have found ‘n’ number of excuses to return… road too bumpy/road is slippery; excessive traffic/ too lonely; too sunny/ impending rain… Sounds familiar??
🙂


When we exercise the Happy Hormones (Endorphins) are released in our brain. It makes us feel… well, happy, and its the urge to experience this post-exercise happiness that gets us to exercise again and again and again… It goes without saying that such happiness in highly contagious! 

A happy frame of mind will make us more productive in our work and improve our general well being. Group exercises done as therapy work like magic especially for elders suffering from knee pain or backaches. 



Next time you feel low you know what to do! Just go out and burn some calories along with your friends.
🙂
Cheers!


Disclaimer: All
suggestions are general in nature. Readers are advised to exercise
caution before implementing them and seek expert advise about what is
suitable for their specific needs.
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Food and exercise

Food. An important part of our lives. As someone said, Eat to Live not Live to Eat.
For fitness fanatics, food becomes a BIG part of their lives. Some become obsessive about what to eat, when to eat, how much to eat to the point that no one knows what to cook for them..

Do I see some of you nodding in agreement? I have gone through these phases myself!

A dietitian is the best person to make a good diet plan so make sure you inform her (or him) about your routine, preferences, allergies (if any). This means a better chance of adhering to the diet plan. There are many who spew virtues of consuming protein supplements.The images of bulging biceps and toned bodies tempt us into taking up such high protein diets.  Here is an article from Spark People that gives detailed information. However such protein supplements should be taken only under advice from an expert.


While those trying to lose weight will consider food to be an anathema, it IS required for sustenance, energy and survival. In our zeal, some of us exercise and simply avoid eating to try to lose weight. Contrary as it may sound. eating after a bout of intense exercise actually will help! 

Whoa there… Yessss, you read it right. For a period of up to two hours post-exercise, our body uses food that we eat to replenish energy exhausted from muscles and will not be stored as fat. This phenomenon is referred to by many names one of which is the ‘carbohydrate window’.

Burgers, fries
Photo courtesy @puneribaker

Here is an article that explains this amazing phenomenon. Read it and eat guilt-free after  exercising.  

Some experts advice those trying to lose weight to have early dinner and to avoid eating sweet foods after 4PM. Its got something to do with exhausting storage of the absorbed nutrients hence everything additional that is absorbed thereafter gets stored as fat. Yet another suggestion for this group of people is to reduce portion size and not what you eat. Simply put it means eat less of whatever you are eating. 

Lets see if I these tips make any difference to what my weighing scale says..

Cheers!

Disclaimer: All
suggestions are general in nature. Readers are advised to exercise
caution before implementing them and seek expert advise about what is
suitable for their specific needs.  

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Extensions

What does the  word ‘Extensions’ immediately remind you of? Now, now, please don’t say nails or hair… remember this is the AtoZ challenge and I am trying to stick to a theme!!

So, w.r.t. extensions, the exercises that I can immediately recall
are back extensions and knee extensions. The Quadriceps (muscles on the
front of the thigh) are the knee extensors and can be exercised using
weight machines or weighted cuffs.Here is an image that will give you an idea.


If you are exercising on a machine, remember to keep your tummy tucked in (this will stabilise the spine), keep your head straight and breathe out every time you straighten the knees. Hold on to handles-trust me, your exercise performance will improve. 

Squats is another exercise that will help make the Quadriceps stronger. At all times remember to take your weight on the entire foot. Do not let your knees jut ahead of the toes when moving downwards.Also do not lower yourself to a below the level of your knees. That puts excessive stress on the knee joints. You may have already experienced a similar difficulty when getting out of low sofas.



Strong back extensors
will ensure a good posture and must be exercised proportionately with
the abdominals.The basic movement of back extension is bending the trunk
backwards. The exercise is usually done lying face down on an exercise mat with
hands crossed behind at the buttocks. I find that this gets quite boring
after a while. Some excellent ways to add a zing is by doing back
extensions from the edge of an exercise plinth or on a Swiss Ball. Its a
good idea to begin these sets under supervision. To increase intensity
further, change the position of your hands from behind the back to
behind the neck or even stretched out besides your ears. Always keep the head and neck in line with the trunk.

I can continue, but I know you have many blogs to visit and comment…
Stay fit, stay healthy!
🙂


Disclaimer: All
suggestions are general in nature. Readers are advised to exercise
caution before implementing them and seek expert advise about what is
suitable for their specific needs. 

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Crunches

A spreading middle is the bane of advancing years and a sedentary lifestyle. People spending hours behind a desk will find this to be an almost unavoidable part of the description of their physique.


The ‘Pear’ shape, the ‘Apple’ shape, the much coveted (or envied) Six Pack…are all terms that refer to the middle of our trunk / the shape of the tummy. Some of the bulge is because of fat deposition but lax or weakened muscles of the stomach is an important cause as well. There are several ways to deal with the fat but this is one question that will haunt you daily: How come fat settles so easily but takes forever to get rid of??







 Exercising the abdominals is the best way to tone them up. It will not only help melt the inches around the tummy but stronger muscles will improve posture which will reduce the ‘pot bellied’ appearance. There are several excellent workouts and exercise combos. The commonest one is doing hundreds of crunches. This will help only when done correctly.

Here are some tips to get your crunches right:

  • Make sure the head is relaxed and in line with the trunk. Often one tends to crane the neck and head forward which in effect means less work for  the targeted muscles.Support your neck if possible with your hands.
  • Depending on the type of exercise, keep the hips and knees bent when lying on the floor. This way one reduces/eliminates the action of the hip flexors and can get maximal work out of the abs.
  • Never ever hold the breath when doing crunches. Keep breathing. Breathe out when contracting the abs (when you come up or when you exert) and breathe in during the opposite movement.
  • Tighten and tuck in your tummy at the start of every repetition. 

Remember to exercise the opposing muscles as well, namely back extensors. You would have noticed that poles often have metal ropes on either side to support and keep them straight? Similarly, our spine needs strong muscles on both sides (abdominals in the front and extensors at the back) to keep it straight and strong. This improves core strength. Pilates, Power Yoga, Malkhamb are super ways to boost core strength.



Cheers!

Disclaimer: All
suggestions are general in nature. Readers are advised to exercise
caution before implementing them and seek expert advise about what is
suitable for their specific needs.  

Images taken from Microsoft Clip Art

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