The Dilemma of Perfect Exercise Program!

Wed, 07 Oct 2020 06:20:13 +0000

By Bhavna Malhotra Consultant – Nutrition & Lifestyle

Usually for most of us the time lapse between the decision to exercise and actually tread the path is anywhere from a week to a month. Unfortunately, at times we end up losing the motivation to start with exercise at all. This is mostly because of lack of clarity on what is the best exercise program to start. The dilemma of whether to join a yoga class or a Zumba/dance aerobics class or opt for weight training eats away on our precious time. So which exercise is the best?

To answer this, we need to first know that a good exercise program should not only make me strong but also make me supple and increase my stamina. Strength, Stamina and Suppleness are the tripod of fitness.

Muscular strength will help me maintain a good posture, increase my bone density and will reduce the risk of muscle injuries and fractures as I age.
Stamina or increased aerobic capacity will not only help me wade through the busy days but also help in keeping my heart and lung health good, reduce my risk of diabetes, blood pressure and stroke.
Suppleness or flexibility will help me improve my posture and balance. A flexible muscle will be less prone to injuries.

With this knowledge in place it should be amply clear that a perfect exercise program will be one which takes care of all these 3 aspects of fitness. Weight training or resistance training will give you strength, aerobics/ Zumba class or walking/ jogging/ cycling/ swimming will all help you improve your stamina and for flexibility it’ll be yoga or stretches at the end of your exercise session.

But I don’t have this much time daily! A well planned 45 minutes session can take care of all 3 aspects. If you have basic equipment (dumbbells or resistance bands) at home the 45-minute session can be broken into- 5 minutes warm up + 15 minutes of aerobics + 15 minutes resistance training + 10 minutes of stretches. Alternatively, you can divide your week into 2 days of weight training + 3 days of aerobics (can be a simple walk or jog) and 2 days of yoga.

But with gyms closed how do I get all this? For weight training resistance bands can be used (easily available online). If you’ve exercised in the past and are well versed with the use of weights some basic dumbbells can be kept at home. If you do not wish to buy anything as you are new to resistance training, simple 1-liter water bottles can be used as weights to start with. Your own body weight can also be used for resistance training. ‘Dand’, ‘baithak’ (squats), pushups, pull ups, yoga asanas where you are holding a pose are some examples of the same. Just ensure you are performing the exercises in the right form to avoid injuries. Enroll for an online class to learn the right form of exercises. For aerobics and yoga training many online classes and apps are available these days.

Most important thing to remember is ‘Any exercise is better than no exercise’! Lack of activity is the main reason behind most of the metabolic diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular problems. India has the second highest number of diabetes patients second only to China. Indian government is trying to encourage all of us to exercise more through initiatives like ‘Fit India movement’. Let us all embrace activity and make exercise a daily part of our lives!

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Trying to Lose Some Weight…Then Get Some Sleep

Mon, 28 Sep 2020 09:11:20 +0000

By Nutritionist Jaya Mohan

mohanjaya2003@yahoo.co.in

You have heard it right. Sleep is the most important ingredient for losing weight. A good night sleep is a basic requirement of a healthy mind and body. When you carve out a weight loss programme sleep may not find a mention but not sleeping enough can spoil your weight loss plans. Less sleep can even make the weight loss journey tougher.

A strict diet, regular workout routine, no sugar, no carbs – all this may just go futile if you compromise on your sleep. We fail to realize that the key to get awarded for our efforts towards weight loss is SLEEP. There have been many researches which has proved that sleep has an impact on your weight. The research tested a sample of people for two weeks and found that despite being on a calorie restricted diet the weight/fat loss was slow when sleep time was cut down. Sleep deprivation can have a negative impact on your hormones that regulate hunger and appetite. So for the group which was sleeping less was feeling hungerier more often, remained less satisfied and were struggling with low energy levels. When you sleep better the hormone leptin suppresses appetite and encourages the body to expend energy. Sleep deprivation does just the opposite and reduces leptin. While the other hormone Ghrelin which stimulates hunger reduces the metabolic rate and increases fat storage. A research has shown that sleeping lesser than 6 hours reduces Leptin and stimulates Ghrelin. According to a research from University of Chicago,lack of sleep results in the ability of the body to process Insulin hormone go awry. Insulin is needed by the body to convert sugar,starches and other food into energy. In short,sleep deprivation creates havoc for the metabolism of our body. So when

your body is unable to respond properly to Insulin,it has trouble processing fats from blood stream and ends up in storing them as fats.

Just not only for weightloss but good sleep plays an essential role in recovery,regeneration,detoxification and growth of the body too. When we wake up in the morning our mouths smell,our eyes have a dirty residue, all this is body’s way of throwing the toxins out. All the repair and regeneration of tissues take place while we are asleep. For example-when we get bruised or have a fresh wound,it usually heals when we wake up in the morning.

I think its high time we started taking our Sleep hours as seriously as we take our Waking hours. The basics are quite simple-

1.shut down all your electronic gadgets,computer,cell phones,tv at least an hour before you hit the sack.

2.Create a bedtime ritual. Take a warm bath,read or meditate.

3.Stick to a schedule. Try to sleep and wake up at the same time everyday. Even on weekends.

4.Watch your food and its timings. Avoid eating heavy meals and drinking alcohol close to bedtime. It may cause heartburn and make it difficult for you to sleep.Steer clear of sodas,coffee,tea and chocolates after 4.00 pm.Caffeine stays in thesystem for at least 5-6 hours.

5.Turn out the lights. Darkness induces your body to release natural sleep

hormone Melatonin,while light suppresses it.

While there are no hard and fast rules that applies to everyone, a good rule of thumb would be to get seven to nine hours of sleep per night.

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The Dilemma of Perfect Exercise Program!

Trying to Lose Some Weight…Then Get Some Sleep