April 2014 Rewind

April 2014. Its has been a very hectic month quite contrary to my expectations. I had signed up for the Blogging from A to Z Challenge and picked a theme as well which meant I had to stay focused. If exercising can be tedious or boring then writing 26 different and interesting posts was even more difficult. I am happy to have completed the challenge but what a month. Besides the blogosphere there was so much happening all around me.

In India, the FX channel was broadcasting the popular US serial The West Wing. I began watching as I am a big Martin Sheen fan but soon was totally enthralled by the workings of the west wing and characters therein. It was the seventh season that depicted the whirlwind election campaign in the US.

Image from IMDb http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0200276/?ref_=ttep_ep_tt

Coincidently we in India to have ongoing general elections and I kept contrasting and comparing the styles, rhetoric of the politicians. I realised there were many similarities in election politics - effects of conservative voters, immigration issues, religious beliefs, minorities and so on. Of course The West Wing is a TV serial but it must be based on some facts. Ours is a very real campaign with real issues. We will not know our exit poll results till May 12, 2014 but for all of April we were  glued to the TV news channels, or on the Internet for updates and speeches and interviews. That encroached on thinking time for my blogathon...

April is also repotting time for my succulents. This meant having to take extra care of them post-repotting. The rising temperatures meant all house plants needed more attention.

This and more stuff had to be cleared off. And, no photos of my Jade and Adenium. They are camera shy!

Mess to be cleared after after repotting

Then there was the Pune Heritage Week happening here organised by Virasat Pune. Eight days of a brilliant reconnect with the natural, architectural, cultural, artistic heritage of this great city (Pune). I could not miss this opportunity to see and learn about places, things so close to me. I met people who had lived here for years but had never visited heritage institutes right in their backyard. There's a saying in Hindi "चिराग तले अंधेरा " (Chirag tale andhera). Loosely translated it means there is darkness next to the flame of the lamp.

Heritage building in Western Circle of Botanical Survey of India

Zero... Size Zero

This is the final post for the April 2014 A to Z Blogathon. Its been a month of "exercising for fitness" and I was not really sure I would be able to complete the challenge and stay within the theme. Suddenly I had a gamut of ideas for blog posts which had nothing to do with my theme. They were banished to the 'drafts' and hopefully should be up soon. So keep visiting.

Thanks to all of you who have visited and commented here. Its been a pleasure knowing all of you and reading your thoughts. Do follow my blog on  GFC or on Twitter so we can stay updated on our posts.

 Stunning models in fashion magazines look beautiful, lean and toned and whatever I do I somehow never achieve that look. Obviously a lot of it is due to superb photography, make up etc but size matters as well. I had a painfully thin frame and never ever was it considered to be beautiful. Rather it was looked down upon.

In my time, fat was beautiful.

Some years ago, the so-called size zero became quite the craze in India when Kareena Kapoor (an actress in India's film industry) was down to this size for the 2008 film "Tashan."

So thin was in.

Later on I saw the movie "Bride Wars" when this dialogue about a wedding dress by Vera Wang has stayed with me till now: "You don’t alter Vera to fit you; you alter yourself to fit Vera."

I am not sure what dimensions qualify as size zero but I assume its something painfully thin as is evident in photos in the links above. Can one reach and stay in this size in a healthy manner? Obviously it would mean cutting down on food which will affect nutrition and energy levels. Will there be long term side effects? This is an eye opening article about models who go to all lengths to maintain the sizes required for their work.It involved eating less or not at all, sustaining oneself with drips but not much mention of exercise. The focus was only on the size and not on fitness. Fitness is not only size but involves overall strength, flexibility and endurance. Its the combination of these that makes a person fit.
But obviously the requirements of the fashion industry go beyond fitness. Appearances count.

So is it worth risking long term damage to our bodies to reach and stay at size zero? Thats a question we have to answer for ourselves.

Yes, I can

A common excuse for not exercising is lack of time. There is some project near its deadline or a team member is non productive or the boss is over demanding and so on. When work calls we Always find time... be it at 10 pm or 4 a m.

So why not get up an hour earlier, do a few Sun Salutations and then begin work? If its late then do some stretching exercises to help relax the muscles.

Its all a question of having the will to do it. In London I have seen folks jogging in parks in lunch hour. Initially i was quite amused but locals told me these executives use any free time in this manner to stay fit!!

If Yes, I can is your motto you will find the time to exercise And work.

No more excuses.

Make this your motto "Yes I can"

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.

X is for e(X)citment!

Whatever be your workout it has gone exciting. You should look forward to every session and find it challenging and satisfying as well. Of course getting bored once in a while is OK but if you find that you have to drag yourself for exercise the something is amiss. Seriously.

Ask yourself:

• Are the exercises too difficult?
• Are the exercises monotonous?
• Is there excessive DOMS?
• Are the gym or accessory costs too high?
• Are your  exercise goals too ambitious?
• Is there a lack of camaraderie in the group?

The answers will help you overcome any hesitation and get you back to your workouts again.

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. 

Variety is Essential

Doing the same exercises day in and day out can cause the muscles to 'get used to the tasks' and they are no longer 'challenged' by the workout. Hence we reach the so-called Exercise Plateau. Further just because we work out daily it doesn't mean we will be able to do any type of exercise easily. Example: I used to walk about 5kms daily yet when I started cycling I found I was unable to do more than 10 kms without getting tired and that too on a flat road.

Thus its important to add different types of workouts so our muscles are used to working differently and working with different muscles groups. These varying workouts can be spread over the period of a month. Practical examples: Walk backwards for a part of your route, jog sideways, cycle on a slope instead of the usual cycle track.

Here is an extract of a my Healthnotes column first published in the July 2009 issue of Windows & Aisles, the in flight magazine of Paramount Airways.

Upper Body

Whether one jogs or walks or swims regularly it is vital to include exercises for the upper body. By upper body I mean stretching and strengthening exercises for the shoulders, arms, upper back and neck. We use these muscles during all actions involving the arms, to maintain a correct posture of the spine and neck. Correct posture is important to avoid neck pain or upper back pain. Exercising these muscles is a must for those who spend hours in front of a computer.

So what are the exercises that must be done? Here goes:
For the shoulder girdle: Sit or stand comfortably with your head facing in front and chin tucked in. Carry out the following movements seven times each: Shrug shoulders; with palms crossed behind the head, move the elbows together in front and take them back; rotate the arms and shoulders clockwise and anticlockwise.

For the Arms: Free exercises like Push up, Plank, Triceps dips; machine led exercises like the Lat Pulldown, biceps curls and so on.

For the Neck: Chin tucks, Neck bends (sideways and front/backwards). Follow this and this link for a detailed explanation.

Travel right

The attractive ads and heavy discount offers tempt us daily via print and visual media to sign up for group tours/guided holidays. We had booked for one such tour, I began to have last minute cold feet, would the tour be too hectic, would I return tired instead of refreshed, would the change in weather/ food/ water suit me… With a bit of common sense and some planning we had a wonderful holiday.

I would like to share my ideas that made it possible and hopefully will help you continue your exercise during your holiday so you can enjoy every minute of it.


1. Closely study the itinerary of your tour. Usually the daily routine involved sitting in the bus for long stretches (anywhere between 2-5 hours), and walking also between 1-3 kms daily ( if not more). Now remember this walking is different from the routine walks which most of us undertake. On a tour one is usually also carrying along a handbag with miscellaneous objects like a water bottle, sunscreen, towel, a book maybe, purchases at the souvenir store, umbrella/ raincoat and some snacks/ medicines. All this can add up to 2 kgs not counting the camera whose weight varied depending on the type. Also at home we walk in cooler times of the day whereas here it could be at any time in the heat / cold or in the hills. So one needs to prepare for that. I ensured that I was walking 3 kms daily prior to commencement of the journey in order to acclimatize. If you are not used to walking then begin with 20minutes of walking and gradually increase.


2. Most cities in western countries have excellent roads and groups travel in high tech coaches. This minimises the effects of jerks and bumps. But what of the sitting posture itself? The spine stays continuously in a flexed (bent) position, the feet remain hanging and the neck faces severe torture if one takes a nap in a moving bus! Solution: Do proper stretches for the back at the end of every day. During the journey whenever the opportunity arises, just stand up and walk a few steps to relieve the spine.

Suryanamaskar (Sun Salutations)

This is the topic for which I had to shelve Streches to the Odds and Ends.
Sigh. Both so important and it was a tough choice.
But let me get on with this....

I had first learnt Surya Namaskar way back from my Dad, did them for some time and slowly forgot the specific steps. The general idea stayed with me. Its only recently that the importance of this exercise has again dawned on me.

It is a combination of 12 asanas (Yoga postures) to be done sequentially preferably in the morning at Sunrise. This link has excellent photos to describe how to do the Surya Namaskar.


The breathing technique is extremely important if you want to do these right else you will only end up getting breathless and give up. Thats what happened with me and I turned to my Father for guidance. Basically it boils down to breathing out when exerting or forward bending.

The Surya Namaskar is a tribute to the Sun so what better way to perform the salutations than by saying the names of the Sun. This is also a good way to count reps. Here is a list of the names of the Sun that my Father gave me. Its in Marathi but I will put those names in English for you. Its for 13 repetitions and those wanting to do more can just start over. I have pasted the paper on the wall where I exercise just in case I forget! 

Rest and Recuperation

I expect this is a post that should get me some brownie points and boost popularity with those who find excuses to not exercise. Yes, you are right in thinking that Rest IS important when exercising. 

Why? 

Simply because it gives time for the muscles to recuperate and for broken muscle fibres (they are broken down during when doing resistance training) to repair. Its this repair process that increases our BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) and makes the muscles stronger and bigger (over time). 

Obviously by rest I do not mean sleeping or becoming a couch potato. It simply means a day without your regular workout. For those who have specific fitness goals it can mean exercising a different group of muscles with a different workout or activity. There should be an interval of about six to eight hours between exercise sessions.Obviously I refer to those who exercise to stay fit not high performance athletes or those with specific health goals.

Besides rest as I have described above, one needs to get adequate sleep at night. It is the best healer for our body and mind. Overexercising can cause many problems and in this case more is not always better. 

So go ahead and take a break once a week in your workout. You've earned it.

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. 

Quiz

This year, I am blogging about 'Exercising for Fitness' for the A to Z Blogathon. I do hope you have gained something from my posts.

You have? Then lets exercise those grey cells today?
:)

A sneak peak... Does muscle weigh more than fat?
Does maintaining fitness require a change in lifestyle?

For the correct answer, follow the link below... 

Exercise and Fitness Quiz on MedicineNet

Go on, dont hesitate, take this quiz...

Push ups, Plank and so on

Push ups, Plank and so on are  yet another group of excellent all body exercises that demand good core strength. Don't be deterred if you are unable to do the full push up or think your core strength is insufficient, 'cos these exercises will also help strengthen those muscles.

Basically the moves use the body weight as resistance. Put very simply, it just demands that we support our body weight by using specific muscles that's all. No additional dumbbells, external weights. So it should be easy right?

Wrong!

Well not completely. These are challenging exercises and must be done correctly (with correct posture and alignment) to get most out of them. As mentioned earlier, these can be considered among the most effective exercises. For newbies or those just starting out, modify the push up as depicted in slide 9 (nine) of the above slide show. If you can do the full push up then go ahead and increase the reps gradually. It takes a lot of practise and strength building to reach double digits or higher.

Exercises in this category do not need additional equipment (hence no need for additional expenses) and can be done anywhere (even in a hotel room if you are travelling).

Odds and Ends

No, no, don't rub your eyes, you have read the title correctly. It's "Odds and Ends".
Pray why, you may well ask? Any relevance in this theme?

Yes. Yes.

I have decided to use this post to include some important aspects about exercise that I have not included in the other 2014 AtoZ Blog post. These are important things that we may ignore or forget.

Apps and Gadgets: Some years ago we measured exercise intensity by the "Talk Test" or counting heart beats at the pulse. Things are much better now with fancy gadgets and smartphones and Apps that can monitor the heart rate, BP, distance covered/speed when cycling/walking/jogging and so on. They are quite useful so do use them where possible within limits ofcourse!

Attire: Its important to dress correctly when exercising. By correctly, I mean, dress according to the place you plan to exercise e.g. wear something warm if you go for a jog outdoors. Clothes made from the so-called 'Performance' fabrics may hurt your budget but they are quite effective- to 'wick' sweat away from the body, to support etc. Your clothes must suit your activity e.g. Baggy trousers can actually hinder cycling as the folds tend to get caught up in the chain. Whatever clothes you choose should be comfortable.

No Pain You Gain (Wordless Wednesday)

Make this your exercise mantra!

Mirror Mirror On the Wall...

"Mirror Mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?"
A quintessential question, whose reply we always want in our favour. 
Fairest, Slimmest, Fittest or "Bestest" of whatever we are striving to achieve.

When we exercise, we need a mirror and its not to admire our beautiful branded attire or spot early signs of flab. When exercising it has other more important uses, namely to check our 'form' or posture when doing the movements. This is especially applicable when we workout without a personal trainer. The reflection when we do the Squats or Lunges or Pilates will help us maintain correct position of the spine, keep the head neutral and so on. Gym regulars will agree there will be plenty of distractions around and a mirror is useful to maintain focus.



Some of us have installed gym equipment at home or workout at home. Make sure to have a good full length mirror on the wall where you exercise. It is your friend to avoid hurting yourself due to wrong postures when exercising.