Pranayama...

These days, any problem seems to be solvable. Except mental stress which obviously leads to physical illness. Stress can cause abnormal variations in blood pressure, loss of appetite, headache and other minor complaints. Now this prolongs for a longer time, it can very well lead to further disorders. Though there are many ways of handling stress, the best way is through Pranayama and meditation. Anyone who knows a little about Yoga will know what Pranayama is. It is a way of regulating your breath.

For our bodies to be energetic, we need to have ample supply of oxygen. That is why you feel suffocated in a crowded and closed room while you feel refreshed when you come out and take a deep breath. Oxygenation of the capillaries is very important to ensure that the body gets enough amount of oxygen. Pranayama ensures that the breath you take in completely reaches every minute capillary in your lungs. The greatest advantage of Pranayama is that you can start seeing the good effects of it within a few days. So when you start it, you can build enormous confidence and interest in maintaining your health.

Yoga…

The aim of exercise is to make the body fit and healthy for a long time. If you look at athletes, you will see that they stay young for a longer time. This is because their bodies remain supple and flexible for a longer time. Yes, through the contemporary way of exercising, you can stay fit and trim. But till how long is the question. Everyone would have heard about Yoga and its benefits. If you are really interested in learning it, it is essential that you read books on Yoga. They will give you immense knowledge on what Yoga is and what it is not. Yoga mainly aims at making the body flexible. It can be an excellent cure for rheumatic problems.

One of the major problems of aging is knee and other joint pains. For women, bones naturally get weaker as age progresses. Yoga can be the best ever solution to all those troubles. Yoga can help you at any age. But the sooner you start practicing it, the better it gets. The art pays great importance to posture and breath-control. Every posture, or 'asana' as it is called, is linked with a particular pattern of breathing. Before you start learning Yoga, the first thing to be considered is that you should find a proper tutor. The person should be an expert and a staunch believer in the methods of Yoga.

Things which you might consider insignificant!!

When taking all the steps you can to improve your internal health, you might think that protecting your hands and feet is an insignificant task. But guess what, that’s the least you can expect. It is said that you can see how a girl takes care of her body by looking at her feet; same is true for a guy by looking at his hands. Whatever that might be!! It’s really good and healthy to take care of your hands and feet in a proper way.

Nails should be cleaned and cut regularly. Hands should be washed every now and then. This is actually the best way to avoid any disease causing microbes from entering the house. Whenever you enter your house or your office, wash your hands thoroughly. The best way to keep your hands clean is by using a good hand sanitizer. The same goes for your feet too. Every three or four days, make certain that you cleanse your hands and feet with warm water. Apply olive oil to your feet after your cleanse them; this will make your feet soft and also help to prevent cracks. Don’t let cracks develop; spot them at an early stage and cure them then and there!!

Choose the right kind of footwear…

Walking is the easiest way to exercise. Very true!! But there is one factor which will determine if you relax yourself when walking or if you strain yourself. This important factor is the kind of footwear you wear when you take a walk. Use a pair of footwear which is flat. No high heels when walking!! Also, don’t use sandals which exert pressure only on certain points on your feet. This will obviously strain your feet even more. Use shoes which give you good grip and comfort; prefer the aerated ones. Don’t tie your shoes too tight (even if you are planning to take a jog).

Now coming to the material to choose when buying footwear; avoid plastics and other synthetic materials for your formal or casual shoes or even sandals. Make sure the base is soft and flexible. Even when you want to buy the heeled ones, ensure that the heels are leveled. That is, the entire length of the shoe is raised rather than only the heel being raised. Pointed heels are extremely harmful to your feet as well as to your backbone. They also make you unknowingly exert more pressure on your toes. A last word regarding your footwear; take even more care when choosing your footwear than what you take to select your wedding dress!!

Posture…

I was talking about taking a walk regularly. It’s not right to turn rigorous all of a sudden right from the start. Also, you need to be conscious of your posture. Not only when walking; you need to mind your posture all the time. Our backbone is meant to be straight. When sitting, standing, walking or even when sleeping, make sure your back is straight. Now this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t support your back at all!! Even when you sit in a chair, lean on it completely. The mistake that many of us do when leaning back onto something is that we don’t do it completely. This strains our lower back.

When lying down, lie down flat giving your back enough rest. Always stretch your legs and relax yourself rather than sleeping rolled up on the coach. And it’s good when your bed is not too soft or not too hard either. Use water beds etc. only with your doctor’s advice. Sitting cross-legged on the floor is something which you wouldn’t think of easily; but this is the best way one can sit. Those who have learnt Yoga will know the importance of this posture.

Tips before you swim!!

Swimming, as you know, is the best form of exercise. But you need to take some precautions before you actually start swimming. Your skin gets greatly affected when you stay in water for a long time. Hence a proper water-repellent cream is what is to be first on the list; then comes a good swimwear. Use clothes which are water-proof, so that most parts of your body are prevented from getting soaked. Also, buy suits which don’t affect the streamlining of your body when swimming. Swim-suits are not meant to be scanty; in fact, something close to the diver’s suit which provides great protection to your whole body is the best that you can buy.

Then, do get a headgear so as to protect your hair. For ladies, this will really help because this would help you swim without any hindrance. A pair of goggles to shield your eyes will be of great help when swimming under water because of the obvious reason that they can help you see well. Always have a soft towel with you when going for a swim. It will help you clear the block in the nasal track which is unavoidable any day when swimming.

Swimming – the best!!

When I started off with my swimming classes, I realized that it is very easily the best way to exercise (Though not as easy as walking can be!!). Getting into the pool, the first thing you have to develop is immense confidence in the laws of physics!! Anything filled with air will come up and float ultimately. So as long as you hold your breath, you will come up to the surface. When you don’t train your brain to trust, it creates panic!! That’s the worst thing that can happen when swimming. Always concentrate on what you should do rather than panicking on what is happening!!

Now, focusing on swimming as an exercise, I can bet there cannot be a better workout. It exercises every muscle in your body. Moreover, you learn to control your breath, the very basic lesson you learn before you actually learn swimming itself. When wading through water, you apply almost three times the force when compared to walking. So imagine the force you are likely to need to stay afloat!! To feel the exhaustion caused by swimming for a couple of hours cannot be explained in words. You will remember only two words when you walk out of a pool- food and sleep!!

A walk…

Going for a casual walk is the easiest way to exercise. I was saying earlier that burning calories and becoming fit cannot be done in a couple of days. Regular exercise is the key to proper and gradual reduction in weight. One of the best ways to do this is to go for a regular walk. Start walking for half an hour and gradually increase the minutes. Note that it’s not enough to walk for that number of minutes; you need to cover a particular distance within that time. Say, try covering two kilometers in half an hour. That will be pretty fast for a beginner; well, you can improve anyway!!

A few important things you need to note when walking are that you shouldn’t breathe your mouth when walking. For that matter, don’t breathe through your mouth anytime!! Take proper amounts of water at regular intervals; don’t turn over-rigorous right from the start. Stay calm and steady throughout your session. As anyone would suggest, you can also try avoiding lifts and choose the stairs instead. You can also avoid using your bike for short distances. Be erect and swing your arms casually when walking. The main point is to increase your heartbeat so that the circulation improves and of course, to burn more calories. So the faster you walk, the better it gets!!

Packaged food…

These days everyone stays busy. The day starts out hurriedly and it continues in the same fashion too. In this lifestyle, fast food stalls and packaged foods are unavoidable. But still you can be selective in what you buy and take up healthier options even when you eat at a local restaurant.

When buying packaged food, check for the manufacture date and the expiry date. Try looking into the contents of the snacks and other stuffs you buy. Don’t take up food stuff with a lot of preservatives and added flavors. When going for ‘ready-to-eat’ packaged food, prefer the ones which you can boil or heat up again and eat. You need to be more careful when choosing bottled aerated drinks. Take up fresh fruit juices rather than going for packaged drinks. With so many restrictions in mind, I am sure you would be in great confusion as what to select and what not to!! But all you need is a bit of research and you can easily identify the healthier stuff. But hey, the best thing to do is consume freshly cooked food!! Find dishes which you can cook easily; buy packaged food only when you don’t have any chances of cooking!!

Be fresh!!

The health benefits of fresh fruits, fresh greens etc are undisputed. The good old proverb ‘An apple a day keeps the doctor away’ says it all. When you plan for a diet, be sure to include fresh fruits and fruit juices in the list. According to me, fruits can greatly help in reducing your intake of junk food. Whenever you feel like having a packet of chips, opt for a bowl of fresh fruits. Fruit and vegetable salads can be equally tasty!! And trust me, after eating some fruits or vegetables you will definitely feel fresher than ever.

Something to be noted in this regard is that you shouldn’t add too much of sugar to the fruits juices. Fruits like oranges have enough glucose and sucrose so that we don’t even need an additional spoon of sugar to make the juices tastier. Then once you slice the fruits, consume them as soon as you can. If you don’t do that, there is no point eating them fresh. Thinking how you can make your salads tastier?? Add a pinch of salt or pepper; the fruits will appear to be sweeter than they actually are. Also make sure you don’t add too much of ice to your juice.