Archives for November 2014

November 28, 2014 By Parwage Alam 2 Comments

Did you know how useful a ‘SKIPPING’ rope can be?

How many of us remember our childhood, when we used to skip and even had challenges among ourselves to find out who could skip the fastest. Those memories of my childhood bring back a smile on my face. I used to enjoy those skipping moments. There were several games we could play with the skipping rope and it was one of the cheapest games that one could purchase. The best part of a skipping rope was that people of all ages could use it.

I did not realize the benefits of a skipping rope until I joined the fitness industry. It is not just used for playing as we did in childhood. It’s a fantastic workout tool.

You do not have the time to go to the gym and workout due to lack of time. You could try skipping. 15 minutes of intense skipping is good to burn calories. Skipping improves your footwork, speed, coordination, stamina, agility, and it strengthens the muscles in your legs as well as your abdominal, back, chest, arms and shoulder muscles.

Skipping is good for building your cardio workout same as a jog or a bicycle ride would do. It has relatively low impact on the joints but, yet its intensity is high that gives a fabulous cardio workout that’s less dangerous and surely less strenuous than running. Twelve minutes of jumping rope is roughly equivalent to running 6 minute per KM (kilo meter).

The best skipping routine that will knockout your belly fat

Warm up for 5 minutes by skipping at slow to medium speed
Take rest for one minute
Skip for 1 minute as fast as you can
Take rest for 20 seconds
Again skip for one minute as fast as you can
Then again take a rest for 20 seconds, and repeat again for 10 minutes.

Reason behind of this type of skipping is that it enables you to improve your cardiovascular as well as muscular endurance and it will help you to burn more calories.

How to Jump Rope?

Beginners should jump twice between each rotation of the rope. The basic aim here is to get your abdominal and calf muscles into shape. While skipping, you have to be careful that your arms do not move. You should rotate the rope with the circular movements of your wrists.
You should not jump very high. Jump 1 to 2 inches off the floor, giving rope just enough space to slip under your feet — only the balls of feet should touch the floor.
Keep your elbows close to your sides as you rotate the rope. The movement comes from the wrists and forearms and not the shoulders.
If you tire out before you finish the workout, drop the rope, but keep arms and legs going.
To find a rope that fits place one foot in the center of the rope and lift the handles — they shouldn’t go past your armpits.

Selection of Rope?

Popular ropes include the speed rope, the digital rope and weighted rope. (Whatever you get, make sure the length is correct. The way to measure it is to stand in the middle of the rope, & the handles should come up to your waist, lower ribs – if it reaches your shoulders it’s too long.)

Speed Rope: It is lightweight and great for speed. Mostly used by elite athletes to develop footwork, coordination and conditioning. For example, boxers use a speed rope during their general strength and conditioning workouts.

The digital rope: A digital jump rope will count the number of jumps you have made. It will also keep track of the number of calories you burn during each jump rope training session. Some will also keep track of the length of the workout.

Weighted jump rope: It has weighted handles. The idea behind this rope is that the extra weight on the handles provides an extra workout for the upper body like wrist, forearm and triceps strength.

Leather Jump Rope: A good-quality leather jump rope is a great choice for serious workouts. These ropes either have plastic or wooden handles, and a strip of leather for the rope. Compared to the cloth jump rope, a leather jump rope turns much faster, providing a serious cardio workout. Professional boxers have used leather jump ropes for years when training.

Beaded Jump Rope: It consists of plastic beads strung on a thin piece of nylon cord. Like cloth ropes, beaded jump ropes are very economical. These ropes are fun for a while, but are not recommended for intense jump rope exercising.

To know the appropriate rope length as per your height, please check the following chart:

Your Height	Jump Rope Length
Up to 4’6″	6 foot
4’7″ to 5’6″	7 foot
5’6″ to 6’	8 foot
Over 6’	10 foot

Kids Jump Rope: The jump ropes for children need to be shorter than adult ropes. It is the best to start with a beaded rope, because they don’t tangle as easily. Make sure that the rope is not too short, or it will lead to too many errors and the child may get discouraged.

So what are you waiting for? Get up and start Skipping.

November 27, 2014 By TAARIKA ARYA Leave a Comment

BERRY BERRY HEALTHY!

When was the last time you ate a handful of fresh berries…??? Can’t remember….Here’s the reason…. Berries are tiny, uncommon, ignored, and may be expensive. Moreover, they are more familiar in foods such as cakes, jams, candies, etc. But, these berries overflow with numerous health benefits. They truly deserve the title of being called “real treasure in a small package”.

Not sure if you are aware but there are a variety of berries available in the market. Another trivia on berries is there is also something called the National Berry Month celebrated in July.

I found it interesting to write a blog on ‘Berries’, the not so talked about but beneficial fruit.

So what makes them a super food? Here is my list of reasons

1. The bright red, maroon or purple colour of the berries is due to the presence of pigments or natural dyes called phytochemicals which act as an anti-oxidant. These antioxidants slow down your ageing process.

2. They prevent heart diseases and cancer due to the presence of Gallic acid.

3. They are very low on sugar as compared to other fruits and rich in fibre and thus they help in weight management and improving digestion. They also keep you fuller for a longer time.

4. They contain certain organic acids which help in our body detoxification.

5. They help in fighting various bacterial and fungal infections (e.g. Urinary Tract Infection)

6. Lastly they are loaded with vitamin C, known to strength our immune system.

Now coming to the different types of berries, one good thing is that although it may not be easy to get fresh berries….even the dried or frozen ones offers many health benefits. One can find various kinds of berries in supermarkets or high end grocery stores (Natures basket, Hypercity, Chheda stores, FoodHall, etc to name a few.)

Few berries that I have been eating are listed below. You can eat them as it is, soak them, add them in your breakfast cereal/ yoghurt or make homemade sauces. In short you can literally play with them!

1. Blueberries: No wonder they are called as the “blue dynamos” due to its deep blue colour. Rich in manganese, vitamin K they provide around 4 grams of fiber. They can be eaten fresh as well as dried. Try tossing them into salads, smoothies or baked items.

2. Cranberries: These red berries are not only pretty looking but are infection fighting super berries. Packed with flavonoids, they are a great remedy to fight Urinary Tract Infections (UTI’s). It’s got a sweet as well as a tart flavor which makes them a perfect ingredient for smoothies, sprinkling them into oatmeal or salads.

3. Strawberries: These red health boosters are the most common types of berries consumed. They grow abundantly in India too. They are rich in antioxidants called phenols which help in boosting immunity. They are perfect for a mid-evening snack with just 50 calories per cup and more vitamin C than an orange. They can be relished in smoothies, frozen yoghurts, breakfast cereal and salads or just mixed with plain water.

4. Mulberries: Many of us including me have eaten a handful of these freshly plucked from the trees in our backyard. These delicate berries are packed with heart healthy phenols, Ca, iron and magnesium. A cup of these provide more potassium than half a banana! They can be enjoyed frozen, in smoothies or sorbets.

5. Acai berry: A dark coloured berry resembling grapes is a native of Brazil. They are amongst the top super foods having 19 amino acids and high levels of antioxidants. These berries have recently gained popularity since they claim to have weight loss properties. However, this is just another fad although it helps lowering bad cholesterol. These berries are very expensive since they have to be freeze dried within 24 hours of plucking to retain its nutrition.

Apart from these berries, there are a few more berries – Goji berries, Huckleberry, Maqui berry, Sea Buckthorn berry, etc to name a few which may not be that common in India but are of equal benefits to our health.

So what’s your favourite berry? Go ahead and start including these berries in your diet as they are the “nature’s multi-vitamin”.

November 26, 2014 By Anusha Subramanian Leave a Comment

Dos and Don’ts of Trail Walk

When I was told to be a part of the 100km Oxfam-Goqii trailwalker team, I immediately agreed. My initial reaction was there is nothing new about long distance walking. I do it all the time and do it in the Himalayan and the Shayadri hills. But, yet there was something new about this 100 km trailwalker. It was going to be a challenge for myself- a challenge to test my own endurance as I had never done a 100 km trail walking in 2 days.

Honestly, I will reiterate this point again that there is nothing tough about walking long distance. Walking 15-20 miles (24-32 km) daily is what human bodies are built for. But, sadly none of us do walk that much even in a week in our normal course of routine. So for many when they end up taking up such a challenge of 100 km they get a bit perturbed.

I would say first and foremost think and figure out why are you doing this? Are you doing this for yourself and to build your own endurance? Are you doing it because you are being forced -because you think you will be judged based on doing this challenge? Are you doing this to prove a point to others ? Once you have the answer for why you are doing it you will be at ease in deciding your next step. I would say do it for yourself.

While this is an Endurance Challenge it is also largely about team work and a strategy game. It’s

about patience and temperament.

I am a rookie to the 100 km challenge but, I know for sure I am mentally prepared and I ain’t thinking too much about it. Initially, I was not sure what to expect but after two practice session of 25 km each at Garudmachi also known as the Eagles Plateau, I am clear of what to expect.

With exactly 10 days left for the D -Day, here are a couple of dos and don’ts for the trailwalker that might help. This is based on a few learning from my practice session.

Dos: Get your footing right during your practice session especially if you are doing treks. Do not

injure yourself during the practice. Do enough strength training for neck, shoulders and legs.

Dos: Ideally it would be good to practice in a mixed terrain ( both tar and hillocks) so you are

comfortable on the day of the walk.

Dos: Be positive and happy all along the trail. Sing to yourself, laugh and motivate yourself.

These ease the pressure on you and your team mates.

DOs: On the day of the trailwalk try and rest a bit at checkpoints and then move forward. Target

to cover 60% on the first day . Believe me the remaining 40% will be easy on you.

DOs: learn to walk in the heat no matter how grim, awful and humid you feel.

Dos: Remember to thank your support crew after the event is over. Because they are going to be the ones who are going to be there for you waiting to make you feel comfortable with whatever you might need after long hours of walk. They will motivate you and make sure you do not have to think about anything else and just concentrate on your walk. So thank them.

DON’T talk much on the trail. Conserve energy. But do not be afraid to communicate uneasy.

DON’T over load the backpack you are carrying with you on the trail. 1 to 2 litres of Water is essential and your personal medication if you need anything on the trail. You really don’t need so many eats and energy bars on you at all times. Let your support crew carry the extras.

DON’T argue with your teammates. Always try and come to a consensus on any issues that may arise. Remember this is a team effort.

DON’T get overexcited early on in the walk. Walk at your pace lest you end up getting tired very soon.

Don’t: Walk with earphones on it could prove dangerous.

Don’t: Lastly do not litter. We are all educated people. However, tired you may be and might just want to throw away that bottle down.. do not do it. Keep it with you in your bag and dispose it off later.

November 25, 2014 By Balwant Singh 1 Comment

How to choose proper footwear?

One of the most common questions asked by people before starting any type of workout regime is what shoes do we get? In fact with the Oxfam 100 km Trailwalker challenge just around the corner, this topic has gained more attention. Imagine walking 100km or running 42 km or hiking or trekking without proper shoes. It could just be disastrous. And history is witness that most people back out from such challenges midway not because of lack of motivation or because they are tired. But give up largely due to foot injuries caused due to bad shoes.

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Why it is important to choose the right foot wear?… A very Important aspect of workout which is often neglected.

A good workout is achieved with good footwear. Bad shoes can derail all the efforts that you have put in to your workouts and bring your fitness to a standstill due to injury. Strenuous outdoor workout or long distance running puts increased amount of pressure on your feet and therefore wearing the right shoes are important to prevent injury.

According to University of Illinois’ McKinley Health Centre’s note on foot type and proper footwear, foot problems are one of the most common health complaints. The high incidence of foot problems is understandable given the fact that there are 26 bones, 33 joints, 112 ligaments, and tendons, nerves, and blood vessels in the foot. It’s even more understandable when the weight of the body is considered. The force of the body weight borne by the foot increases roughly 1½ times during walking and up to 3-4 times during running. Add in 10,000 steps during a typical day while wearing ill-fitted shoes possibly, and it’s a wonder one’s feet are willing to get out of bed the next day.

Working out or indulging in outdoor sports with bad shoes can result in injuries such as ankle pain, blisters, swelling in your feet and the likes.

A condition called Plantar Fasciitis i.e. damage and inflammation to Plantar Fascia (a connective tissue on the sole of foot forming the inner arch) is caused due to repetitive activity creating a strain on plantar fascia.

Another common condition often faced by people is Achilles Tendonitis i.e. tissue damage and pain to Achilles Tendon caused during the contraction of the calf muscles. When the calf muscles contract some amount of tension is created on the Achilles Tendon and Wrong footwear further adds to that stress.

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Let us now understand the three main categories of foot types :

1: Normal

2: Flat Floot (Absent curve)

3: More Arch

Here are a few basics to keep in mind

A good shoe must be very comfortable and must provide good cushion
Good grip on the floor to avoid sliding or skidding
It is important to understand your foot type. Visit a store that specializes in all kinds of sporting and athletic footwear. The associates there can help you find a shoe that’s appropriate for your foot type, the way you walk, and your sport.
The right time to buy a shoe is in the evening when your feet are tired and there is more swelling in the feet..
For Sportspersons variety of shoes are available depending on the type of sport.
Running shoes have inbuilt shock absorbers, walking shoes are light weight and for Hiking one can choose low, mid or high cut shoes. High cut shoes or commonly known as Ankle shoes protects the ankles and provides more protection. And, finally there are the cross training shoes which are suitable if you do more than one type of workouts.
One size larger than your usual shoe size is better in terms of trekking and trail running shoes.