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What you need to know about Free Weights and Exercise Machines

 

Free Weights

Its finally time for you to get into shape. I am sure you are either new to strength training, or it’s been a while since you’ve been to the gym.

The one thing that we all know about going to the gym is that you have to lift weights. Most in fact go to the gym for weight training ( or what they call pumping iron).

But, in weight training too there is something called free weights and exercise machines. I would here like to clear the concept of free weights vs exercise machines. I will talk of the advantages and the disadvantages of both.

The Benefits of Using Free Weights:

When you use free weights you get more bang for your buck. There are loads of exercises that one can do with free weights. And these can be done at home or at the gym than one can do with the big expensive machines.

While doing free weights there is no range of motion inhibitors like with most exercise machines. You can adjust each exercise according to your body. Another great benefit with free weight is that you can really enhance your motor skills. When using free weights their are more action on your muscles to stabilize and balance your body and its weight thereby giving you a more complete workout.

Ideally if you are serious and you want get strong the you need to train on free weights.

But, there are Negatives of using Free Weights: let’s understand what are these negatives…

Firstly, you will need advice to help you get the right workout program design. Hiring a trainer or researching the best exercises for you must come first. It is also extremely important to use proper form. Thus, hiring a trainer will get you started right.

Secondly, the chances of getting injured is higher while using free weights. If you don’t lift it right and do the exercises in the right manner, free weights can hurt you faster than it will make you fit.

Thirdly, You will need a lifting partner if you plan on pumping heavy iron. Get a partner or a trainer to help check your form. It is very easy to get sloppy, even when you know what your doing. For example, don’t try a heavy weight in the squat or bench press without a “spotter”. Make sure that you can control the weight and do the exercise correctly and in the right position.

The Benefits of Using Exercise Machines:

If you have a time constraint, using machines can be an efficient way to do workouts. Putting a pin into the weight stack is quicker than loading up a barbell. Plus, the arrangement of machines in a gym facilitates changing exercises efficiently.

If you are new to the gym, and without a trainer, machines are a safe way to start your work out regime. Most machines have diagrams to help you lift and do the exercise correctly. If you have injuries, machines will help stabilize your body. With the extra support, you can focus on healthy muscles, and give your injuries time to heal. If you want to lift heavy weights without assistance, machines will help. The security of the machine allows you to lift more, without the fear of dropping the weights.

If you want to train one specific muscle group, machines aid in focus. It is difficult to do certain exercises (like a leg curl) with free weights, and a machine will hone right in on your desired goal.

The Negatives of Using Exercise Machines:

Machines let you cruise through an exercise without bringing in stabilizing muscles. You don’t get true strength that relates to the movement in your daily life.

Another negative with machines is that they don’t always fit your body. If you are very small or very tall, the machines may not fit your size, and the exercise won’t be mechanically efficient, leading to injury. Also most exercise machines don’t give you much flexibility or variation. Most machines create a forced or guided two-dimensional movement pattern, so you are limited in how your muscles develop.

Another problem with using machines is they get occupied quickly in a gym. Your time gets wasted or there is a huge time gap between one exercise and another only because you are awaiting your turn on a machine. In the waiting process you are likely to get irritated and frustrated and this is a big turn-off when you want to get into shape.

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How important are Micro-Nutrients to stay fit?

 

micro-nutrientsMacro-Nutrients have always been given importance for health and athletic performance but, somewhere the micro-nutrients are completely left out.

“Vitamins and Minerals”, as the name comes from a Latin word “Vita” meaning life and “amine” as the biochemist called Casimir Funk(1884-1967) who learnt about them thought that they contained amino acids, hence the word “amine”.

“Minerals” are substances that are found naturally within the earth’s crust. Vitamins and minerals are the micro-nutrients, as they are measured in milligrams or micrograms. Vitamins are called “essentials” as the body cannot produce them, they have to be consumed through our food or through the dietary supplements to get them adequately. Vitamin and minerals play a very important role in metabolism of carbohydrates and fats which are used as fuel by the muscles. They are also involved in repair and building of muscles after a training session.

For everyone who trains hard in the gym,the energy metabolism and protein synthesis is absolutely important, these functions are driven by the “metabolic enzymes”. Metabolic enzymes are substances that carry out loads of functions in the body for reproduction and replenishment of the cells. Pancreas  are the primary organs that produce and release these metabolic enzymes. These enzymes are also responsible for flushing out toxins from the body and also producing energy from the nutrients that we consume.

One of major causes of wrinkles, bone loss and illness in elderly people is the inability of the pancreas to produce these metabolic enzymes due to ageing.

These metabolic enzymes require coenzymes which will initiate and aid in the function of  enzymes. The B vitamins serve as the coenzymes that helps in conversion of food into fuel and energy production.

The various B complex vitamins like the Thaimin (B1) and Niacin(B3) not only help in conversion of nutrients into energy but, Niacin also helps in manufacturing hormones and regulate the cholesterol.

Riboflavin (B2) and Panthothenic acid (B5) helps in production of energy and producing red blood cells in the body. Pyroxidine (B6) is specially important for those, crazy for muscle building and body building as this vitamins helps in protein building and strengthens the immune system.

Biotin (B7), Folic acid (B9) and Cobalamin (B12) again help in conversion of nutrients into energy. Cobalamin helps in keeping the red blood cells healthy thus enhancing their ability to carry oxygen to the cells.

Important to note Biotin (B7) deficiency is generally found in people who consume raw eggs, the egg whites contain a protein called the avidin which binds with Biotin and stops its absorbtion, cooking the eggs deactivates the avidin .As well as, consuming raw eggs is risky as it results in serious health problems like diarrhea and vomiting due to presence of a bacteria called the Salmonella. So all those “Rocky Balboa” fans, need to watch out before gulping a pitcher full of raw eggs.

Vitamin A,C and E are of equal importance for a exercising indiviual. Exercise leads to development of Reactive Oxygen Species(ROS) or commonly known as the free radicals. ROS is a phrase used for free radicals produced by molecular oxygen. The production of oxygen based radicals (ROS) is harmful for all the aerobic species. These oxygen based radicals develop even during normal aerobic respiration. But, while exercising, the demand for oxygen is increased for the cells, specially during endurance training and during the EPOC(excess post exercise oxygen consumption) which is post weight training. These ROS cause cell damage, drop in immune system, bone loss and muscle loss resulting to a drop in  performance. Some amount of Vitamin C and E is already there in the tissues, which is transfered into the bloodstream to handle minor stress while aerobic respiration. Having said that while exercising the stress increases tremendously as the demand for oxygen is very high, hence there is depletion of Vitamin C and E. These should then be immediately supplied through dietary supplements in adequate quantity. Vitamin A plays a crucial role not only as a antioxidant but also to improve vision.

Any physical activity depletes these vitamins and minerals, and the need for these vital nutrients increases. They have to be supplied through dietary supplements to achieve optimal performance in the workouts and to stay fit.

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THE BEST WAYS TO TREAT A MINOR SPORTS INJURY

 

sports-injury

In my childhood I have often had minor injuries while playing sometime or the other. And, getting hurt was just natural while playing a sport or otherwise with friends. My mother used to come up with home remedies in some cases where the injury was not too big. Mother’s remedies also helped my injuries to heal and recover quickly.

Now, I am a professional physical trainer and have studied and gained professional knowledge about how to treat minor sport injuries. Treatments for a sports injury depends on how severe the injury is and which part of the body is affected.

If your injury does not require medical treatment /Minor Sports injuries – for example, a mild sprain or strain – you can treat it at home using PRICE therapy.

PRICE stands for protection, rest, ice, compression, and elevation.

Protection – protect the affected area from further injury – for example, by using a support.

Rest: Rest is vital to protect the injured muscle, tendon, ligament or other tissue from further injury. If injured, stop playing and protect the injured part from further damage. Avoid putting weight on the injured part, get help moving to a safe area off the field. Resting the injured part is important to promote effective healing.

Ice – Cold will reduce pain and swelling. Apply an ice or cold pack right away to provide short-term pain relief and also limits swelling by reducing blood flow to the injured area. When icing injuries, never apply ice directly to the skin (unless it is moving as in ice massage) and apply the ice or cold pack for 10 to 20 minutes, 3 or more times a day. After 48 to 72 hours, longer exposure can damage your skin and even result in frostbite.

Compression – Compression refers to the application of pressure to keep the swelling down. Compression helps limit and reduce swelling, which may delay healing. Some people also experience pain relief from compression. An easy way to compress the area of the injury is to wrap an ACE bandage around the swollen part. If you feel throbbing, or if the wrap just feels too tight, remove the bandage and re-wrap the area so the bandage is a little looser.

Elevation – Elevating an injury help control swelling. For example, if you injure an ankle, try lying on your bed with your foot propped on one or two pillows.

After 48 hours of PRICE therapy, stop compression and try moving the injured area. If, after this time, your symptoms are worse, visit your doctor. PRICE therapy can be useful for any sports injury, but some injuries may require additional treatment.

Once the healing process has begun, light massage may reduce the formation of scar tissue, and improve tissue healing.

Gentle stretching can be begun after all swelling has subsided. Try to work the entire range of motion of the injured joint or muscle, but be extremely careful not to force a stretch, or you risk re-injury to the area. Keep in mind that a stretch should never cause pain.

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Dandiya workouts- mix dance and fun with fitness


An Indian Festival without traditional food is like a Morning without sun. Since the festive season is back in India there are the greater chances of binging on sweets and savouries, which may result in gaining a few extra kilos! But, not to worry as Navratri is just around the corner and is one of the fun ways of keeping one fit, active, fresh and perhaps shed a few kilos.

Navaratri is one of the glitzy and noisiest festivals and commits huge participation of people every year across the nation. People swirl to the tunes of Garba and Dandiya in colourful attires; they strike wooden sticks to the rhythmic beats of Dandiya music in clockwise and anticlockwise movements. Though the devotional aspect of the dance is well documented, not many are aware that Dandiya is not only fun but also is an ideal way to keep in shape and banish stress.

According to fitness experts, it is an excellent form of exercise that is emotionally, mentally and physically satisfying. Apart from that, it burns as many calories as jogging or swimming. The dance forms in the Garba and Dandiya includes exercises like Shuffles, Squats, Jumping Jacks, Shoulder press and waist rotation

Some of the health benefits of Garba and Dandiya workouts include:

  • Flat Belly: Most of the people out there are looking for any kind of exercise to maintain their body mass index. Navratri is one of the best occasions to shed extra kilos. Garba and Dandiya workouts are a great way to lose fat especially around the belly. The continuous dance movements help performers lose an estimated 300 to 500 calories an hour depending on the intensity of the dance.
  • Improved Blood Circulation: Dandiya performance utilizes the muscles from head to toe which increases the blood circulation throughout the body and in turn nourishes the muscles. This provides immense health benefits similar to that of aerobic exercises. Moreover, Dandiya is recommended as a good cardio exercise as it requires a very fast pace which increases heart rate. The dance steps involved in Dandiya stimulate the central nervous system as it requires both hand and foot movements. Moreover, this dance form is very effective for reducing bad cholesterol LDL and blood sugar and increasing the good cholesterol HDL.
  • Relaxant: Dandiya acts as a greatest stress buster and helps in relaxation of mind. It releases endorphins or brain chemicals, which melts away tension and relaxes the mind, body and soul. This in turn makes people happy and is one of the major physiological benefits to overall well-being. In short, Dandiya Raas lifts one’s spirits and reduces stress.
  • Other benefits: Dandiya not just improves cardiovascular strength and physical agility, but it also helps improve gait and posture and develops a grace and elegance. It makes you more coordinated and teaches you to move more gracefully.  Also, Long hours at work, inadequate rest and a high level of stress take a toll on the quality of life. Garba and Dandiya are a social activity which enables the performer to develop co-ordination, concentration and team spirit as performers have to strike their sticks in a coordinated manner to the beat of the music. So to do this correctly and in rhythm, they have to be completely focused.

In conclusion, Dandiya is a novel alternative to aerobics and cardiovascular exercise. So what are you waiting for? Buy yourself the perfect Dandiya sticks and dance away towards better health and embrace yourself to the tunes of Garba music this Navratri!!

From Terminal Illness To Complete Wellness! Ananda Mukherjee Health Story

As we observe World Cancer Day under the powerful theme ‘United by Unique’ (2025-2027)**, we are reminded that every individual’s journey with cancer is distinct, yet united by shared resilience, hope, and the collective fight against this disease. This theme places people at the centre of care and their stories at the heart of the […]