Most people often focus solely on the outer muscles or the visible six pack abs while the smaller and important muscles like the obliques are often ignored. Toned and strong abs help control back pain which could arise due to bad posture, ageing and poor conditioning of the core muscles. It also makes you look taller and trimmer.

Get your basics right

1. Make sensible food choices while eating out. Keep a check on portion size and remember salads in restaurants are often just an illusion of being healthy as they are topped with high fat dressings, cheese, cream and excess salt.
2. Eat with awareness. Incorporate three to four portions of veggies and fruits per day. Ensure that your daily diet consists of whole grains, millets, pulses, veggies and fruits with lots of raw foods like salads and sprouts.
3. Avoid using excess oil in cooking or deep frying foods often. Instead, use nuts, seeds and cold pressed oils as these have many health benefits and can help enhance immunity.
4. Avoid organ meats as they are high in saturated fats. Opt for lean, white meat or fish.
5. Hydrate adequately with a minimum of 8 – 10 glasses a day.
6. Begin your day with warm water, green tea and fruits. Fruits are ideal for the digestive system. Minimise salt intake and avoid all processed and preserved foods.
7. Replace high fat dressings for salads with low fat, olive oil or lemon drizzles and use almonds, flax seed, peanut, sesame, garlic, pepper, hummus or low fat yoghurt. These are healthier and more delicious than high fat dressings.
8. The best cooking methods are stewing, steaming, roasting, stir frying and boiling. Excess heat destroys vitamins so avoid deep frying.
9. Reduce your intake of margarine and refined foods containing trans fats like chips, fried snacks, cookies or foods that contain butter, cheese or cream. For healthy fats include almonds, peanuts, cashews or avocados.
10. Ensure that you get adequate sleep. Lack of sleep can cause mood swings, obesity, low immunity, fatigue and a drop in productivity.

A healthy mind means a healthy body that contributes towards heightened immunity, better creativity and grace.

Here are a some simple and effective exercises to help strengthen your abs

Ab crunches: Lie on a mat and keep feet flat on the floor with knees bent. Interlock your hands behind your head. Raise your head and chest towards the thighs using controlled movements. Begin with 12 – 15 reps and build up to 20 reps. Reps are the number of times you repeat a movement.

Oblique crunches: Start in the ab crunch position, with the feet lifted and ankles crossed. Interlace your fingers behind your head. In a controlled manner, exhale and as you come up, twist and draw your left elbow towards your knees. Release and alternate the side. Repeat for two sets with 12 reps each time.

Lower ab crunch: Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and feet on the floor. Contract your lower abdominal muscles, and keep the hands out stretched. Lift your hands and shoulders toward the knees. Repeat this movement for 15 reps.

The bridge pose: Lie on your back. Bend your knees and draw the heels towards the buttocks. Keep the feet flat on the floor. Slowly raise the hips up, arching the lower spine and lift the navel portion towards the sky. Inhale as you lift up and exhale as you lower your torso. Repeat 5 – 6 times.

Lying down cycling: Lie with back to the floor, hands parallel to the body. Gradually raise both legs, bend your knees and begin to cycle by bringing your knees to the chest alternately like pedalling a bicycle. Keep stomach muscles tight. Do 25 – 30 counts of two sets.

Plank pose: Lie with your face down and palms on the floor. The body weight supported on the hands and toes. Hold for 10 counts. Release, rest on your belly and repeat for 8 – 10 reps.

Side bends: Stand with feet slightly apart and link your hands on the head. Bend to the right side as far as possible and hold to the count of 15. Return to vertical position and do 3 reps and repeat on the other side. For additional resistance, hold dumbbells in your hands and repeat the same movement.

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You can start by a moderate cardio activity like taking the stairs instead of the elevator, walking all or part of the way to work or go for a walk during your coffee or lunch break.

1. Bramhamudra or neck rotation: While sitting in the car, keep your spine straight, shoulders and torso steady. Now, move the face to the left by turning only the neck. Come back to start position and turn to the right. Hold each position for 20 seconds. Repeat the same by tilting the head backwards and forward. This exercise strengthens the neck and improves blood circulation. It also helps correct insomnia.
2. Shoulder rotation: Place your fingers on your shoulders and rotate your arms first clock-wise, then anti clock-wise. Repeat 10 times. Doing this improves flexibility of the shoulders and neck and eases tension in the shoulder and neck area.
3. Wrist stretch: Extend your arm in front of you with palms up and grab the fingers with the other hand. Gently pull the fingers to stretch the forearm, holding for 20 seconds. Repeat on the other side. This is especially recommended for those who spend long hours working on a computer.
4. Lower back stretch: Sit tall and place the left arm behind the left hip. Gently twist to the left using the right hand to deepen the stretch. Hold for 30 seconds. Repeat on the other side. This exercises reduces stiffness in the spine.
5. Hip flexion: Sit straight with your abs in and lift the left foot off the floor, a few inches with knees bent. Hold for 30 seconds, repeat with the other leg and do this five times.
6. Anulom-vilom: Close your eyes and relax. Close your right nostril with your right thumb. Breathe in from your left. Then close the left nostril with middle and ring finger and open the right nostril and breathe out. Repeat for five counts. This helps regulate blood pressure and is beneficial in migraine, sinus and asthma. Breathing exercises help revitalise the body, bring clarity to the mind and will help your mind and body work in harmony to liberate you from worries, tensions and fatigue.
7. Calf strengthening exercise: Sit tall with your hands extended in front at shoulder level. Keep some distance between your feet. Lift your buttocks a few inches off the chair and stay in this position for five counts. Repeat 10 times.

Eye exercises

• Stretch your hand straight and hold a pen or pencil at arm’s length. Look at the tip of the pen without blinking the eye. Slowly move the pen two to three inches closer to your eye level and take it back. Repeat this five to eight times.
• Keep your arms stretched sideways with the thumbs up. Look at the left thumb without moving the head. Now, look at the right thumb. Do this five times on each side.
• Move your eyes clock wise and anti-clock wise without moving your head and repeat for 5 rounds. Both these are excellent for relaxing the eye muscles and stimulates blood and nutrient flow to the eye muscles.
• Rub your palms together for a few seconds and place the warm palm on your eyes. This soothes and relaxes your eyes and reduces eye stress.

How our body and mind function are the prime indicators of health. Robust health can be restored by not just recognising the importance of exercise, but also that of food, sunshine, air, rest and relaxation and the effect these have on the functioning of our body.

Also, all wellness programmes must be complemented with a wholesome and nutritious diet. Include natural foods like whole grains, fruits, vegetables, sprouts, nuts, seeds and herbs, which are rich in nutrients and antioxidants and contribute to wholesome wellness.

This was first published in the August 2012 issue of Complete Wellbeing

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Cardio workouts are the only way to lose weight and to shape up

Cardiovascular exercises are the tried and tested exercise for weight loss or for burning calories. But it is the high intensity interval training [short but intense exercise sessions] that will help you burn more calories with better stimulus for the muscles. Due to the high intensity levels, the calorie burn continues even after your exercise routine is completed and as your body goes into repair mode, more calories are expended.

If you do cardio workout every day, you can eat anything you like

This is nothing but wishful thinking. It is a complete myth that you can eat or binge on fries and burgers or load up on desserts if you run/jog/cycle to burn those extra calories. To burn the kind of calories you consume, it takes more than one and half hours of intense activity such as running. Such prolonged intense activity can result in sprains, injuries and fatigue due to overtraining. And that eventually puts a stop to all planning.

Starving before cardio expedites weight loss

Any aerobic or cardio workout requires fuel, and this comes from the food you eat. Besides, starvation will cause a catabolic effect [muscle tissue is used up for energy and you end up losing lean muscle] and your energy levels plummet. Eat a small meal with complex carbohydrates, proteins or a fruit before a workout session. Empty stomach will make you lose nothing other than your stamina and health.

If you wear ankle weights while doing cardio, you burn more calories

These weights not only slow you down, but also injure you. They hardly increase calorie expenditure. It is better to focus on intensity and progression in your exercise routine than on making life difficult.

Running or jogging on the treadmill works the best to burn calories

When your body adapts to the same type of exercise or the same intensity, you reach a plateau and you end up burning lesser calories. It is better to do different exercises for better progress. While exercising, addressing the entire body as a whole is the key to overall transformation.

So, what are some facts about the treadmill? The fact is that as you get older, your joints will start to wear and tear, which may lead to arthritis, postural issues, and even heart ailments. This is where the effectiveness of using a treadmill greatly increases–it helps keep your joints strong and pain-free. Treadmills help improve your heart’s health because they:

• Boosts Energy Levels: Using a treadmill is one of the best ways to help burn off calories while boosting your energy levels, helping you to stay more active and lower the risk of heart disease, which is one of the biggest health issues faced by people in most developed countries.
• Helps Regulate Body Processes: Cardiovascular fitness has been proven to help lower blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol levels, and even help you lose weight. The benefits are many and it doesn’t matter what age you are at. You can start by choosing the right type of treadmill that you’ll be comfortable using. If you are a novice, start with a simple treadmill that’ll help you gain the necessary skills.
• Is Easy To Use: Treadmills are affordable and easy to use, so it’s easy to see why they’re such a popular option. You’ll find fitness websites that are dedicated solely to providing information on treadmills and the benefits that they offer. You want to take a little time to do some research on the different models that are available and how they are different from each other.

There are a lot of different types of treadmills in the market that’ll give you more bang for your buck. When choosing a treadmill, it’s crucial to consider the features, price, and your fitness needs. A personal trainer may be able to provide additional information and tips that’ll make you more effective.

Exercising with weights causes weight gain

On the contrary, it is excess consumption of food that causes unhealthy weight gain, like what happens with emotional eating. Muscle is a metabolically active tissue while fat is seen as inactive, soft, bulky and unattractive. You burn more fat when muscle mass increases and this gives a leaner, more toned physique and an appearance of slimness.

Do not let these myths or even laziness deter you from vital exercises that can enrich your life. Good discipline, consistency and a positive attitude determines your fitness or wellness levels. Health is more than just physical fitness; it is an integration of mind, body and spirit. Therefore, the objective of any fitness plan must be physical, mental transformation and spiritual awareness.

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Eat well, eat right

• Eat six meals a day. Your first meal [breakfast] should ideally be the heaviest meal of the day. It should be packed with calcium and protein.
• Your second meal should be an hour before lunch and an hour and a half after breakfast.
• Your lunch should be wholesome comprising all nutrients. Your evening snack should be just enough to satisfy your hunger pang. Usually, this is where people go wrong and binge.
• Your dinner is the second most important meal of the day; dinner should be light, but never skipped.
• Listen to the signals your stomach gives. By this I mean, if you are hungry go ahead and eat, but healthy and sensibly.
• If you’re not hungry, don’t force yourself to eat something just for the heck of it. Eating when you aren’t hungry not only is bad for your immunity levels and your physical health, but it also leads to mood swings and irritation.
• Avoid emotional eating. People who are happy with their body tend to be more in tune with their hunger, making them less prone to eating in stressful time. Try and distinguish for yourself if you’re really hungry or emotionally hungry.
• Make sure you are having a balanced diet. Never completely cut on any foods. Eat in moderation, but eat everything.

Tip: A trick to remember while eating right is to never get up from the table feeling stuffed. The best way to fight the bulge is to get up feeling that you could eat just a little more.

Exercise regularly

To stay physically fit and retain youthful vigour you should exercise regularly. Unfortunately now-a-days, people are either leading an increasingly sedentary existence or over-doing their workout. About 30 minutes of brisk walking or any other form of cardio [jogging, cycling, aerobics, and dance] and 30-minute muscle strengthening workout at least five times a week is ideal.

In order to work out, you need not join a gym or buy fancy fitness equipment. It is possible to make your workout fun and efficient, yet simple and cheap. Experiment with sports like swimming, tennis or squash.

If you aren’t fond of weights, buy thera-bands, which is a great way of toning muscles and you can also try different kinds of exercise with them. Aerobics is a great workout too. New-age regimes like kick-boxing, t’ai- chi, and spinning are fun and worth trying as well.

There two important things to remember while working out: One, your exercise should never get monotonous or tedious; Second, you should keep experimenting with new exercise formats as it keeps your metabolism ticking and your interest intact.

So, follow these basic rules to lead a healthy, happy and long life.

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