By Bhavna Malhotra Consultant – Nutrition & Lifestyle
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Usually for most of us the time lapse between the decision to exercise and actually tread the path is anywhere from a week to a month. Unfortunately, at times we end up losing the motivation to start with exercise at all. This is mostly because of lack of clarity on what is the best exercise program to start. The dilemma of whether to join a yoga class or a Zumba/dance aerobics class or opt for weight training eats away on our precious time. So which exercise is the best?
To answer this, we need to first know that a good exercise program should not only make me strong but also make me supple and increase my stamina. Strength, Stamina and Suppleness are the tripod of fitness.
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Muscular strength will help me maintain a good posture, increase my bone density and will reduce the risk of muscle injuries and fractures as I age.
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Stamina or increased aerobic capacity will not only help me wade through the busy days but also help in keeping my heart and lung health good, reduce my risk of diabetes, blood pressure and stroke.
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Suppleness or flexibility will help me improve my posture and balance. A flexible muscle will be less prone to injuries.
With this knowledge in place it should be amply clear that a perfect exercise program will be one which takes care of all these 3 aspects of fitness. Weight training or resistance training will give you strength, aerobics/ Zumba class or walking/ jogging/ cycling/ swimming will all help you improve your stamina and for flexibility it’ll be yoga or stretches at the end of your exercise session.
But I don’t have this much time daily! A well planned 45 minutes session can take care of all 3 aspects. If you have basic equipment (dumbbells or resistance bands) at home the 45-minute session can be broken into- 5 minutes warm up + 15 minutes of aerobics + 15 minutes resistance training + 10 minutes of stretches. Alternatively, you can divide your week into 2 days of weight training + 3 days of aerobics (can be a simple walk or jog) and 2 days of yoga.
But with gyms closed how do I get all this? For weight training resistance bands can be used (easily available online). If you’ve exercised in the past and are well versed with the use of weights some basic dumbbells can be kept at home. If you do not wish to buy anything as you are new to resistance training, simple 1-liter water bottles can be used as weights to start with. Your own body weight can also be used for resistance training. ‘Dand’, ‘baithak’ (squats), pushups, pull ups, yoga asanas where you are holding a pose are some examples of the same. Just ensure you are performing the exercises in the right form to avoid injuries. Enroll for an online class to learn the right form of exercises. For aerobics and yoga training many online classes and apps are available these days.
Most important thing to remember is ‘Any exercise is better than no exercise’! Lack of activity is the main reason behind most of the metabolic diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular problems. India has the second highest number of diabetes patients second only to China. Indian government is trying to encourage all of us to exercise more through initiatives like ‘Fit India movement’. Let us all embrace activity and make exercise a daily part of our lives!
