Work It Up !

Yea finally after a gap of about 2 months I’ve managed to rejoin a gym, this time the one at my workplace itself. Even though working out without any company can be monotonous and difficult to maintain as a routine, yet the importance of some kind of a daily workout can just not be overemphasized, especially considering the sedentary lifestyle of most of today’s young generation.

I think I can trace my penchant for fitness to my roots – my great grandfather who expired last year at age 97 used to religiously take his morning walks till I saw him last. To the best of my knowledge he never suffered from any major ailment, used to read without using spectacles and best of all – took his tea with full 2 teaspoons of sugar…. A rarity beyond age 40 these days! My grandfather also continues uninterrupted with his Yoga and walks to this day…ever since my granny passed away he keeps touring around the country and on tough pilgrimages…all thanks to his fitness level. Though unfortunately my dad had to stop gymming after suffering a back injury during his body building days….. which shows how cautious one should be with heavy weight training.
So even while I wasn’t ‘working out’ in a gym, I used to ensure that I did my daily dose of the bare minimum activity required….using stairs instead of the lift at home and work, a nightly walk to the local restaurant for dinner etc. besides some basic simple exercises that I’ll share with you.
To begin with any kind of exercise, you must first know your body type and hence the category of workouts that would best suit your requirements. Those who’re fortunate enough to be blessed with a lean framed body that doesn’t accumulate much fat despite voracious eating habits, can easily concentrate more on weight training exercises to shapen up and strengthen the muscles, while those with a broader and heavier frame with tendency to gain weight should focus more on stamina building cardiovascular workouts that also help them to keep flexible, such as jogging(or treadmill), aerobics etc.
Ideal Height-Weight Chart
Again it depends on what’s your ultimate goal…pumping up those muscles or loosing that extra flab.

In case you’ve joined a gym there are any number of workouts that the instructor can help you out with, however I’ll discuss the ones you can do at home and still be fighting fit. You can do these at any time of the day (at least a 2 hour gap after a meal) and they just take around 30 to 45 minutes of your precious time.

1.Warm up/ Cardio :
To start off, just find any open space like your balcony/terrace and start with warming up by stretching and then jogging / skipping for a minimum of 10-15 minutes.

2.Push-Ups:
Lie flat on the ground with your stomach against the floor. Place you palms on the ground just below shoulder level and raise your entire body in a straight line, then back down and repeat. Females can take upto 2 sets of 20 each while guys should increase to about 100 – 2 sets of 50 each. Good for strengthening the arms and shoulders.

3.Crunches:
Lie flat on you back, keep both hands behind your head and slowly raise your upper half to a 45 degree angle, then move back and repeat in 2 sets of 20 each. Awesome for working up the upper abdominal muscles of your tummy.

4.Leg Raises:
Keep lying flat on your back, join both feet together and raise both your legs slowly upwards to a 90 degree angle with the floor, then slowly bring them down and keep them suspended just above the ground. Repeat in 2 sets of 20 each and you’ll feel that ugly fat on your lower abs melting away. Also good for hamstrings.

5.Sit-Ups:
Stand straight and hold a chair or any waist level object with 1 hand for support. Raise your left leg and fold it behind the erect right leg. Now bend your right knee and sit all the way down and then slowly raise yourself up. Repeat for about 20 times and then the same with the other leg. Great for knees and shins.

That’s It! Still it’s unfortunate that an overwhelming majority of us Indians continue to ignore the basic minimum workout needed by their body mostly citing excuses such as ‘unnecessary narcissism’ to paucity of time. Well my friend, if Anil Ambani can take out 1.5 hours daily from his schedule for his body, I’m sure we all can spare at least half an hour.
Remember your body is just another machine, and like any machine needs to be constantly oiled and checked to prevent repair by a mechanic, so should you work up this one to prevent damage control by a doctor later. It’s not just about a longer life, but a healthier one where you can make full use of this God given tool.

It’s your body.
Love it.
Pamper it.
Take care of it.
It just might be the only thing that would serve you till your last moment on this planet.