Fitting diet
and exercise into a tight schedule
Exercise
is said to stimulate and release hormones in the body.
These are called the "feel good hormones." They
actually make you feel happier and more energetic, writes Anup Deb
Nath
EXERCISE and diet are difficult to
get used to and integrate into the routine. However, once
you get hooked onto them, its difficult to break
away even for a few days.
Exercise is said to
stimulate and release hormones in the body. These are
called the "feel good hormones". As the name
implies, these hormones actually give you a sort of a
high, make you feel happier and more energetic and are
also said to dull pain to a certain extent. Regular
exercise also helps you get more energy and pack in much
more into your day.
Eating right and, more
particularly, eating to suit your body is not only a
little difficult to get used to but also a hit and miss
method. Just as each of us is different so is our
bodys specific need. Each of us has to work at
finding out what our body lacks or needs as well as what
is it that doesnt suit our body.
Food and exercise needs
are governed largely by our lifestyles and partly by
genetics. If you lead a very sedentary life and your job
involves very little physical activity, then a light diet
coupled with a moderate exercise regimen would balance
out the entire day for you.
People with stressful desk
jobs often suffer from ailments like spondylitis, back
problems and digestive disorders. Such people often find
small, frequent meals more suitable coupled with moderate
to vigorous exercising.
A common excuse for
avoiding exercise and proper eating is, my job
doesnt leave me with enough time. This is a
problem for many people but not one that cannot be
overcome.
If you can eat junk food
then why not eat the healthier option instead?
Long office hours leave no
time to go to a gym. However, there is a way out of this.
If you do not live too far
from your workplace, you can either walk or cycle to and
fro, depending on the distance and conditions. Even if
this is done two to three times a week, it will benefit
you. Walking up the stairs instead of taking the lift up
will be helpful. Apart from this, you can exercise at
work itself.
Lifting books while
sitting at your desk can help to strengthen and work on
your upper arm and chest muscles. While sitting at the
desk prop your right elbow onto your desk. Place a
moderately heavy book on your outstretched fingertips.
Slowly lift up your arm until it is fully raised above
your head. Lower your arm slowly and repeat this 10 times
and then change your arms and repeat the entire process.
Legs can be similarly
worked out while at work. Sit on a desk or table and
extend your right leg out keeping the toe flexed. Slowly
lift the leg, keeping the knee straight. Take it as high
as it will go. Bring it back slowly. Repeat these lifts
10 times on the right leg and then change your leg and
repeat on your left leg.
Keep spondylitis away by
gently rotating your neck clockwise and anti-clockwise
about eight times. Remember, to get any benefit out of
this exercise, this should be done very slowly and
smoothly. If your job involves your bending over for long
spells then the best way to avert neck trouble is to do
these exercises three to four times during the course of
your work.
The people whose exercise
and diet routines suffer are those who have to travel
out-of-station frequently. Long travel can be physically
confining and tiring whether it is by plane, car or
train. The results are poor circulation, stiff joints and
muscles together with fatigue and tension.
The best way to stay alert
and healthy even while on a journey is to fit in an
exercise routine into your day. This will of course not
be as elaborate as what you regularly do at home but even
just simple exercises can help in relieving many of the
problems caused by long and frequent travelling.
Callisthenics can be done
in your hotel room, either in the morning or late
evening. Often swollen feet a side-effect of long
distance air travel and the feeling of
disorientation can be both reduced with moderate exercise
routine. The only point to remember is that you should
wait for about three hours after a meal to do any
exercise and give your body at least half-an-hour after
you wake up from a long sleep before you start
exercising.
For those who are always
making excuse about a busy day at office for not starting
or maintaining any exercise programme there are ways to
reach their goal. There is a way to exercise and stay fit
while rushing through cities and time zones. A little
effort and ingenuity can ensure your being able to
benefit your body to some extent even with a hectic
lifestyle.
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