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Wellness
Knowing body type
Our genetic predisposition to gain weight is decided by our body type, which responds to various workout regimes
Mickey Mehta
 Studies
have time and again stated that one’s risk of obesity is higher even
with one parent being obese. Our genes decide how well we respond to
exercise and how prone we are to weight gain. Besides the genes,
lifestyle patterns are also culprits — one’s eating habits,
sedentary life or lack of activity are major factors that are likely
to make you struggle with your weight. So, it is absolutely imperative
that you do not throw in the towel and blame your genes alone for your
obesity. Instead, acknowledge the fact that even as little as 30
minutes of some activity or exercise will help you outsmart your
genes. Regular exercises and a healthy eating plan will also help you
with other benefits such as lowered blood pressure, improved
cholesterol levels, reduced risk of diabetes, heart diseases and
improved stamina, flexibility and immunity. To reduce the effects of
being overweight, you need to opt for a fitness regime that fits into
your body type as well as your daily schedule in order to maintain
continuity and to achieve results.
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Ab crunches can firm a flab stomach
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There are three body
types characterised by specific personality and traits. The Endomorphs
have a round and soft body with more fat in the abdominal area. They
gain weight easily and have an appearance of stockiness. They tend to
have a fuller shape and are also capable of building muscle with
effort.
Exercise tips:
They need to focus more on cardio training to achieve a higher heart
rate to burn calories. These can be interspersed with strength
training or total body exercises with cardio for good results.
The Ectomorphs are
fragile and delicate with light bones and muscles. Even though they
are lean and slender, they tend to have lesser developed muscle mass.
They will have to work harder for weight gain.
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Endomorphs have more fat in the abdominal area and gain weight easily. They need to focus more on cardio training
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Exercise tips: This type
will gain results from Yoga, Pilates and strength training to improve
their muscular/skeletal system and for better posture. They can do
cardio training for 2 or 3 times a week for better heart health.
The Mesomorphs are solid
and strong. They have well defined muscular bodies with narrow waist,
large bones and have athletic bodies. They respond well to exercises.
Exercise tips: Focus
must be on exercises like yoga and stretching to help avoid looking
bulky as they tend to build muscle easily.
Our bodies are adaptable
in structure and function and are suited for exercises. Therefore it
is strongly recommended that you begin your exercises gradually and
take your body to its potential to experience changes that have been
well documented like: reduced fat ratio, more muscle, healthier heart
system and stronger lungs. You will get best rewards from if you set
yourself a schedule and exercise regularly.
The author is holistic
health guru, and has a portal www.mickeymehtahbf.com
A few convenient exercises
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Pilates work well for fragile and delicate ectomorphs
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Firstly, warm up well
with side bends, light skipping, toe touches, leg raises, spot jogging
and jumping jacks for improved oxygenation, flexibility and to reduce
chances of injuries. A few counts of neck rotations, shoulder shrugs
and arm rotations are recommended, all of which will make up 10 to 12
minutes.
This can be followed up
with six to eight rounds of suryanamaskars for weight loss,
flexibility and better stamina.
Lunges: Stand straight
and move one leg forward and kneel on the back leg. Straighten, come
back to normal position and repeat on the other leg. Do two sets of 15
reps.
Squats: Stand erect with
your feet apart. Slowly lower the body and squat down as far down as
possible. Ensure that your knees are in line with the toes. Come back
to start position and repeat for two sets of 15 reps each.
Side and front leg
kicks: Standing erect, raise the right leg sideways as high as
possible. Pause, lower and repeat for 15 to 20 counts. Then repeat on
the other leg and do the same front ways as well.
Ab crunches: Lie flat on
your back and with folded knees (90° angle), slowly lift your torso
up. Support your neck and head with your palms. Hols and return to
start position and repeat by doing 3 sets of 15 reps.
Push-ups for the chest:
Lie face down on the floor with body weight supported on the palms of
the hands and the toes, with hands placed directly under the
shoulders. Keep your arms bent, body straight and slowly push the
upper body to arms length. Lower and repeat for 8 to 10 counts.
Some people find more
motivation if they join a gym, while others prefer to do them at home.
Whichever way, make sure you plan it to suit your lifestyle and
physical condition. It is also wise to exercise under competent
guidance to prevent injuries.
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Health Capsules
Smoke-free
laws linked to drop in child asthma attacks
Introducing laws
banning smoking in enclosed public places can lead to swift and
dramatic falls in the number of children admitted to hospital
suffering asthma attacks, according to a study in England.
Researchers at Imperial College London found there was a 12.3
per cent fall in hospital admissions for childhood asthma in the
first year after laws against smoking in enclosed public places
and workplaces came into effect in July 2007.
Clear
food labels help in healthy food choices
 Different labels
on food that clearly display the total number of calories and
nutrients in the entire package, rather than just part of it,
might help people make healthier food choices, according to a
study from the US Food and Drug Administration.
FDA researchers,
whose results appeared in Journal of the Academy of Nutrition
and Dietetics, found that people were best at assessing
things like chips and frozen meals — and comparing the
healthfulness of multiple products — when the nutrition facts
were presented for the entire container's worth of food, or for
both one serving and the entire container. This does away with
the need to multiply the nutrition facts listed by the number of
servings per package if people want to eat it all, researchers
said.
Currently,
manufacturers are given a lot of leeway when it comes to
deciding how much a serving size is, according to a marketing
researcher from Colorado State University in Fort Collins.
To make products
appear healthier, some companies have started increasing the
number of servings listed per container, thus lowering the
number of calories per serving. All of that adds to consumers'
confusion, she said.
Nutrition
researchers recommend a system like Britain’s — in which the
front of foods are labelled green, yellow or red on basis of
their healthfulness.
Men
who go bald by 40 likely to get prostate cancer
Men who experience
receding hair lines early in life are more likely to suffer
prostate cancer, says a new study. Researchers, who studied hair
loss patterns in nearly 10,000 men, found men who go bald by 40
were more likely to suffer a tumour later on. The study supports
earlier findings suggesting baldness could be linked with
prostate cancer, Daily Mail reported. Previous studies
indicate it could be due to higher levels of testosterone, the
hormone which can trigger the development of cancerous cells but
also inhibit hair growth. Both prostate cancer and hair loss are
strongly age-related conditions that are considered to be
androgen (hormone) dependent. In baldness, it's thought high
testosterone levels have an adverse affect on the hair
follicles, acting on a hormone receptor to slow down hair
production. The study was published in the journal Cancer
Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention.
Ugly
cholesterol spurs high risk of heart disease
The risk of
ischaemic heart disease affecting millions worldwide is three
times higher in people with high levels of the so-called 'ugly'
cholesterol, according to a finding.
"We found
that an increase in the ugly cholesterol triples the risk of
ischaemic heart disease, which is caused by lack of oxygen to
the heart muscle due to narrowing or blocking of the coronary
arteries," said Borge Nordestgaard, chief physician at
Herlev Hospital, who led the study. Ugly cholesterol is the
direct cause of arteriosclerosis (hardening of arteries)
resulting in ischaemic heart disease and early death. If the
levels of normal fat, triglyceride, in the blood are high, then
the levels of ugly cholesterol are also high. It was published
in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Fast
food linked to asthma, eczema
 Eating fast food
thrice a week or more elevates the risk of asthma and eczema,
while eating fruit with the same frequency provides a protective
effect, says a study. The findings of the research led by
Professor Innes Asher and Philippa Ellwood from the University
of Auckland's department of paediatrics could have huge
implications for public health.Data was collected on more than
319,000 teenagers (13-14 years of age) from 107 centres in 51
countries, and more than 181,000 children (6-7 year-olds) from
64 centres in 31 countries, the respiratory journal Thorax
reports.
All participants
were involved in the International Study of Asthma and Allergies
in Childhood (ISAAC), a collaborative research project which has
been led by Auckland for more than 20 years and now involves
more than 100 countries and nearly two million children, making
it the largest study of its kind. The teenagers and their
parents were quizzed about the prevalence of symptoms of asthma
(wheeze), rhinoconjunctivitis (runny or blocked nose accompanied
by itchy and watery eyes) and eczema, and about their weekly
diet. The analysis showed that fast food was the only food type
to show the same associations across both age groups. —
Agencies |
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