The Hindu Business Line : Keep walking!

By being committed and consistent. You take an exercise, something you enjoy; like a walk, for instance. Insist on going for a walk at a chosen time regularly. Compel yourself to do it, come rain, shine or temptations. Every day that you say, "Yes, I'm walking", every day that you walk, strengthens your will power a notch more. Don't give in to hesitation or laziness. You have a choice to strengthen your will or submit your will to laziness.

Be honest with yourself. When you say "I could not walk today," or "I did not have the time", admit it is untrue. Re-affirm that you will not make excuses and will be disciplined and tough on yourself. When there is hesitation, it means that though the conscious part of your mind has decided to go for a walk, there is a lower conscious part which is indecisive and waiting for you to display just an iota of hesitation so that it can take over and weaken your will.

Remember that if you sincerely want to get fit and strong, nothing can stop you from doing what it takes. Don't be the "someone who exercises".

That "someone" gets in your way. The trick is to concentrate wholly on walking instead of on the walker. The walking, not the walker, is important. This way, you go beyond your imagined limitations and get right into the act! For example, if a painter becomes self-conscious while painting, he will stop painting. But if he forgets himself and loses himself in the act of painting, he will be full of energy, life, force and radiance.

Make walking a flow activity. Walk loosely, comfortably, and with a straight posture. Count your steps; concentrate on walking. Relax in the knowledge that the breeze, the birds, trees, other walkers, and the canopy of the sky are all your companions. When the time you've set for exercising draws near, make your mind open and available. Change into your exercise gear. As you exercise, be attentive without thought. Your movements will be fluid and you will feel a sense of serene joyousness. This is the fruit of developing the will to exercise.

I'm a diehard non-vegetarian keen to build up muscle-mass without gaining fat. Could you guide me on non-vegetarian protein-sources? Also, how soon can I eat a meal after my workout?

Dino Francis

To gain and maintain muscle mass without adding fat, you have to eat the leanest meats. Avoid red meats — mutton, beef, and pork — all together. Have egg-whites, fish (except varieties of shellfish), and skinless chicken breast (a chicken breast contains 187 calories as against 287 calories in a chicken leg). Don't shun vegetarian protein sources such as tofu (soya paneer), mushrooms, sprouted moong and other pulses such as rajma. They are tasty and low-fat as well.

Your question on your post-workout meal is very relevant. When you do heavy weight-training, your body gets into a catabolic mode. That is, it breaks down muscle. To minimise this, you must eat a meal containing carbohydrates and protein within half an hour after your workout. In other words, the sooner you eat, the better.

I have had a constant low undercurrent of pain in my lower back for the past few years. My doctor says everything is fine with me and that I should just take life easy. However, I'd rather explore ways of strengthening my back than `taking it easy'. Could you suggest some exercises that I could do?

Sulakshana R.

You need to do exercises that strengthen your back and abdominal muscles, as they are interconnected.

Stand facing a wall. Walk your palms on the wall as high as you can until you feel a pleasant stretch in your back. Then, move both arms simultaneously in wide circles — the left arm marking a circle on the left side and the right arm on the right side. Do this entire exercise three times.

Lie on the floor on your back. Raise the left leg to 70 degrees and hold for 30 seconds. Lower. Raise right leg to 70 degrees and hold for 30 seconds.

Lie on the floor on your back and press your lower back into the mat. Keep feet flat on the floor and knees bent. Place your hands below your neck and raise your head and shoulders. Hold for one second. Lower. Repeat 20 times.

Make these exercises a lifetime habit. In addition, whenever you are doing any task, make sure your shoulders are squared and your lower back is straight. The wrong posture causes the pain. Drink 12 glasses of water daily to hydrate your muscles. Dehydrated muscles are more vulnerable to spasms and tics.

(The writer is co-author of the book, `Fitness for Life'.)

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