The Hindu Business Line : Go for the punch

The punching bag normally comes with a metal bracket. So first fix it to a wall. Get yourself a pair of leather punching gloves to avoid bruises and scrapes on your knuckles. Initially, punch the bag softly with one hand so that when it bounces back, you can punch it with your other hand. As you get into the rhythm, punch harder and faster. Keep your eyes on the bag all the time. Gradually, start moving around on your feet. Do it for 30 minutes. Punching continuously is a cardiovascular exercise. Immediately after your session, take your pulse rate. If it is 100-120 beats a minute, it means you’ve hit the aerobic zone and are burning calories. However, if your arms hurt or feel heavy before the 30 minutes, stop punching. Build up to the target of half hour over the weeks.

It’s a safe sport as it does not strain your arm-muscles, yet strengthens them. It makes your heart pump twice as hard as compared to walking. In addition, it improves your eye-hand coordination which helps in playing tennis, badminton, squash. Go for it, sport!

After vigorous exercise, my head starts throbbing. Without a painkiller, it intensifies to the point where I can’t sit, stand or lie down. Why does this happen and how can I prevent it? I don’t want to stop exercising. I’m 32 years old. I hope it’s not a brain tumour.

Arvind P.A.

Don’t start imagining the worst! A headache after any vigorous activity is more common than you think. There could be two reasons for it: the brain’s blood vessels widening or drinking excess water without eating after you’ve worked out.

When you glug down too much water, say about 3-4 glasses in one shot, the minerals in your bloodstream get diluted. This sudden lack of minerals makes the brain cells swell and your head throbs. If this is the reason, you will find that by eating a banana your headache disappears. In that case, have a fruit before exercise and drink only 1-2 glasses of water after exercising.

The other reason could be the widened blood vessels. When you exercise, your body secretes large amounts of hormones — epinephrine, dopamine, norepinephrine. They cause the brain’s blood vessels to widen to allow more blood to circulate through the brain. If the blood vessels press on some nerves, you get what is called an ‘exerciser’s migraine’. To counter this, avoid eating the three allergens — chocolates, cheese and MSG.

I’m a nurse who loves my job. However, recently, I find I’m tired at night, my left foot cramps, my legs ache and I’m unable to fall asleep. Sometimes, strangely, I feel like running away —from what and to where I do not know! Please don’t advise me to ‘take a break — a holiday.’ I can’t leave the patients I look after. Are there things I could do in my free time and days off?

M. Borkar

We’ll tackle one thing at a time. There’s a little ditty: ‘Caretaker, Caretaker, take care of yourself, do!’ Tiredness and lack of energy at night are normally due to dehydration. Start drinking at least 6-8 glasses of water every day. Every time you administer some medicine or give an injection to a patient, take a few minutes to stand next to the water cooler and drink a glass of water. Re-hydration itself will take away tiredness and foot cramps. Your legs ache because you are on your feet all day long.

At work, take a few minutes off every now and then to sit with your legs elevated. At night, before you sleep, massage your feet and calves with a balm or any oil until they feel warm and relaxed. Massage upward toward your heart. You will sleep sooner than you expect.

I warmly commend you on your dedication to your patients. However, you must recognise and acknowledge that you are extremely wound up. You don’t just need to unwind, you need your own space. Wanting to run away is basically wanting to go out into the larger world beyond the confines of the hospital, from a centre of illness to a world of wellness. I strongly recommend you spend at least an hour daily walking near the sea or amidst nature in a garden.

Sometimes, a dedicated intensity towards your job can hem you in. Don’t be so serious. Give yourself permission to be more open, more fluid to the vastness of life. Catch a movie, go for a picnic with friends, meditate, swim, walk or cycle, attend a musical performance, sing with a group of friends. Intuitively I feel you need to surround yourself with lots of love and laughter with fun-loving , uncomplicated people.

I’ve read about a group that kicks off every meeting by uproariously singing ‘Happy Birthday to you!’ regardless of whether it’s anybody’s birthday or not! As one famous song goes, “Don’t worry, be happy!”

(The writer is co-author of the book ‘Fitness for Life’)