Relax, it's yoga

I do yoga daily. But at the end of the hour I feel stiff and tired. When I spoke to my yoga teacher, she said, “Drink more water” which I've done. But it hasn't improved. Please tell me what I should do.

Jenny B.

When exercises and poses are intense, lactic acid sludges the blood. This makes the body stiff and fatigued and you edgy and irritated. To avoid this build-up: Have a period of rest after every hold and do the corpse pose ( shavasana ) for 10 minutes after the session: Lie on your back, arms to your sides, legs apart, eyes closed. Breathe slowly and allow every part of the body to release tension and become lax and easy. Be aware only of your navel rising and falling rhythmically.

The trick is not to be in a hurry to leave the yoga class and rush home. Take your time. Don't get up until you've relaxed completely. You'll find a positive difference.

I'm in a jam and it's not sweet! I'm not losing weight because I'm unable to stop eating sweets. I exercise every day and have tried several diets unsuccessfully. Please help.

Levi G.

First, you need to ask yourself, “Am I willing to eat fewer sweets?” It's only when the answer is a straight “Yes” that you can succeed in whatever self-control strategy you adopt.

Second, learn about how sugar kills slowly. It strips your body of Vitamin B12 to cause constant bone-ache, weakens your immune system, makes you inordinately hungry, zaps you with tiredness and sleepiness, robs your bones of calcium, viciously digs cavities in your teeth, snatches away precious minerals to cause hair fall and anaemia, brings on excess mucous in the system… Excess sugar also wreaks havoc on the natural harmony of the brain, making you jittery, moody, sad and sleepless.

Third, rather than be vague about how much sugar is being fed into the body, list all the routes it takes — kheers , halwas , sweet drinks, teas, coffees, ice creams, breads, pastas, fresh and dry fruits, chocolates, cakes, biscuits, flavoured milks, lassis , sauces… You'll realise that you are already ingesting sugar even through foods that you don't label as ‘sweets'. It shocks you into awareness.

Fourth, maintain a journal of every morsel you eat. Make columns: Date, Weight, Time, Food and Drinks, Amount eaten and drunk, Exercises done, Time-span of exercises. Enter the information immediately. Every time the weight goes down by 1-2 kg, mark what and how much you've eaten and drunk the previous day. It gives you a benchmark to base your intake on — thus far, no farther. And it tells you the true tale of your exercising consistency — how many times in a month have you been inactive though you profess to exercise every day.

Tip: For a week, go off all sweets. Slake the sweet thirst with berries. They are great anti-oxidants, energisers and, yes, sweet!

I'm 32. Ever since I started working, I've steadily put on weight. I don't want a Hrithik Roshan kind of physique, just want to be trim and healthy. I don't know where to start. I used to enjoy playing badminton as a teenager and would like to do it over the weekends. What would you advise?

Vivek N.

Yes, certainly, play badminton on Saturday and Sunday. In fact, this is marvellous — you can exercise Monday to Friday so as to be fit for your weekend game. When you have a goal, it keeps you focused and motivated. As a beginner, do a simple 3-pronged routine:

Walk briskly every morning for 30 minutes. On the 7th day, spot-jog or sprint 10 minutes, then walk 30 minutes. Over 3 months, build up to an hour.

After the walk-cum-run, get on the floor-mat and give me 30 abdominal crunches: Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat on the mat; place hands behind your head. Now, raise and lower shoulders 30 times, flexing your abdominal muscles. Increase to 100 in a month.

Next, do push-ups. Palms on the mat at shoulder width, elbows straight, extend legs until your body-weight is supported by your palms and toes. Now, bend elbow keeping body extended without touching the chest to the mat; next push up and come to starting position. Repeat 10 times and increase to 30 over the month.

Eat like an athlete. When you have a firm stomach, you're more powerful. With this in mind, eat less fat, consume more baked, boiled, steamed foods; have skimmed milk products, raw salads, egg whites, sprouts, leafy vegetables, moderate portions of rice or rotis .

Stop when satisfied. Don't aim for fullness — that's overeating and leads to a bloated stomach.

Sleep early to get 8 hours of quality sleep. This rests and repairs your system as well as balances hormones and prevents hunger pangs. A well-rested body is a delight.

Finally, there are 3 simple rules on the road to fitness: Start. Continue life-long. Remain cheerful and optimistic.

The writer is co-author of the book Fitness for Life.

Queries may be sent to life@thehindu.co.in

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