The disco vitamin

I’m studying for my MBBS. I had my blood tested for Vitamin D3 levels. While the normal should be 30 mg, mine is 12. I’m confused. Should I consult a doctor? Or treat myself?

- Kiki

Hey Kiki, there’s nothing to be confused about. Just march to your family physician with your reports. You’ll be prescribed Vitamin D3 supplements. Vitamin D takes care of backaches, irritation, etc. and will have you dancing back to health and high spirits. That’s why I call it the disco vitamin. Walk half hour in the morning sun and 15 minutes when it’s high in the sky-noon to 2 pm. Avoid applying cream/lotion while sun-soaking. Eat foods rich in Vitamin D — egg yolks, spinach and tofu. Finally, know the best way out of any confusion is to take action.

I’d made a New Year resolution to exercise. The problem: it clashes with another resolution — to save from my pocket money. Frankly, I don’t want to spend on a gym. Help!

- Manecka

Well, Manecka, this will be music to your ears: you don’t have to join a gym to exercise. Make your own personal programme that exercises major groups in your body, like so: Cardio : Spot-jog rapidly at 100 steps/minute.

Neck: Rolls, side-to-side, up-and-down each 10 times.

Upper body : Shoulder shrugs, reach-for-the-sky hyperextensions, bicep-curls, tricep-stretches, torso twists each 20 times.

Stomach : abdominal crunches 20-50 times.

Lower body : Side leg-raises at 90 degrees 50 times each side, leg rotations 15 times each direction, leg-pulsations 50 times.

Suggestions: a) For the first week, do only cardio; then 2nd week, cardio and neck exercises; 3rd week, cardio, neck and upper body and so on. b) Weight-train (1 kg dumbbells) your upper body after you’re familiar with the exercises. The year is still new — start today!

I’m 19 and bruise easily. What should I do?

- Bruise Lee

You need to build protective collagen tissue around the blood vessels in the skin, dude. Take 500 mg Vitamin C thrice a day with your doctor’s consent.

(The writer is co-author of the book Fitness for Life and teacher of the Fitness for Life programme.)

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