Are You Fighting to be Fit? Stop!


Are You Fighting to be Fit? Stop!
I am sure this will make us all think a bit! The following is my interpretation from the "Ayurvedic Monthly."

Stairmaster, spinning, kickboxing, hiking...take your sweat inducing choice. Start today, go at it for just 45 minutes a day, 6-days per week and you too can tighten your muscles and lighten your body-mass within the next few weeks.

And why not?
Stout is out and thin is in, so it makes sense to fit in.

Or does it?
World Epidemic Founded In Hollywood - Unfit Obsession
A recent issue of Fitness magazine reports on some record-setting workouts. Among them were:

  • At the St. James Club in Toledo, a man clocked 30 non-stop miles on the treadmill.

  • In Lincoln, Nebraska, a woman did the club's two-week Iron-man contest in one single day.

  • A guy spent 6.5 hours at the Beacon Hall Athletic Club in Boston, MA. "Get a life!"

Today, more people are crossing the line between healthy and harmful exercise. Are you there? Gym junkies have been known to become exercise addicts, giving their workout priority over everything else in life. Not only that, sports experts observe such exercise addicts suffer true withdrawal symptoms if they are forced to go without their daily quota of exercise.

Are you an addict? I think I am!

  • Do you go on treading the mill or doing the weights regardless of a stretched shin or an aching arm?

  • Do you jump into your workout without taking time to warm-up or stretch?

  • Have you ever missed a meal or an appointment to work out?

  • Are you more sluggish when you don’t get your exercise fix?
All these are signs you are doing more than you should.

Healthy Advice
Modern fitness experts recommend a 24-hour rest between vigorous exercise sessions. "You need to allow the body to recover fully." Concerned at the growing number of "fitness freaks,'' they urge people to check their pace-even carry a heart-monitor to the gym.

Pick up a magazine that specializes in physical fitness, and it will give you formula for calculating your speed and strength. Some examples:

  • If your heart is thumping at an increased but safe speed, you're on the right track-this is your "target heart rate." Usually, this is about 75 to 80 percent of your maximum safe heart rate. But for workouts on ski machines and stair climbers, your heart rate should be about 60 percent of the maximum.

  • To figure out your 60 percent of maximum target rate, subtract your age from 220, and multiply the result by 0.6. You could also lug a mini heart monitor to the gym to check your progress occasionally.
Math vs. Mind
This is where ayurveda steps in. "Forget formulas and let your soul speak to you. Hear your internal voice."

Ancient ayurvedic healers advocated the concept of using "balaardh," 50 percent of your total reservoir of strength at a given time. This does not mean you need to pull out a calculator each time you want to figure out if you've done "half of your total capacity." It means keeping constant dialogue with your body and your mind.

When you start sweating lightly and breathing through the mouth, your body is telling you that it is going at a steady pace. When your mind is enjoying your physical activity-say a vigorous game of tennis, you know it is okay to continue. Do not push yourself to the point of failure or exertion. Simple. Or is it?

Workouts That Work
Some people want to lose weight, others like to build muscle, and still others see it as part of their anti-aging program. Whatever your goal, you can achieve it the ayurveda way-without burning yourself out.

Being a holistic system of healing, ayurveda likes exercises that allow you to blend both body and mind. That is why, ancient healers like Charaka, praised walking. It does not tax the body overmuch, it relaxes the mind, and it improves overall balance of your whole self.

Yoga-which comes from the root word "yoke" or unite, is an old-time favorite of the vaidyas, which is currently gaining popularity at lightening speed. It gives you an all-body workout at a steady pace. It is also a great calmer-who can feel or act stressed when stretching the body in such a delicious manner? A session of yoga will always leave you feeling refreshed and happy, with newfound energy and a very satisfying smile not only on your face, but also in your heart!



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