December 23, 2010 at 6:45 pm · Filed under Health, healthy food, Nutrition, Uncategorized ·Tagged almonds, cold, common cold cures, fitness, fitness series on vitamin c, Flu, good food, health, healthy eating prevents cold, Indian common cold prevention, Indian food, prevent flu with healthy food, swine flu, Vitamin C, winter, yogurt
In India, this is the season of cold and flu. Weather has been cold and hot at the same time. If you are someone who travels a lot, you may be the worst hit.
Prevention ofcourse is always a better option. However, we are not going to suggest you pills. Instead, we would rather take you through a few healthy food habits so as to prevent cold and flu.
It`s important to eat healthy, immune strengthening foods throughout the year, but it is especially important during this season in India.
People usually would hinge on their immune system. But then, this system badly needs a balance. So how do you keep that balance? Well, for one, by eating plenty of fruits, vegetables and grains. And, there are certain fruits, vegetables and grains that help keep that balance and boost the immune function. There are eight important immune-boosting vitamins and minerals found in whole foods- Vitamin E, vitamin A, vitamin C, bioflavonoids, carotenoids, selenium, omega 3 fatty acids and zinc. But that’s such a big deal. Yet, it’s not all that of a deal really. Let us simplify it for you.
Oranges: If you have cold, anyone would ask you to pop a vitamin C pill. Vitamin C found in citrus fruits is at the top of the list of immune boosters for many reasons. Vitamin C increases the production of infection-fighting white blood cells and antibodies and increases levels of interferon which will prevent the entry of viruses. Most of the food that contains vitamin C will also contain bioflavonoids. Together, they work to boost our immunities.
Good grains: Vitamin E in seeds and grains supply plenty of nutrients to boost your immune system. Remember what your grandparents told you about sprouted grains and lentils. They are some of the best for increasing our bodies’ immunities because they are loaded with Vitamin E and zinc.
Red things: The red vegies are a treasure of vitamins especially Carrots as they have beta carotene and other carotenoids. So what? Well they increase the number of infection-fighting cells, natural killers, and T-cells. They also protect against cancer by stimulating the immune cells called macrophages to produce tumor necrosis factor, which kills cancer cells.
Garnish with garlic: Believe it or not but garlic is rich in several antioxidants and selenium that fight any immune system invaders. So get your favourite garlic bread and devour it.
Broccoli: This vegetable is a great immune booster and it is easy to add to any meal. It`s full of nutrients that protect your body from damage such as vitamins A, vitamin C, and glutathione.
Yogurt: In addition to all the fruits, vegetables and grains, a daily cup of yogurt with live and active cultures may stimulate your immune system to fight disease. Also, in recent studies, the vitamin D in yogurt and in sunlight has been linked to decreasing the risk of cold and flu better than the flu vaccine. If you don`t eat dairy, many health food stores carry soy yogurt.
Flu can be better prevented than treated
Flax Oil: This oil contains Omega-3 fatty acids which act as immune boosters by increasing the activity of phagocytes, the white blood cells that eat up bacteria. It’s easy to add flax oil to your diet; just add one to three teaspoons to a fruit and yogurt smoothie.
People, believe it or not but only a little consideration can make a huge difference to your prevention regime if you just pick a few of these tips.
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December 5, 2010 at 6:29 pm · Filed under Food, Health ·Tagged fitness, hair growth, hair needs health, hair scalp, hair vitalisation, healhty eating for hair, health, healthy hair growth, merifitness, re-grow hair, vitalise your hair, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Baldness for some is a sign of prosperity in India. This is funny and dangerous both at the same time. Crazy too. Can anything be more important than looking healthy? Of course not. And one of the several parameters of health is your hairline.
What are the basic cause of hair loss? Well, many like diet, aging, stress, disease and genetics. All of these are the main players. In addition, hormonal imbalances can also lead to hair loss. The worst hit in this case are women after menopause as at this time they are particularly at risk. Steroid drugs, or other drugs that interact with hormones, can alter hair growth and cause hair loss as well.
But that also means there’s a solution. Of course, you cannot help your age but there are several factors where you can.
To start with, a healthy diet can stimulate hair growth. The best sources of vitamins and nutrients are whole foods and raw foods are the best sources of vitamins and nutrients but adding vitamin supplements can help jump start the re-growth of hair.
The ABC of Vitamins
Hair structure: Vitamin C is needed to produce collagen, part of the hair structure and hair follicles. Because the human body does not manufacture vitamin C, daily consumption from food or supplements is necessary. Natural sources of vitamin C are fruits and vegetables, especially citrus fruits, such as oranges and lemons. Vitamin C is added to numerous shampoo and skin care products because of its efficacy.
Hair Growth: Vitamin D enables hair to grow. When people are severely deficient in this nutrient they develop rickets, and one of the symptoms of rickets is falling hair, or hair loss.
Blood vessels: Vitamin E stimulates the growth of new blood vessels. Taken internally or applied to the scalp, vitamin E can help hair re-grow and prevent hair loss. This fat-soluble vitamin can be applied to the scalp as well. Massaging vitamin E into the hair follicles can increase circulation on the scalp and help hair grow. Vitamin E is found in nuts, seeds and vegetable oils, as well as in tomatoes, wheat germ, and avocados.
Nourishment: The B vitamins nourish hair follicles, the part of the scalp where the hair begins to grow. The B vitamin group is called a complex. Recommended B vitamins for hair growth are B1, B2, B3 and B5. Stress also causes hair loss, they report, and the B vitamins help the body handle stress.
Stimulation: Vitamin A creates retinoids in the body, and these help re-grow skin and hair and prevent hair loss. Retinoids stimulate the hair follicle and encourage production of new hair. Natural sources of vitamin A include dark green and yellow vegetables.
Such is the charm of all these vitamins in helping your hair grow.
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November 18, 2010 at 5:44 pm · Filed under Health, Wellness ·Tagged calorie counting is logical, calories, couting calories, health, lose calories, Short-term weight loss, weight loss
Calorie counting has some sense
It can be boring, tedious and complicated. But if you think counting calories is 1980s, you are definitely wrong. If you want a proportionate weight that justifies your BMI, guys, you need to count calories. How else would you know where that extra fat is making its way into your body and worse, showing too?
Don’t believe us? Well, for one makers of Coca-Cola and M&Ms have already started printing calories on the front of packages. Consumers today are paying more attention and choosing products based on calorie count. In one of the cases, a consumer had filed a case against a well-known fast food brand as its product had more calories than it had printed on it.
This shows that calorie counting is a serious business and it DOES make a lot of sense. So how exactly does calorie-counting help? What difference does it make to weight gain or weight loss? Lets find out.
Calorie knowledge: How would you control your weight if you didn’t know about the extra fat? By counting calories. It makes you realize how many calories are in some of your favorite foods. As you find this out, you understand better why you are struggling with your weight. You begin to recognize your weaknesses and strengths when it comes to eating.
Right portions: Counting calories helps you discover proper portions. When you are measuring foods and counting calories, you quickly learn how too much of a good thing becomes a bad thing in a hurry. Suddenly, you learn to avoid foods you can’t control yourself around.
Avoiding things that you don’t need: The next thing about calorie counting is you’ll notice is all the extra unnecessary ingredients. Low-calorie meals become high-calorie disasters with each added ingredient you decide to use. As you tally up each ingredient, you are faced with the decision to part with the unnecessary extras. Fewer ingredients means fewer calories – plain and simple.
Food patterns: If you maintain a regular journal, you will know how certain foods make you feel. That way, you will be able to track certain patterns. This is a key discovery to help you make better decisions because you start relating bad foods to feeling bad and vice versa.
Your own health expert: Calorie counting makes you your own health expert as it helps you make better decisions. When you are allotted only a certain amount of calories a day, you begin to be a little choosier on how you “spend” your calories. The same way you budget money, you begin to learn how to save calories for the foods you love while still working towards your weight loss goals. You also will learn some foods are just not worth the extra calories. You don’t need a gym trainer then as you will save money on him as well.
Go ahead. Calorie counting is so much more fun if done with the entire family or a bunch of friends. Don’t view it something tedious. Look at it as something that is saving your time and money and still helping your weight control.
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November 9, 2010 at 9:51 am · Filed under Uncategorized ·Tagged breakfast, brown rice, enjoy whole grains, fitness grains, fuller whole grains, grains are nutritious, health, millet, nutrition with grains, oatmeal, popcorn, porcorn can be good, rice, rolled oats, sandwich, whole grains, whole grains merits, whole wheat
There is a greener side to grains too! Surprised? You ought to be as there is a treasure of health on the other side of grains i.e in whole grains. But first things first. What are grains? Grains, also called cereals, are the seeds of grasses, which are cultivated for food. From large popcorn nuts to quinoa seeds, there are plenty of them in all shapes and sizes.
Don’t get us wrong. All types of grains are good sources of complex carbohydrates, various vitamins and minerals, and are naturally low in fat. But it is the unrefined grains known as whole grains that are even better for you. Whole grains are better sources of fiber and other important nutrients, such as selenium, potassium and magnesium.
Don’t believe us? Take a look. A slice of commercially prepared white bread has 66 calories, 1.9 grams protein and 0.6 grams fiber. A slice of whole-wheat bread has 69 calories and provides 3.6 grams protein and 1.9 grams fiber. Makes sense?
The reason for this is whole grains haven’t had their bran and germ removed by milling. This makes them great sources of fiber — the part of plant-based foods that your body doesn’t digest. Among many health benefits, high-fiber foods also tend to make you feel full longer.
If we talk about refined grains, there’s a different story. Although vitamins and minerals are added back into refined grains after the milling process, they still don’t have as many nutrients as whole grains do, and they don’t provide as much fiber naturally.
Whole grains are fuller
Any grocery store even in India now provides the whole-grain versions of rice, bread, cereal, flour and pasta. Many whole-grain foods come ready to eat. These include a variety of breads, pastas and ready-to-eat cereals. Some fo the examples of whole grain include Barley, Brown rice, Buckwheat, Bulgur (cracked wheat), Millet, Oatmeal, Popcorn, Whole-wheat bread, pasta or crackers and Wild rice.
But how do you choose it? That’s even simpler. Just check the label and look for the word “whole” on the package, and make sure whole grains appear among the first items in the ingredient list. Try to choose items with at least 3 grams of dietary fiber per serving.
Many people often get confused about white in colour whole wheat-bread. Although white whole-wheat bread looks and tastes like white bread, it has the same nutritional benefits as regular whole-wheat or whole-grain bread. White whole-wheat bread is made with an albino variety of wheat, which is lighter in color and has a sweeter, milder flavor. Regular whole-wheat bread is made with red wheat, which is dark in color and has a slightly bitter taste. White whole wheat also has a softer texture, because it goes through an extra processing step.
How to enjoy whole grains?
Breakfast: The best time to blend whole grains into your family menu. Enjoy breakfasts that include high-fiber cereals, such as bran flakes, shredded wheat or oatmeal.
Alternative: Substitute whole-wheat toast or whole-grain bagels for plain bagels. Substitute low-fat, bran muffins for pastries.
Sandwiches: Make sandwiches using whole-grain breads or rolls. Swap out white-flour tortillas with whole-wheat versions.
Nice rice: Replace white rice with kasha, brown rice, wild rice or bulgur. Feature wild rice or barley in soups, stews, casseroles and salads. Add whole grains, such as cooked brown rice or whole-grain bread crumbs, to ground meat or poultry for extra body.
Rolled oats: Use rolled oats or crushed bran cereal in recipes instead of dry bread crumbs.
These little tips would help you make whole grains very much a part of your diet and would save you a lot of health troubles in future.
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October 22, 2010 at 2:08 pm · Filed under Cycling, Exercise, Fitness ·Tagged aerobics, best aerobic exercise, exercise for weight loss, gain weight, get weight loss, healthy weight loss, how do you lose weight, lose weight, loss of weight in two weeks, mistakes in weight loss, over rated weight, over weight, power yoga, reduce weight, weight loss, weight loss program, weight management, weight-loss regime, yoga
So you are a workoholic who hates health and fitness regimes as they are so complicated and you have not time for it. Now take a deep breath and listen. There are ways to remain fit without all this sweat. And the simplest ways are often the best too.
Try this refresher course and get started. All you need is just a little concern for your health and fitness. If you have it, there are simple ways to work at them. Here’s how:
Take 30: Wake up just half an hour earlier than your usual time. 
Now just devote atleast 30 minutes pushing your body beyond what it’s used to doing. Stretch. Hands up and down and up and down. Bend down and sit up. One advantage: you feel fit and fresh throughout the day. It slows down aging too.
Naturals: Get five to seven servings of fruits and veggies a day. Not only do they reduce your risk of getting some forms of cancer, they are heart healthy, and give you more nutrition. With the added fiber, you feel fuller even when you’re eating less. So fruits and veggies are waistline-friendly.
Learn to say NO: If you are busier than you ought to be, you are saying Yes to too many people. Learn to say NO to responsibilities that are not yours. That way, you will really be able to save some time just for yourself to relax.
Beauty sleep: One reason why people start aging so early is that they don’t get enough sleep. Depriving yourself of sleep not only makes you petulant, it also kills your productivity. You are at a risk of serious illness
es like diabetes and hypertension. So sleep for a steady 7-8 hours each night.
Eat well drink well: If you want plenty of energy in addition to boosting your metabolism, 2 or 3 meals a day just won’t do it. Spread your meals throughout the day (4-6), balance them with protein, fruits and veggies, and a little bit of good fats such as walnuts or almonds, or oils like olive or safflower, and your body will be a well-oiled, leaner, energized, peak-performing machine. Drink at least eight glasses of water a day because even a slight dehydration can make you feel lethargic.
These are just five simple steps that can make a huge different to your life. They are worth trying and wont take long either. Go ahead, trust us, you need them.
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October 22, 2010 at 1:30 pm · Filed under Food, Health, healthy food, Nutrition ·Tagged aboid buger and fries, avoid burger and fries, avoid butter, avoid cheese, avoid oily and deep fried foods, avoid weight and obesity, Calorie intake must be cut, drink lots of water, Eat ‘normal’, fattening foods, get fat loss, get weight loss, gradual fat loss, healthy weight loss, healthy weight loss program, how to reduce fats, how to reduce obesity, mozarella cheese, normal diet, obesity in india, pizza and cheese, reduce fats, reduce weight, steady fat loss, walking for 10 mins after eating, weight loss
NOPE this isn’t an article on Indian spices. I
n fact, this is a blog on a healthier option but with a little spice. We are talking about fruits and vegetables and a variety of them.
Fruits and vegetables are vital parts of our daily diet. However, if we only add a bit of variety to these parts, it may help protect us against many chronic diseases. It also promotes healthy bowel function. Fruits and vegetables provide essential vitamins and minerals, fiber, and other substances that are important for good health.
The problem in India is we pay a lot of attention to unhealthy sweets and desserts instead of topping the dinner with fruits and raw vegetables. We eat fewer servings of fruits and vegetables than are recommended. To promote our health, we need at least 2 servings of fruits and 3 servings of vegetable each day.
How does variety help?
Different fruits and vegetables are rich in different nutrients. Some fruits and vegetables are excellent sources of carotenoids, including those which form vitamin A, while others may be rich in vitamin C, folate, or potassium. Fruits and vegetables, especially dry beans and peas, also contain fiber and other substances that are 
associated with good health. Dark-green leafy vegetables, deeply colored fruits, and dry beans and peas are especially rich in many nutrients. Most fruits and vegetables are naturally low in fat and calories and are filling. Some are high in fiber, and many are quick to prepare and easy to eat. Choose whole or cut-up fruits and vegetables rather than juices most often. Juices contain little or no fiber. Lets check out some of the nutrients provided by fruits and vegetables.
Try many colors and kinds. Choose any form: fresh, frozen, canned, dried, juices. All forms provide vitamins and minerals, and all provide fiber except for most juices—so choose fruits and vegetables most often. Wash fresh fruits and vegetables thoroughly before using. If you buy prepared vegetables, check the Nutrition Facts Label to find choices that are low in saturated fat and sodium. For example, raw vegetables with a low or reduced-fat dip would be great or vegetables stir-fried in a small amount of vegetable oil. You may also try fruits or vegetables mixed with other foods in salads, casseroles, soups, sauces (for example, add shredded vegetables when making meatloaf).
What are the benefits?
There are numerous benefits. The lists below show which fruits and vegetables are the best sources of vitamin A (carotenoids), vitamin C, folate, and potassium. Eat at least 2 servings of fruits and at least 3 servings of vegetables each day:
Sources of vitamin A (carotenoids): These are orange vegetables like carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin; dark-green leafy vegetables such as
spinach, collards, turnip greens ; orange fruits like mango, cantaloupe, apricots and tomatoes.
Sources of vitamin C: These are citrus fruits and juices, kiwi fruit, strawberries, cantaloupe; broccoli, peppers, tomatoes, cabbage, potatoes; leafy greens such as romaine lettuce, turnip greens, spinach.
Sources of folate: These are cooked dry beans and peas, peanuts ; oranges, orange juice ; dark-green leafy vegetables like spinach and mustard greens, romaine lettuce
and green peas
Sources of potassium: Baked white or sweet potato, cooked greens (such as spinach), winter (orange) squash; bananas, plantains, dried fruits such as apricots and prunes, orange juice
and cooked dry beans (such as baked beans) and lentils.
Adding such variety to our diet is not only healthy but also tasty and sumptuous at the same time. This boosts appetite for healthy food. What else can a mother ask for?
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July 6, 2010 at 11:09 am · Filed under Adventure Sports, Exercise, Fitness, Health, Swimming, Wellness
Is this the thought burning within your spine as to how many calories does swimming burn? It’s so obvious to look for results while you take up a health regime. And it should motivate you more towards it.
Swimming, which is a great muscle builder and fitness tool, burns enough calories in a day. Why do you think you feel suddenly hungry after a swim? Swimming, if done under proper monitoring and discipline, can practically be a means to burn the exact number of calories that you wish to burn in a day.
So we are quoting a table (Reference: Department of Health and Family Services) for you stating the amount of calories burned while swimming per hour depending on the swimming activities. On the left side of the table is the swimming activity, and on the right side is the amount of calories burned by swimming per hour according to the body weight.
Swimming Activity Table
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Now that you know exactly how much swimming can burn in a day, you also ought to know the very many benefits of swimming over other workouts. This is because you can control calories better with this exercise if you know the entire benefits first hand.
So here are they:
Less blood on the carpet: Swimming is one of the safest exercises as the possibility of injury is very less compared to other exercises. Swimming unlike other exercises like jogging or walking does not put any pressure on the joints as the buoyancy of the water cushions and supports the body, reducing any stress on the body muscles or joints.
Long life: A study shows that swimming regularly helps to live a longer life.
Elasticity: Swimming improves flexibility and helps to build lean muscles. It is an excellent workout as it helps to strengthen the back and ab muscles.
Good for Mom-to-be’s: It is an especially beneficial workout for pregnant women, as it strengthens the muscles used during childbirth.
Swimming tips:
* If you don’t know how to swim, then either hire a coach or join swimming classes.
* Buy a swimsuit and a swim cap, which fits you well and doesn’t need adjusting while you are swimming.
* For weight loss, opt for swimming styles which help to burn maximum amount of calories.
* Consult your doctor before you start your swimming workouts, if you suffer from any health condition.
* Make sure you do a proper warm-up before going for a swim, like a mild jog or a few rounds around the pool.
Swimming should come naturally to us as our body badly needs a full-fledge flexing of muscles almost every day. You never know when you will need this skill. Thus, it is something worth developing and doing regularly.
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July 5, 2010 at 11:12 am · Filed under Adventure Sports, Exercise, Fitness, Health, Swimming, Wellness
Swimming techniques can be all fun and benefits. There are several techniques of swimming yet the charm of freestyle never seems to fade among the swimmers.
For one, freestyle technique of swimming is the fastest and the most efficient. It maintains the swimmer’s body in a streamlined position. The limbs are able to exert constant propulsive forces due to the arms and legs. In addition, through freestyle, the arms are able to perform alternating action while the legs perform continuous flutter action. Apart from efficiency and speed, freestyle swimming is easy to learn as well. Following is a freestyle swimmer’s guide to help you try out this really fruitful exercise.
How to begin?
To begin with, you should place your head in line with your spine. The position of your body in the water carries great significance while you swim. The body must be positioned well to help you swim efficiently. You should look forward such that your hairline crests the water surface in front of you. If your hairline is receeding, keep your forehead just below the surface. You should look at the bottom of the pool while not breathing, look sideways with one eye directly over or above the other while taking breath. While swimming, try to keep the muscles of your neck and upper back relaxed.
The golden rule
Always remember, if you look too far, your neck and upper back muscles will tense up and the face will act as resistance. This will cause you early fatigue and discomfort. Avoid such acts and keep your head and vision in the appropriate manner to help you swim with greater efficiency.
Correct your movements
After body positioning, the second important thing for a perfect freestyle technique is the correct movement of the arms. For this you will need to move both the arms in a windmill motion opposite each other. Extend one arm completely out while keep the other all the way back. Keep the palms of both your hands flat. The thumb should be separated from the index finger. While you swim, you should pull the extended arm through the water under your body. You should bend your arm at the elbow. Lift the other arm out of the water and move it to the front as the first arm pulls beneath you. Bend the arm at the elbow and drag the fingertips along the water surface. You should try to penetrate the water with your fingertips. Try to completely extend the arm.
Importance of rotation
While swimming, you should try to rotate your hips around the central axis of spine in the plane same as the shoulders. Try to initiate this body rotation from the hips. Try to gently kick with your leg. A variation in the kick rhythm is acceptable. It should be between 2-beat and 6-beat. If you switch from a lower beat to a higher beat kick, you will tend to move your arms faster, and thus swim faster. Take a deep breath after every 2-3 pulls. You should be comfortable, breathing to either side. Try to breathe less if you are swimming for a short event.
Freestyle tips
- Stretch each stroke out as much as possible for you.
- Remain horizontal inside water. This will keep your legs from sinking behind you when you kick strongly.
- When you pull your hands through the water, keep your fingers held slightly apart.
- Do not make a big splash in the pool while you are kicking. Rather, try to only churn the water surface.
If you follow the above steps, no one can deprive you of a real good swim. However, it is always advisable to keep an experienced swimmer around so to avoid any accidents.
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July 2, 2010 at 12:00 pm · Filed under Adventure Sports, Exercise, Fitness, Swimming, Wellness ·Tagged aerobics, best aerobic exercise, exercise for weight loss, gain weight, get weight loss, good swim, healthy weight loss program, how do you lose weight, learning, lose weight, loss of weight in two weeks, mistakes in weight loss, morning yoga, over rated weight, over weight, power yoga, reduce weight, river swim, sea, swam, swim, swimmer, swimming, swims, waves, weight loss, weight loss program, weight management, weight-loss regime, yoga, yoga asans, yoga steps
Controlled abdominal fat. Great body. Greater muscle strength. These are just a few of the many marvelous benefits of swimming. Recall your rustic relatives in their youth. Why did they seem to be so fit? That’s simply because they swam in the nearby river every day.
Of course the bare necessity of swimming in a village stream is a luxury for the urbane. Yet, this doesn’t make it less benefiting. Many of you would be performing swimming exercise regularly while others might be doing it as just as a hobby. Still others might be doing it considering the health benefits of swimming. Most of us know that swimming is amongst the best forms of exercise. Swimming is definitely good for health. So here are a few of the very many advantages of swimming:
Tones body: One of the prominent swimming health benefits is that it tones up your entire body. This is the reason most of the women opt for swimming regularly. Moreover, it provides great exercise for your lungs which increases lung capacity. This is one of the best health benefits of swimming for older people.
Cardio workout: Swimming is known to be an effective cardiovascular exercise. It easily increases your heart rate, builds endurance and strengthens your muscles.
Muscle strength: While most of the exercises concentrate on a single section of your muscles, swimming exercise works on your overall muscles and helps strengthen them.
Shedding fat: One of the swimming health facts is that it promotes fat loss. It is the best exercise to burn calories and lose body weight. So, swimming leads to weight loss which you can get by regularly performing it along with resistance training program.
Good for mothers: Another beneficial aspect of swimming workout is it can also be performed by pregnant women. It is a cardio workout which helps the cardiovascular system perform well, which is essential for proper development of the uterus. It also helps maintain healthy weight essential for healthy pregnancy. It increases the flexibility of a woman’s body and softens her body tissues. It helps you get relaxed and reduces your stress, which is much essential during pregnancy.
Breathing patterns: Swimming helps regulate your breathing pattern and it also increases the oxygen flow towards your muscles. It further helps improve the blood circulation.
Good for the disabled: Swimming is known to be good for the physically challenged people. With swimming, health problems like leg pain and backache can be effectively cured. One of the cold water swimming health benefits is that it helps your strained spine get relaxed. A strained spine can lead to problems like headache and weakness. Swimming is known to cure problems of joint pains and high blood pressure as well.
Now that you are convinced about the benefits of swimming, we must also share with you about various swimming strokes. It is better to try all of them instead of sticking to just one. Trying new swimming techniques will help you make it a more interesting exercise. It is good to perform some warm-up and cool-down exercises before and after swimming in order to gain maximum health benefits of swimming. You can always take your kids along with you for this classic form of exercise. Make sure you pay attention to the safety and rules of the swimming pool and teach the same to your kids.
One swimming health tip would be to follow the right diet to complement swimming health benefits. Also, to gain maximum swimming health benefits, you must do it regularly. If you have a medical history of health conditions, it is best to consult a medical practitioner before you opt for swimming.
Another important aspect of swimming is to follow the swimming pool safety rules and regulations. Swimming is designed to better your health and not to put your life in danger. However, there cannot be anything healthier than a safe swim every week.
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June 22, 2010 at 11:56 am · Filed under Adventure Sports, Aerobics, Exercise, Fitness, Health ·Tagged aerobics, best aerobic exercise, exercise for weight loss, gain weight, get weight loss, healthy weight loss program, how do you lose weight, learning, lose weight, loss of weight in two weeks, mistakes in weight loss, morning yoga, over rated weight, over weight, power yoga, reduce weight, weight loss, weight loss program, weight management, weight-loss regime, yoga, yoga asans, yoga steps
Watching people going up and down the crazy waters in a kayak is exciting for sure. Many of you would have loved these videos that looks to thrilling and breathtaking. Paddling a kayak, however, can be much more kicking than that. Even in India, now you cannot give anyone a lame excuse of the lack of facilities. All you need is to first learn every sutra of kayaking.
There are several different options available to learn this adventure sport. For example, learn from an experienced friend, hire an expert, watch YOUtube videos on kayaking or wing it on your own.
All of these options can work, and have for thousands of paddlers. Yet, learning on can be tricky. You’ll probably make every mistake in the book before you get comfortable, but it certainly is a viable option.
What you need?
GO kayaking!
You have to be in a reasonable aerobic condition, have a modest amount of smarts and common sense, and are willing to be patient. You need a good kayak ofcourse. And lots of will power.
People in the journey
A good kayaking instructor can make the whole process much easier – and safer – and it doesn’t have to be a formal instructor from a paddling shop or business.
Nobody can tell you better than friends or family who are experienced paddlers, consider asking them for some informal instruction. You can just let them know that you’re just starting out, and that you’ll need a lot of patience and understanding for the first few excursions. If you have access to a pool that allows kayaks in the water, this can provide a great way to get some initial training, especially in getting your roll mechanics down.
In the absence of these you may consider joining a local kayak club in your area. These clubs and organizations can be great resources for all kinds of paddling information, tours, instruction, and networking. You may even find someone in the club who’s a certified instructor or who’s willing to help a newbie get their feet (and all their other parts) wet.
Professional help
And then, of course, there’s the option of finding a certified kayaking instructor. This could be even more tricky in a country like India. Yet, places like Goa, Arunachal Pradesh and Laddakh do have many certified kayak instructors. In addition, there are kayaking schools also available at your disposal.
In case of hiring an instructor, you may first ask to see the person’s resume, and any certifications and formal training he or she’s had. And before you whip out your cheque book, ask to see your prospective instructor on the water.
Use lots of common sense here. Does he or she seem skilled and confident when handling their kayak? Does their equipment look to be well maintained? Do they explain what they’re doing and why they’re doing it?
Most of all, how does this person come across? Do they appear to be patient and approachable? Do they answer your questions quickly and with confidence? Is this someone who makes you feel comfortable? Without a good rapport, after all, it’s almost impossible to get the most out of any instruction, paddling or otherwise.
But as stated, not every part of India has certified instructors, you may surely end up doing it on your own. The most important rule in this case is to keep safety first. If you decide to go with an instructor, take the time to choose wisely, and get the most for your training rupees.
Kayaking is not all that impossible in India as it has been made out. All you need is a willing heart to give it a shot.
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