Work it out

 More and more people are becoming aware of the importance of keeping fit in order to keep diseases at bay. Busy lifestyles however mean that urban lifestyle diseases are on a rise. 

    There are three types of problems seen increasingly in the urban populace: 1. People becoming increasingly overweight to the extent of being obese 2. High blood pressure that could be stress related or genetic and 3. Diseases affecting bone density including osteoporosis 
    Obesity and hypertension are common among both men and women, however I see about one out of three women suffering from osteoporosis. 
    The requisite exercise and diet depends on the condition the person is in. 
OBESITY 
    It is important that overweight people have some mental discipline when it comes to health. Overweight people are often pretty enthusiastic when they start with a weight loss schedule. What often happens is that they yo-yo between going to the gym, binging and going back to the sedentary lifestyle and hitting the gym again. 
    Some people, particularly youngsters, opt for drastic measures such as crash dieting and over-exercise. The key here is to go slow and steady. The body needs an hour of exercise at the most each day. Over-exercising takes place if the duration, intensity and frequency are overdone for the individual's fitness level. Overexercise could happen for something as simple as the incline on the treadmill being too steep. 
Recommended routine: Low impact cardiovascular exercises, aerobics, walking, cycling and swimming. Start with 30 minutes a day and gradually increase to 60 minutes. Diet: Low fat diet. Exercise alone will not help in losing weight. 
HYPERTENSION 
Those suffering from hypertension often have high blood pressure. It is important to keep the exercises to a lowimpact such as walking, swimming and using gym equipment as part of the exercise routine. Recommended routine: Light weight training Diet: Less salt, low fat diet. The food should be healthy. People suffering from hypertension can also be obese. 
OSTEOPOROSIS 
More women than men suffer from this condition. I have seen cases of osteoporosis as well as osteopenia and osteoarthritis. All these conditions involve bone density. It is important for those afflicted with these conditions to get involved in an exercise programme that will increase bone strength. Weight training is an excellent way to increase the bone strength as are some machines. Other than going to the gym, walking, taking the stairs and playing tennis are recommended. Swimming and cycling, however, do not help. 
    Recommended routine: Use dumbbells at the gym. Vitamin D, which is obtained through sunlight, is also important. 
    Diet: Increase the calcium intake for stronger bones. Food such as milk, yogurt, orange juice, sardines, egg yolk, tuna and green vegetables help in strengthening bones. 
TOO STRESSED TO EXERCISE? 
    Your body needs a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise each day. It is important to be relaxed. Being fit does not necessarily mean going to the gym and working out. Do what relaxes you. It could be taking a stroll in the park or deep breathing through pranayama. Go to the spa and get a massage. 
    Recommended routine: Every individual has their own connect be it music, breathing or yoga that act as a stress buster. 
    Diet: It is important to have a regular diet with six mini meals for constant release of energy. If one is very stressed out, then not having food will increase stress and make them irritable. Mini meals result in regular energy spurts. The diet should have proteins, carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables. A sandwich with paneer and vegetables is a good example. 
    (Jain is a clinical exercise specialist) 
    As told to Sudakshina Ghosh