How to choose the best exercise for yourself?

When you decide to follow an exercise plan, you need to consider two important things. One, which exercise will work best for you. Two, how likely are you to keep up with that exercise routine. It is no use if you do a high-intensity exercise for a week, get frustrated, and give it up. Instead, choose an exercise that you are more likely to stick with. Also, consult your doctor before picking up any exercise.

Ankle and Wrist Weight – A work out anybody can do

Wouldn’t it be great if you could work out while going about your daily chores? Ankle and wrist weights can help you do just that. Adding ankle and wrist weights to your workout routine is a small addition, but it can have a good impact on your results.

Ankle and wrist weights are small weights that you can easily strap around your ankles and wrists. These weights add resistance to even basic movements such as moving your arms or walking. So you can exercise even when you are working in the kitchen or walking about your home. And if you use these ankle and wrist weights while exercising, they will help you lose more weight.

By adding resistance to your movements, these weights make your body work a little bit harder. And the more your body works, the more calories it burns. This helps you lose fat and build muscle.  So, by just strapping these small weights to your ankles and wrist, you can burn more calories and lose weight.

What are the advantages of ankle and wrist weights?

Whether you are a fitness lover or only work out once in a while, adding these weights to your exercise routine can be a great benefit. They can augment the effect of your exercise sessions and help you lose weight by even doing normal day to day activities.

Something as simple as going for a walk in a park can give you double the results if you use the ankle and wrist weights. When we walk, we naturally swing our arms as well as moving our legs. The additional resistance to these arm and leg movements by the weights force your muscles to work harder. And that helps you to lose more weight.

Who can use ankle and wrist weights?

Most people can use the ankle and wrist weights safely. They are also helpful for people who cannot do rigorous exercises such as long workouts. Some people might not be able to exercise due to some injury or illness. Ankle and wrist weights can help them to get the workout they need without straining too much.

Ankle and wrist weights are also good for the elderly. Simply going about their daily lives with these weights can improve their muscles. It may even help stave off muscle degradation. Using these weights is easy and can prove very beneficial for the elderly.

Conclusion:

Many people don’t consider the use of ankle and wrist weights. These weights may not be as impactful as more intense exercises, but they can give you many benefits. They can make your exercise sessions more effective. And they can give work out benefits to people who cannot do rigorous exercises.

So if you are starting on your quest to lose weight or want to make your exercise routine more effective, give ankle and wrist weights a try. Whether it is hitting the weight machine or simply walking around your home, ankle and wrist weights can prove to be of great help. However, consult your doctor before using them. And if you feel any pain or discomfort because of them, discontinue their use.

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This may be prevented if you can lose weight fast, right? Well, you can. Given below are 3 weight loss secrets that can help you lose weight quickly.

Why try these weight loss secrets?

You may think, why try these “secrets” when no weight loss strategy seems to works for you. That’s a fair point. One of the main reasons why diet plans fail is that they are slow to show results. People trying to lose weight start thinking that the diet plans are no use and stop following them.  But these secrets will show you fast results so you will find it easy to stick with them.

Weight loss secrets for losing weight fast

Caution: Before you make any drastic change in your diet or exercise plan, consult your doctor.

Fad Diets for quick weight loss:

Most medical practitioners will caution you against fad diets. Well, they are right in their worry. Fad diets may make you deficient in some nutrients and may put too much stress on your body. But following these fad diets for a short duration is safe. Some fad diets can help you lose 5 to 10 pounds within a week or two. The key is to use them only for an initial boost of weight loss. After that, you can switch to a more traditional and healthier weight loss plan.

Be Kind to Yourself:

Don’t feel guilty if you stray from your plan. You’re only human. Following strict diet plans and exercise regimes is hard, and it is easy to become weak and give in to temptation. Don’t feel bad. Even if you have eaten something you shouldn’t, don’t use it as an excuse to stay off your diet plan for the entire day. Instead, tell yourself you can and will lose weight and get right back to your weight loss diet. So what if you had one tiny slip? Forget about it and keep moving forward.

Combine diet with regular exercise:

Just following a diet plan is not enough to lose weight fast. You must burn more calories than you consume. And the easiest way to do that is to exercise. This may sound obvious, but it’s one of the most important secrets of the fastest weight loss.

Monitor how many calories you take in and how many calories you burn. When you combine diet with exercise, it is easier and faster to lose weight. If you choose an exercise that you enjoy, you are more likely to stick with it. You can also consult a fitness trainer to determine which exercise will work best for you.

Conclusion:

If you want to lose weight fast, you need a lot of determination and willingness to work hard. The three secrets mentioned above can help you lose weight quickly. But maintaining a healthy weight is a more long-term process. Once you have achieved a healthy weight, maintain it by eating a balanced and nutritious diet, and exercising regularly.

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Importance of exercise:

Exercise doesn’t just help you lose weight, it has many other beneficial effects. Exercising regularly strengthens your bones and muscles, helps your cardiovascular system, boosts your immunity, and even helps you stay happy and motivated.

To stay active and fit, you can jog or try brisk walking every morning, playing basketball, or any other sport with friends.  If you want to have muscles and a lean figure, then you can work out in a gym. Try to include cardiovascular as well as weight training in your exercise plan. This will help increase your metabolism rate, burn calories, and increase the muscle to fat ratio.

However, before you start any exercise plan, consult your doctor. And if you are not used to much physical exertion, you should start exercising gradually. Build your endurance and stamina before moving on to an intensive workout.

Benefits of exercising regularly:

• Exercising helps you lose weight.
• It improves your overall health and reduces the risk of a variety of diseases.
• Exercising can make you feel happier and increase your self-esteem. Exercising regularly makes you feel more positive about yourself and reduces the risk of depression and anxiety.

Eat well to feel well:

Exercise alone is not enough to keep you fit and strong. You need to combine a workout with a balanced and nutritious diet. Try to eat food from all the food groups. Avoid processed food, sugary drinks, and food items with saturated fat and trans fat. Eat a diet rich in protein, vitamins, fiber, and all other essential nutrients. Try to include food items of different colors in your meal to get all the essential nutrients. Grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, berries, seeds, etc. are great for your health. Eat more of these instead of unhealthy snacks like potato chips.

Have your meals at regular intervals. And it may be better to have several smaller meals instead of one big meal after a long interval.

Say no to vices:

Regular exercising and balanced meals can help you have a healthier life. But along with them, you should also say no to vices like smoking and excessive drinking. Smoking can cause lung cancer and other diseases. It might even raise complications for women during pregnancy. Excessive drinking has numerous ill effects on your health too. So, if you really want to stay healthy, say no to these bad habits.

Conclusion:

Exercising and a balanced diet isn’t just for overweight people. Everyone should follow these healthy habits to stay fit and active. When you are fit, you are more productive and feel happier too. So, start adopting these healthy habits now and get rid of bad habits like smoking and drinking.

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Ayurveda believes that the five elements found in the universe – earth, water, air, fire, space – have strong effects on our individual system. These elements combine to form three distinct doshas – Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. These doshas determine our body type, health, abilities, and emotional state. And they must be kept in balance for a healthy and happy life.

What are doshas in the human body?

As per Ayurveda, the human body and all its functions are governed by three basic types of energies or  mind-body principles based upon the five elements mentioned above. These are the doshas that form your prakriti. They influence everything in your body, such as body shape, health, and even your mind and emotions. When your doshas go out of balance, it is called vikriti. A state of vikriti can affect your physical and emotional health.

The Vata dosha has the characteristics of air and space. It influences movement. The Pitta dosha has the characteristics of water and fire. It influences digestion and metabolism. The Kapha dosha has the characteristics of earth and water. It influences structure and lubrication. Your body has all three doshas in varying degrees. The dosha that is present in a higher degree in your body is your dominant dosha. It is important not to let this dominant dosha become too dominant. A balance of doshas is important for good health.

Why is it important to keep your doshas in balance?

All three doshas (Vata, Pitta, and Kapha) are present in your body. They all are essential for proper body functioning. No one dosha is better than the other. Each of these doshas can have positive as well as negative effects on you. The important thing is to keep these doshas in balance and not let your dominant dosha go out of control. Otherwise, this dominant dosha will start affecting your body negatively.

How to determine your body type as per Ayurveda?

As all three doshas are present in your body forming your prakriti, determining your dominant dosha can be confusing. Given below are the prominent characteristics of all the doshas in and out of balance. These may help you determine your dominant dosha.

Vata dominant:

Vata people have a thin build, do not gain weight easily, are quick to learn and quick to forget. They are enthusiastic & vivacious. They become cold easily.

• Vata in balance: When Vata dosha is in balance, the Vata dominant person is energetic and vivacious, learns easily, has clear & alert mind, falls asleep easily at bedtime, has healthy digestion, good circulation, and even body temperature
• Vata out of balance: When Vata goes out of balance, the Vata dominant person feels tired and/or fatigued, is forgetful, or spaced out, experiences lack of focus, has difficulty falling asleep, occasional constipation, and poor circulation (cold feet & hands). They may suffer from anxiousness & worry.

Pitta dominant:

People who are pitta dosha dominant have a medium build, balanced weight, sharp intellect. They are goal-oriented. They become hot easily.

• Pitta in balance: When the Pitta dosha is in balance in Pitta dominant people, they become perfectionist and have type A personality. They have a strong intellect, strong digestion, and radiant, glowing skin. They have sound sleep through the night, enjoy inner peace & happiness.
• Pitta out of balance: When the Pitta dosha goes out of balance, the Pitta dominant people can become controlling, have a fiery personality and workaholic tendencies. Their body gets overheated and has excess stomach acid, skin rashes & acne. They may suffer from interrupted sleep and loose bowel movements.

Kapha dominant:

People that are Kapha dosha dominant have a larger build and tendency for weight gain. They are slow to learn, slow to forget, and sweet & even-tempered. They dislike cold & damp weather.

• Kapha in balance: When the Kapha dosha is in balance in Kapha dominant people, they have a stable temperament, good long-term memory, robust physiology, good strength & stamina, and compassionate & affectionate nature. They enjoy a sound sleep.
• Kapha out of balance: When the Kapha dosha goes out of balance, people gain weight easily, have sluggish digestion. They are prone to sinus & respiratory issues and feel lethargic and sad. They have unhealthy food cravings and difficulty waking up.

We hope the characteristics mentioned above can help you determine your dominant dosha. If you are still confused, consult a practitioner of Ayurveda. There are many quizzes available online too that may help you determine your Ayurvedic body type. Also remember that your dominant dosha may alter with age, season, or life situations, etc.

What is Ayurvedic diet?

Ayurveda recommends eating food items that pacify your predominant dosha, promoting the beneficial effects of the dosha and reducing the negative effects. Ayurvedic diet is the food plan that can help you do this.

The Ayurvedic diet recognizes six major tastes with different beneficial effects. These tastes are sour, sweet, salty, bitter, pungent, and astringent. Ayurveda encourages including all six tastes in your daily meals to maintain a nourished body and good health.

As per Ayurveda, if your regular diet is too heavy in some tastes and deficient in others, it will trigger unhealthy food cravings and disturb the balance of doshas in your body.

How to choose food as per your body doshas?

If you are Vata dominant, minimize cold and raw foods and reduce the intake of caffeine. Instead, have more warm dishes that have more sweet, salty, and sour tastes. That is, have more whole grains, starchy vegetables, honey, salted foods, salted fish, citrus fruits, berries, and pickled foods.

If you are dominant in pitta dosha, reduce the intake of hot and spicy foods. Avoid alcoholic and fermented foods. Focus on food items with sweet, bitter, and astringent tastes. So, have more of green leafy vegetables, broccoli, and celery. Also include lentils, beans, green apples, and pomegranate in your diet.

If you are Kapha dosha dominant, reduce the intake of salty and heavy foods, and dairy products. Have more food items with pungent, bitter, and astringent tastes. So, eat more food items like peppers, garlic, onions, mustard, and ginger.

However, do remember that Ayurveda recommends a healthy, natural, and balanced diet. So, don’t totally banish any taste from your regular meals. Only banish unhealthy food items like processed and junk foods.

Mindful eating:

Ayurveda also recommends practicing mindful eating to feel more satisfied with less food. So, when you eat, focus on enjoying the taste of your food. We often watch television, stay busy with our phones and work while having meals, and barely notice what we are eating. This may lead to overeating. So, when you eat, savor the taste of your food. You will feel satiated sooner.

Can Ayurvedic diet help you lose weight?

Ayurvedic diet recommends consuming more healthy, natural food items according to your dominant dosha. This is said to ensure better physical and mental health. When you are healthy, feel energetic and happy, your digestive system and metabolism work more efficiently too. This may help in weight loss.

The ayurvedic diet also includes plenty of herbs and spices. These are rich in antioxidants. Some natural seasonings also act as prebiotics which nourishes the beneficial gut bacteria important for anti-inflammation, immunity, and maintaining a positive mood. Herbs and spices also boost satiety. And some spices like ginger and hot peppers are known to boost metabolism.

Pair the Ayurvedic diet with mindful eating. Also, remember that diet alone may not be enough for weight loss. Along with a healthy diet, make healthy life choices. That is, exercise regularly, take sufficient sleep, and keep away from unhealthy habits like smoking and excessive drinking.

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The markets are full of diet food, weight loss medicines, and exercise equipment, luring you with the promises of fitness. Many of these waste your money and may even harm your health.

Only exercise is not enough:

To have a fit body, you need to make healthy choices. This includes adopting an exercise regime that you can maintain and that your body can tolerate. But just exercising is not sufficient to have a fit body. You need to take care of your diet too. Because your diet plays a very important role in your physical fitness. If you are aiming to have a toned body through exercise, you need a diet that can support your energy requirements.

Variety of diet programs:

These days, there are various kinds of diet programs being recommended. Several views, methods, strategies, diet programs have been formulated by various professionals. These include high carb diets and high-fat diets. So many types of diet plans are being recommended that it is difficult to choose which to follow.

Research is must:

The first thing to do is thoroughly research the diet program you are considering. Find out about its nutritional values. If you have some nutrient deficiency, never choose a diet plan that doesn’t give you plenty of that nutrient. A fitness diet needs to be nutritious, capable of restoring worn-out muscles, and ensuring healthy growth. It should give you a strong body, not just lean.

So always consider the nutritional value of the fitness diet program you choose. For example, the high-carb diet concentrates on the intake of carbohydrate-rich foods while fat diets promote fat-rich foods. High carb diets use the glycogen stored in the liver and muscles. Glycogen is a glucose complex that can provide large amounts of energy ready for use in anaerobic exercises.

If we consider the fat-rich diet, we know that fats are the richest source of calories. Fat contains 2.5 times more calories than carbohydrates and proteins. Studies also show that the body uses 24 calories to metabolize carbohydrates and only 3 to burn down fat.

Choose wisely:

Before choosing a diet plan, research thoroughly about its advantages and disadvantages. And consult a doctor before making any drastic change in your food intake. Remember, fitness doesn’t mean just losing fat quickly. Aim for a sustainable loss of weight and good health. So, choose a diet plan which suits your food preferences, lifestyle, medical profile, and satiety signals.

Conclusion:

Special diet programs may help you shed off excess pounds. But the best diet for you is the one that makes you feel healthy and satisfied. Because it is the only one that you’d be able to continue long-term. Other important elements of a fitness diet are moderation, balance, and variation. Your diet must never leave out important nutrients necessary for healthy body functioning.

So the question is not which diet program is best. The question is which will work best for you. A simple balanced meal can be as effective in weight loss as a fancy fad diet. Striving for a slim and healthy body need not be torture for you. Fitness diet need not mean sticking to the same kind of food for life. You may even try to be adventurous and enjoy new foods out there. Who knows? You may even find spinach interesting.

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What is belly fat?

Belly fat is the kind of abdominal fat that robs you of your slim waist. There are different kinds of abdominal fats. The fat found just under the skin is called subcutaneous fat. Then there is another type of fat within your skeletal muscles. The abdominal fat that does most harm is called visceral fat. It is present between your abdominal organs and leads to many health risks. Scientifically, it is called intra-abdominal fat. In common language, we call it belly fat or beer belly. Intra-abdominal fat is very dangerous. It increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and premature death.

How to Measure Your Belly Fat?

Measuring belly fat is easy. Wrap a measuring tape around your bare stomach. Position the tape directly above the hip bone. Hold the tape snug, but don’t pull it too tight. A measurement of 35 inches or more indicates an unhealthy amount of belly fat in women. For men, a measurement of 40 inches or more is unhealthy.

Tips to lose belly fat after 40

1. Exercise to lose belly fat:

First of all, choose an exercise regime that you can sustain. A burst of intense exercising for a few days and then a long duration of no exercising would do more harm than good. Abdominal exercises like crunches, sit-ups, planks can help you lose belly fat. Combine these exercises with some cardiovascular and strength-training exercises like brisk walking, running, cycling, rowing, swimming, and lifting weights. Exercise regularly for a minimum of 30 minutes per day to reduce your unhealthy belly fat.

2. Avoid diet food:

Don’t fall into the trap of diet foods. These are highly processed products that have artificial chemicals. These kinds of products are unsatisfying and can have negative effects on your appetite and the healthy bacteria in your gut. They might even trigger inflammation. Stay away from such processed food and eat more natural and nutritious food.

3. Don’t starve yourself:

Don’t starve yourself either. Remember, the best way to sustainable weight loss is to exercise regularly and eat food that is filling, nutritious, and free of harmful fat and sugars. Say no to your temptations, not to your hunger.

Don’t skip meals. A long gap between meals may lead to increased levels of cortisol. This, in turn, may increase food cravings and lead to more fat stored in the abdomen. Instead of skipping meals and then eating a large meal to compensate, it is better to eat small meals and healthy snacks throughout the day. It will control your food craving and rev up your metabolism, reducing fat storage.

4. Eat a healthy diet:

A healthy and balanced diet is of prime importance if you want to reduce belly fat. Make sure your diet has all the essential nutrients and lots of fiber. And follow the following tips:

• Avoid processed foods: Eat more complex carbohydrates. That is, eat more whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. These are more filling, nutritious, and full of fiber. Try ancient grains like sorghum, farro, millet. These are nutritious and loaded with fiber.
• Eat less sugar: Sugar can cause spikes and crashes of blood sugar levels. When you eat sugar in excess, it gets stored as fat. When you want to eat something sweet, eat fruits.
• Eat healthier fats: Avoid saturated and trans fats. Replace them with a moderate quantity of polyunsaturated fats. You can find them in salmon, avocados, walnuts, extra virgin olive oil, etc.
• Choose lean protein foods: Quality protein food may help in reducing abdominal fat. Lean protein is present in tuna, cod, turkey, chicken, salmon, eggs, beans, soybeans, and ancient grains.

5. Increase the intake of Vitamin C:

Vitamin C can help in keeping Cortisol levels under control. It is also needed for the production of Carnitine, which helps in converting the fat into energy. In short, Vitamin C may help in weight loss. So, include more Vitamin C rich food items in your diet. These include citrus fruits, broccoli, kale, bell peppers, etc. Drinking warm water with lemon juice in the morning is said to reduce belly fat.

6. Probiotics:

Studies suggest that probiotics have a lowering effect on abdominal adiposity. This helps in reducing belly fat. Fermented milk, Kefir, etc. can help you trim your waist.

7. Relax and have sufficient sleep:

Believe it or not, stress and quality of your sleep can affect your weight too. Insufficient or disturbed sleep may lead to mood disturbance and sugar and fatty food cravings. All of this can cause weight gain. Lack of sleep also raises the risk of diabetes and heart disease. By altering your hormone production, lack of sleep may even increase your cortisol levels.

Extreme stress may also increase cortisol levels and may even affect the function of the adrenal system. This may cause weight gain or make losing weight more challenging. Moreover, chronic stress may also decrease immunity and lead to inflammation.

8. Enjoy dark chocolate:

The good news is that you need not deprive yourself of all sweets to lose belly fat. You can enjoy dark chocolate every day. It will reduce your sweet cravings. Dark chocolate also helps in reducing stress, which can prevent mood-related food cravings too.

Five squares of 70% dark chocolate contain less than 250 calories. Dark chocolate provides antioxidants, fiber, and magnesium. It improves sleep and mood and may help you feel more relaxed. So, treating yourself to dark chocolate every day may help you lose weight. Knowing that you can treat yourself to chocolate at the end of the day may also keep you more motivated to eat healthy throughout the day.

9. Laugh:

When you laugh, it exercises your abdominal muscles. This can help you lose weight, especially in the abdomen region. (Know more about the .benefits of laughter)

Conclusion:

Reducing belly fat after 40 maybe hard, but it is not impossible. With a healthier lifestyle and better food choices, you can lose weight. Avoid unhealthy practices of skipping meals, eating processed foods, smoking, consuming too much alcohol, and living a sedentary life. Determination and healthier choices can help you lose belly fat, no matter what age you are.

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