The Art And Science Of Fitness - Fitness Is A Journey That Starts Young

 The Art And Science Of Fitness - Fitness Is A Journey That Starts Young

Although New Year's Eve has a festive atmosphere, it is a stressful time for children and parents with the stress and anxiety of upcoming school exams. All have short fuses and frustration sets in. Trying to master the curriculum that was supposed to be covered in a few months during the year. I can vouch for that too. Because I am doing the same with my second son who will take his board exam in two months. The old idea is not to waste time on physical activity and instead focus on studying (sitting for long periods in one place) during these months. More dedicated people even burn the midnight oil by skipping meals and the advice of N.R. Shame on Narayan Murthy about his 70-hour work week.

Even thousands of years ago, we knew many things - go back to the Gurukli you read or heard about in the Ramayana or the Mahabharata - but the modern education system has it all wrong.

A classic example for me is my experience as a visiting faculty member for outdoor training at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy (SVPNPA) in Hyderabad. The school trains officers of the Indian Police Force who are selected through the Civil Services Examination. Conditional students have studied hard for years to pass the most difficult exam in the country. In the process, they forget to pay attention to their health. Most of them are gross misfits by the time they get to the academy, which is a perfect reflection of their hard-working personalities. Somehow they are expected to become the officers who lead and manage our great country. What can such institutions teach us?

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the country's first Home Minister, made a profound statement about the plan that was his brainchild. This university is the first educational institution of its kind in India. There is no precedent to look back on, but there is an inspiring example for future generations. He must build himself and build others.

The founding faculty had the foresight to address the challenges facing students in this competitive world. Conditional students have 16 subjects, 8 of which are outdoor subjects that prepare them to face the physical challenges of a real role, and 8 indoor subjects that prepare them for general academic work. It transforms highly studious and inactive people into high-performing and inspiring leaders. Little is known about the 360° higher education offered here, even though it has been part of the academy's DNA since its founding more than 70 years ago.

Science is coming

There is now a huge body of research that shows that physical activity in the form of sports and exercise plays an important role in increasing attention, memory, problem-solving skills, reasoning, thinking, and planning. A great byproduct is that it also helps combat the epidemic of overweight and obesity among today's children and youth. And then there are the larger issues of mental health, such as depression, stress, and anxiety.

Shortness of breath and shortness of breath are the most common problems that people who start physical activity complain about, but they subside quickly. Long, easy, slow breaths help get more oxygen into your lungs and bloodstream. When more oxygen reaches your brain from your blood, you become more alert and focused, improving not only your thinking skills but also your memory. Exercise also leads to increased secretion of chemicals such as growth factors, which in turn leads to increased growth of new blood vessels and new brain cells in the brain. Exercise and exercise can also help improve your mood and sleep quality, which indirectly improves your memory and thinking skills.

Some may argue that if we know all this, why hasn't everyone in the world accepted it? Knowing has never been a problem. We know that chocolate, fast food, and soft drinks are terrible for us, but most of us consume them in unlimited quantities. We know that green leafy vegetables and dry fruits are good for us, but for some reason most people hate them.

You should know that exercise and exercise can help improve your performance. This is a big change for us adults. And the secret is to make exercise and sports more fun and stylish for children. As long as it's related to SNS and selfies, you'll be fine. If that moves them, so be it.

Try these tips for getting started in fitness

Download an application called "Metronome" on your smartphone. You can see the number of beats per second. Mainly used by musicians. If you set the beats to 60 beats per minute, it effectively sounds every second. Then sit or lie down comfortably and support your neck with a pillow. Take a deep, long breath, hold it, and exhale slowly. repeat. This time, pay attention to the beat of the metronome and take a deep breath for at least 4 seconds. Hold your breath for about 2 seconds. Then exhale slowly for 4 seconds. It feels like a few seconds longer than you think. Do this simple exercise for one minute. First, do this before and after each meal. Then you can start it every hour as a simple 1-minute break. This simple act will improve your concentration.

We are fooled into thinking that sleep is for the weak. If you don't sleep well, no matter how much you exercise, your physical strength will decrease quickly. No matter how much you study, you need to rest and recover to be effective. It needs to be absorbed. Sleep helps with that. Although most test takers practice sleeping late at night, I highly recommend going to bed before midnight. This will help speed up your recovery and prepare you for the next day. A 15-20 minute nap is also effective.

Moderate-intensity exercise is very beneficial for memory and thinking skills. This could mean 60-69% of your maximum heart rate, a number that most heart rate monitors today will happily give you. I prefer to pay more attention to your breathing. You should be able to speak in long sentences of 7-10 words while walking or running. No need to rush. A short walk or 10-15 minute run can also be helpful.

While most people may not want to go outside for a walk or run in unforgiving weather like winter, skipping rope is a great alternative. There is nothing wrong with skipping or jogging without jumping rope. At first, try doing this for 30 seconds at a time. Rest for 1-2 minutes and repeat. Once you get used to it, increase it to 1 minute. Do this 3-4 times a day.

When I was in medical school, my favorite thing to do was to do 5-15 push-ups an hour. No need to repeat much. Choose 3-5 exercises. Please move slowly. Go into your comfort zone to warm up and increase blood flow. I like squats, presses, heel raises, planks, pull-ups, cat and camel pull-ups, and side-bend pull-ups.

This will help you break the monotony and go out to do your favorite sport. 15-30 minutes can do wonders for your studies and mental health.

One size does not fit all. Leave room for trial and error. I will try to navigate and choose what is right for you. No need to compete with doing too much right. Remember, it's all about you.

Keep smiling and smiling.

Dr. Rajat Chauhan is the author of The Pain Guide: Nonsurgical Ways to Manage Back, Neck, and Knee Pain. MoveMint Medicine: A journey to peak health and La Ultra: 5, 11, and 22 km in 100 days. He writes a column exclusively for HT Premium readers that analyzes the science of movement and exercise.