Be prepared

Before you hop into the treadmill it’s important that you are dressed appropriately. Wear a proper t-shirt and shorts/track pants. In short, get dressed ready for a sweaty experience. Also make sure you’ve on a decent pair of running shoes with a good grip on the sole. Do not run barefoot on a treadmill. It’s also a good idea to keep a hand towel handy to wipe off the sweat, especially if you’re using a treadmill in a gym which other people use as well.

Get familiar with the controls

If it’s the first time you’re using the machine ask someone at the gym to show you how it works. Figure out the buttons which are used to increase and decrease speed and inclination. Also figure out the screen indicators which show calories burnt, heart rate, speed, time, inclination and the emergency stop button.

Find the pre-set programs

You should also see which pre-set programs (most new generation ones come loaded with them) are available on the machine because these will help you follow a controlled regime. There are different programs for interval training, controlled inclined climbing, etc. which will help you train and burn more calories. Here are some common pre-set programs which will help you improve:

• Cardiovascular: It’s designed to change the speed so that your heart rate remains between 50-85% of your maximum heart rate. Your maximum heart rate is (220 – age) for men and (226 – age) for women.
• Fat burning zone: It’s designed to change the speed so that your heart rate remains between 80-85% of your maximum heart rate.
• Alpine Pass: This is a harder regime which increases the incline constantly and then declines it so that it mimics walking or running uphill and downhill.  
• Random Hill: This is a program which randomly changes the incline and speed to keep you on your toes.
• Interval training: This program allows you to set a jogging speed and a sprint speed and then switch at the press of a button. It’s excellent if you want a program which allows you to switch between speeds quickly for interval training.
• 5K run: This is a long running program where the user has to complete 5 kilometres on the treadmill. 
• Fitness Test: This is a program which helps you keep track of your fitness levels by monitoring your heart rate. It should be taken every three months.  

 Always warm up

One of the most common mistakes people make while using the treadmill is that they start running at breakneck speed from the get go. What you need to do is begin gradually at a lower speed and give your body time to adjust to the motion. Not warming up can lead to cramps and other problems. When you begin you should start at a slow, moderate pace like 6 km/hr. This gives your body time to adjust and loosens up your muscles. Warm up for at least 3-5 minutes before you start heavy duty running.

Do not hold the bars

Once you get used to the treadmill that is. Most beginners are advised to hold on to the bars of the treadmill either on the sides or in the front and they just don’t let go. Even holding on during incline runs/walks is a bad idea. In fact, if you’ve to hold on to stay on a treadmill then the chances are that you’re overdoing it and need to decrease the speed or incline. Holding on prevents you from finding your natural running/walking stance and posture and also burns lesser calories.

Watch your step

One important aspect of running and not just on the treadmill is landing your foot properly. Most experts agree that runners should land midsole – neither on your toes nor on your heels. If you land on your toes, you’re likely to put too much pressure on your calves and also develop shin pain. Landing on your heel means you’re not putting everything into your forward momentum and putting unnecessary stress on your knees. It’s also vital to keep your toes pointed straight and avoid keeping them either in or out. Of course this won’t happen the first time you start running and you’ll have to work on it consciously.

Use it for interval training

One of the major plusses of the treadmill is that it makes interval training much easier than the open road. For those not in the know, interval training or it’s more high intensity variety called High Intensity Interval Training or in short HIIT is an amazing cardio routine to lose weight fast and burn excess calories. Based on a study by Japanese professor Izumi Tabata, it involves periods of high intensity training followed by lower intensity. You can incorporate HIIT into your cardio regime on the treadmill to take it to the next level. Here’s an example of a sample plan:

• Warm up for 3 minutes at 6 km/h
• Switch the speed to 10km/h for 2 minutes and then bring it back to 6 km/h
• Repeat this for at least 4 sets so that total exercise lasts 15 minutes
• Walk on the treadmill at 6 km/h for a cool down period

Give it some incline

If you’ve ever run anywhere you’ll know that running uphill is always harder than running on level ground. This is why it’s important to use the incline feature of treadmills to reap the maximum benefits from the machine. Even a 1% incline (most machines 1-15) will help you burn more calories than walking on level ground.

Here’s a chart for an average user (65kg) walking at 6.5 k/h at different inclines:

 You can calculate your calories burn per hour by using this app. As we can see, even a slight incline increases your calories burnt tremendously and it would be a good idea to use this feature effectively to get the most out of your exercise time.

Keep on pushing yourself

And the last and most important tip when it comes to using the treadmill is to not to let yourself get comfortable. If you’re getting comfortable increase the speed or incline. Try and do longer runs. If you’re doing interval training, try and increase the high intensity time. This stops your body from getting used to the exercise and hitting a plateau.

Keep these tips in mind the next time you’re on the machine and you’ll realise what a powerful tool it is for weight loss and general fitness levels. 

General exercise routine apps 

Endomondo [Android, iOS, Windows; Free]

Endomondo is a multi-fitness app that can be used for many forms of exercise including biking, hiking, kayaking, aerobics, cricket, polo, etc. It allows you to set goals on the distance or calories you want to burn. You can also compete with your friends by posting your updates online.  
Pros: Endomondo has an audio feature that gives feedback after every mile or km. It also has a modern and clean interface which makes it great to use while doing high-intensity work-outs.

Cons: Despite several user complaints, a problem with the app prevents users from posting to Facebook. A similar problem also exists with its GPS map, and it loses some major points in our book.

Noom Cardio Trainer [Android; Free]

This is a simple app that tracks all your physical activity, from biking, walking, skating or running on a treadmill! It checks how far you’ve run, your stride length, offers workout playlists, etc. The app also offers advanced GPS, pedometer tools and an interactive heart rate monitor.
Pros: You can set workout schedules in advance. An interesting feature is a color code that informs whether you’ve completed a workout day, missed a workout day, or had an unscheduled exercise.

Cons: The biggest drawback of the app, however, is that it stores all the information on your phone; occupying a lot of space. Also there have been multiple reports from users of the GPS that stops to work after a few days.

Yoga apps

Yoga Studio [iOS; Free]: This is a simple app that brings to you 30 ready-made yoga classes and a library of over 280 positions to learn from. You can set your skill level from beginner, intermediate or expert yoga. The workouts are well put together with 15 to 60 minutes practice. Another useful feature is the ability to create a yoga schedule which helps develop a routine.

Pros: The creators of the app – Modern Lotus – really thought of the customer when they decided to compress the size of the videos so that they don’t fill up your phone.

Cons: We couldn’t find any yet!

Office Yoga [Android, iOS; Free]

Office Yoga suggests ways to rid yourself of stiffness from sitting in your cubical with the help of nine sets of yoga movements. The app opens up an e-deck of cards that come with instructions for yoga poses tailored for desk-workers looking to stretch on the job.

Pros: You only have to tap to sort and create your own sequence or use only your favourites.

Cons: A major glitch is that even after the app has been closed, the background music doesn’t stop for a long time.

Running

RunKeeper [Android, iOS; Free]

This popular app created by FitnessKeeper, Inc. keeps a track of your pace, distance, time calories burned and more, helping you store and analyse your running session. It also syncs your music library and allows you to create jogging play lists.

Pros: The coaching feature constantly chimes out encouragement by announcing your pace, distance run, calories burned, etc. and also posts to your social networks for you.

Cons: RunKeeper is as near to being a perfect app as we’ve encountered so far.

 Nike+ Running [Android, iOS; Free]

Nike+ Runnin has a special feature – the accelerometer that helps collecting information on your runs. The Powermusic feature allows the app to sync with your music library. It also automatically uploads to nikeplus.com where you can see your runs, including your route and elevation. 

Pros: Hit a mental wall? The app allows you to activate a Powersong to helps blast you toward a new record. There is also positive feedback from some of Nike’s top athletes. Imagine being cheered on by the likes of Kobe Bryant or Cristiano Ronaldo!

Cons: Some of its features such as Share Run and Cheer Me On require users to be connected to a wireless network for full functionality which hampers its outdoor experience.

Weight Training Apps

VirtuaGym [Android, iOS; Free]

Want to start weight training but don’t know how? This app allows you to carry a virtual gym trainer in your pocket. Demo exercises are performed with 3D animation. The app offers three options of morning, home and gym workouts.  Morning workouts of 7 -15 minutes are to get your day started. If you don’t have a gym membership, you can try the home workout.

Pros: The exercises are well planned, working all of your muscles and starting off with warm ups and ending with cool downs.  

Cons: There are 8 only workouts, there is no logbook and you cannot customize your workouts.

Gym Hero [OS: iOS; Free]

 This app allows you to create workout plans; allowing you to customize routines and helping you stick to them. You can plan a multiple set of activities and the number of time of that activity to make your workout plan.

Pros: A statistics feature compresses all the data collect and even shows which muscles you are working.

Cons: It’s not for beginners and seems to be for the more advanced gym routines only.

So try out these amazing apps and do let us know if they help you take it to the next level!

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Go to a sports shoe shop and you will find numerous brands of shoes all claiming to be better than the others and providing various different features to monitor and heighten your running experience. Sharath Raju, India’s first certified and licensed barefoot running coach tells us why it is a good idea to put those shoes away in your closet and start running barefoot.  

Why should one learn the technique of barefoot running?

The best way to answer this question is by understanding the term – proprioception. Our bodies are incredibly good at moving, often without any conscious involvement. The reason we can make simple movements like – sitting down, standing up, picking up objects, throwing, catching, jumping, skipping, running – without thinking or falling over is because of something called ‘proprioception’ – our body’s sense of its own position, balance and movement. Proprioception gives us our body awareness and is commonly referred to as our sixth sense.

The proprioceptive system uses stretch receptors and pressure receptors situated in our muscles, joints and skin to inform our brain about our physical environment and how we are interacting with it.

A large percentage of these receptors are in our feet which are most in contact with the ground. If we reduce the sensory feedback from our feet to our brains by wearing thick, shock-absorbing soles then the brain has less information to work with, reducing the quality of the movement pattern produced.

The foot has evolved over millions of years to a dexterous and sensitive masterpiece. By patronising it with thick soles and supportive padding we’re limiting its potential and risking injury throughout the body. This is why barefoot running is essential.

If being barefoot is so wonderful, why did humans invent shoes?

Although the human foot is a marvel of evolution, it has one serious flaw – a lack of protection from the environment.

All other running animals have evolved hooves or pads to protect themselves, but our feet, originally designed to grasp and climb, are instead covered in proprioceptors, sweat glands and soft skin.

There’s no way the bare human foot could have coped with rainforests, deserts and other extreme lands without a protective cover. Hence humans used whatever they could find to protect their feet which has gradually changed in form to present day shoes. In other words, footwear that insulates and protects the human foot is a part of our evolutionary history.

Does one need special training to start running barefoot?

Even though running barefoot is in our blood, it doesn’t mean one will start doing it correctly the moment you take off your shoes. If you’ve been wearing over-protective footwear all your life, your barefoot running muscles will be weak and your posture will be all out of form. There’s a bit of work to do first. Running is a skill, once mastered, it will allow anyone to run efficiently without any injury.

Like all natural systems, the human brain develops complex patterns by adding simple patterns together. This is visible in the way babies progress from simple to more complex movements; that is, from crawling, sitting, standing and eventually walking and running.

Know the saying, ‘you have to learn to walk before you can run’? It couldn’t be truer. If our brain doesn’t learn these simple movement patterns in the right or­der and to the right level of competency, our potential performance further down the line is jeopardised – for runners that means poor performance and injury.

This training system has three distinct movement milestones: walking/squatting, jumping and running. To fully realise the potential of your barefoot life, you must perfect each skill before moving onto the next.

The training system will guide you and start you on your journey to efficient, injury-free running.

Since there are limitations to running barefoot, what footwear should one choose?

The perfect running shoe allows the foot to behave exactly as it would if bare, providing maximum protection from the environment and allowing maximum sensory feedback between your feet and your brain. Whatever ‘barefoot’ running shoe you chose, make sure it fulfills the following four criteria:

The shoe must allow for sensory feedback

The sole of your foot is packed with sensory receptors, so the sole of your running shoe must allow feedback from the terrain you’re moving on in order to create a natural running style. This is also called ‘Zero-drop’ shoes, with no artificial, heel, arch or toe support.

The shoe must protect your foot from the environment

The sole of your running shoe must be puncture-proof and capable of protecting your foot from extremes of temperature.

The shoe’s weight must not unbalance your foot’s natural position

A heavy or unbalanced running shoe will affect your foot’s natural centre of gravity and therefore your running style. Ideally the weight distribution of your shoe should allow you to balance it with your finger half way between the heel and the toe.

Your foot should not be restricted in any way by the shoe

When our foot hits the ground, the toes slant outwards to help balance the stride. The toe box on your shoe must therefore be wide enough to accommodate this spread without any restriction.

For more information, visit www.barefootclinic.wordpress.com 

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Dr Vijay D’silva, Medical Director and Director of Critical Care, Asian Heart Institute suggests that just being an enthusiast cannot suffice the purpose of participating but thorough training, medical fitness and following medical guidance are always the better options.  “Very few participants of full marathon and dream run required medical help this year.  However we saw many untrained half marathoners within the age group of 30-40 who required medical aid,” said Dr D’silva.

“When participating in marathon people should get their medical check up done and get proper training. Majority of the runners were not trained and still running,” said Dr Ramakant Panda, Vice Chairman and Cardiovascular Thoracic Surgeon, Asian Heart Institute.

99 patients from Asian Heart Institute who have undergone either bypass surgery or angioplasty participated in the marathon and successfully completed. There was no instance of any of them needing medical help during or after the marathon.

Key cardiac rehabilitation veterans who completed the marathon were
1. Dhananjay yellurkar; has undergone cardiac surgery: 49 years old, the only one to complete the full marathon
2. Shailesh Patel, had a bypass in 2006. He has participated in half marathon in 2009. This year he again participated in half marathon.
3. Captain Sanjiv Bhalla, 56 year old professional pilot. Had bypass in 2010. Participated
In dream run 2011 and 12. This year successfully completed half marathon.

AHI has been providing medical aid and helping Mumbai run safe since the last ten years. In order to achieve this, AHI sets up 10 medical aid stations along the route for any first aid required; 2 Base camps at the start/finish– equipped to handle all emergencies; deploys 10 Ambulances with a doctor and nurse and 350 doctors, nurses, paramedical & support staff from Asian Heart institute are on duty. Since last year, the team also has 6 medics on motorbikes to patrol every part of the course, to pick up injured runners even sooner.

This effort is headed by Dr.Vijay DSilva, medical Director to Asian Heart Institute, Medical partner to the Standard Chartered Marathon and Dr Aashish Contractor, Medical Director to the marathon itself and Head, Cardiac Rehabilitation Department at Asian Heart Institute.

In the women’s event, Kenya’s Valentine Kipketer won clocking 2:24:33 hrs, setting a new SCMM course record, followed by Dinknesh Mekash, Aberu Mekuria, Fantu Jimma, Yeshimebet Tadesse and Zeytuna Arba (all, Ethiopia). India’s Binning Lynkhoi, who clocked 2:21:51 hrs, won among the Indians category, but was ranked overall 14th. He was followed by Ashish Singh, Elam Singh, Karan Singh and Angad Kumar. Lalita Babbar, clocking 2:53:42 hrs, was ranked first among Indian women, but 12th in the overall list, followed by Vijaymala Patil, Rohini Raut, M. Sudha and Jyoti Gawate. The top prize for the 10th SCMM this year, considered the richest marathon in Asia, for the winners was a whopping $350,000.

HALF MARATHON

In the half marathon category, Indians Nitender Singh, Sachin Patil and Atwa Bhajat bagged the top three slots. Sudha Singh, Ritu Pal and Monika Athare were ranked in the first three in the women’s half marathon category. In other events, American Charles Lo stood first in the Marathon Super Veteran Men’s category, followed by Bibekananda Tripathy and Dharam Singh, both India. Rachel Chatterjee topped the same category for women.The first top three slots in the men’s Marathon Senior Veteran were bagged by S.J. Yadav, Kothandapani K.C. and Ramavtar Rajbhar.

Marathon Senior Veteran (Women) top positions were secured by Radha Krishnaswamy,  Pervin Batliwala and Caroline Yasuda of the US. In Marathon Veteran (Men), Matt Ebiner and Gary Lew of the US bagged the top two positions while an Indian Lourdes Irudaya Boco was ranked third. British runner Rachael Woolston won the Marathon Veteran (Women) category, followed by two Indians Kranti Salvi and Shilpa Phadke. Maharashtra Governor K. Sankaranarayanan flagged off the SCMM early Sunday morning. Film stars, top corporate heads like Anil Ambani, Anand Mahindra and Niranjan Hiranandani, celebrities, doctors, youths, physically challenged persons, and Mumbai’s famous dabbawallas also participated in the marathon.

Source: IANS

Is running a marathon safe? Can anyone just get up and run the marathon? Is it good for your heart? Are there any precautions you should have keep in mind? These are some of the more common questions that people often have about running in general and the marathon. Dr Aashish Contractor, Medical Director of the Mumbai Marathon and an avid runner give us some tips and pointers.

A person should keep his health profile in mind before taking up long-distance running. People who suffer from any of the following conditions should avoid running:

• Uncontrolled chronic diseases: Uncontrolled kidney disease, blood sugar, blood pressure etc.
• Unstable Angina: If you have active chest pain also called unstable angina, which means that every time you walk or run you experience some heaviness or discomfort in the chest which resolves once you are seated. Another classic symptoms is, if you feel heaviness at rest .
• Systemic illness: If you have any other acute illness like Hepatitis A or E (Jaundice) or Malaria
• Mild illness: If you are suffering from fever or any other mild illness.
• Chronic conditions: Debilitating disorders such as Arthritis, Spondylosis, Spondylolisthesis, hip injuries etc.  

In all these cases it is always advisable to get these conditions under control and consult the right doctor for treatment.  It is important to remember that you must recover fully from any illness before you start any exercise regime.

Once you have recovered, remember to begin your training for the marathon gradually. You can’t do it in one day. It is important to understand that  if you are attempting to run the marathon after an illness you need not necessarily run longer distances to start with, but can attempt shorter runs initially and gradually increase your pace and distance. Here are a few tips on how you can start your marathon preparation:

For a beginner, first start by brisk walking. Once you can walk briskly for 30-40 minutes at a stretch and can cover approximately 3 to 4 km in that time, start by adding some running to your programme. In order to help your body acclimatise to the change in your fitness regime alternate between running and brisk walking. Walk for about 3 minutes and run for 1 minute. Gradually increase your running time and decrease your walking time. Once you have conquered the 5-7 kilometre milestone, in about 12 weeks’ time you can train for the half marathon and depending on your inherent fitness level you will be ready for the full marathon in about 20-25 weeks

There is no greater joy than running but just get yourself checked by a good physician before you decide to take up running or for that matter any strenuous physical regime. 

While there is no strict rule/criterion of minimum fitness for someone training for their first ever marathon or even a half-marathon, it helps if one is able to run without much trouble for about 20% of that target distance in one stretch. Further, it is advisable to train for about 16-18 weeks for any such distance. Thus, using a gradual ramp-up of mileage of around 10% per week, if one is able to run say 5 or 10 km at the start of one’s training period, over 16 weeks, one will be able to reach about 80% of the race distance in training on one’s long runs. This also assumes that one will begin to taper in one’s training (depending on the distance, a 2-3 weeks taper is usual for marathon distance) before the race-day in order to allow the legs to remain fresh for the race-day.

As discussed earlier, training especially for beginners is best done under the guidance of someone more experienced than the trainee. In Bangalore, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad and the NCR region, there are clubs or groups of running enthusiasts. Bangalore which has grown to become India’s running capital, thanks in no small part to its parks as well as the occurrence of multiple races around the year has multiple running groups as well as running coaches who train people for various events including the World 10K to the Bangalore Ultra. Mumbai which is home to India’s biggest marathon also has quite a few running groups and coaches. Nike has running clubs, in both Bangalore and Mumbai, both run with the help of experienced coaches. The NCR is also home to a bunch of experienced runners, one of India’s popular running groups as well as playing host to India’s premier half marathon event.

For people who aren’t in any of the above-mentioned cities, who are still enthusiastic about running, it is perhaps best to get in touch with the experienced runners/clubs/ coaches in the above cities or train conservatively using training plans available on the internet.

Staying Motivated

Like most new year’s resolutions, running too is challenged by various conflicting pressures on any person’s time. That’s why it is best to train with a group or at least a partner. When the weather is not favourable, one can always run indoors on a treadmill or use an indoor cycle. One should remember why one started training in the first place. The impending joy of having completed one’s first race should be enough motivation to persuade oneself when one is feeling lazy. Most runners swear by the value of training for at least 30 minutes a day and how it helps them improve their mental discipline. The biggest battles are fought within. Mentally preparing for a marathon is tougher than any physical test you’ll encounter. Visualize yourself going past the finishing line. Stay focussed and block out all negative thoughts. Believe me when I say this, “There is no emotional equivalent of the elation you feel when you get past that finishing line”.

 How to train for a marathon – Part 1

If you want to run, run a mile. If you want to experience a different life, run a marathon.

The marathon may not be just a test of physical endurance. In today’s world where work, family and other mundane factors take over our lives running a marathon brings back the competitive edge and perhaps appeals to our primal instincts by pitting us against ourselves. The physical and psychological barriers one overcomes during those 42 km are several.

Before you start

The first thing anyone taking up running should do is consult their doctor and get the clearance to take up a physical activity. Typically people with diabetes, blood pressure, hypertension, other heart conditions must take some precautions before taking up running, since running is an intense cardio-vascular activity. Obesity is another condition which places significant pressure on one’s joints for example, in addition to putting a greater load on the heart. While there are enough runners with one or more of these conditions, it is best to check with one’s doctor before taking up running

Wearing the right stuff

One of the key elements of preparation for a race or even training is wearing appropriate clothing/shoes. Clothing made of special fabric which wicks away sweat are now the norm amongst runners of all hues. A running shoe appropriate to one’s foot type as well as suited for one’s gait with cushioning is usually preferred. The beginner is better off consulting someone experienced on what to wear. Additionally, one must also consider wearing a cap and sunscreen to prevent long term damage to the skin, both during training and on race-day, when the sun is out.

Eating right

Nutrition is another important part of training and not just for race-day. While one must consume enough food to account for the energy expended during the run, one must also assess one’s calorie intake to understand whether one is consuming less than one’s recommended dietary intake or more and act accordingly. Typically it is recommended that one’s diet must be a healthy mix of carbohydrates, proteins and vitamins (typically from fresh fruits and vegetables). Vegetarians in particular must make special efforts to ensure they get adequate protein in their diet. Further, it is usually advised to consume some food which is protein-rich within the first 30 minutes after exercise, thus maximizing its absorption into one’s body as well as aid recovery

Finally, one must not forget the value of nutrition and recovery which play a significant role in shaping one’s health and fitness. It is not possible for one to perform at one’s best on race-day without eating healthy as well as not getting the required amount of sleep and rest during one’s training.

 Getting started

Although it is true that people who have participated in sports when they were younger may find it easier to begin/resume running since their body is used to some physical activity, anyone who has not run for over a month should start slowly. Just because you have run a marathon 2 years ago does not mean your body is geared to run even a half marathon today. The thumb-rule among experienced runners is to not usually ramp up more than 10% total mileage from week to week. Even professional athletes rarely ramp up by more than that much. That is why typically, their training periods are usually 12 weeks or longer for any given race. And these ride on the back of months and years of regular training. What this means is that if you have run a total mileage around 10 km in a week over 3-4 days, the next week you should not run more a total of more than 11-12 km. This is to ensure your body has adequate time to recover from the exertion.

If you’ve never run before, you should start by walking for 15 minutes every day. Follow this routine for a week and gradually start running for 2 minutes after 10 minute walks. You can increase the running duration by a minute a day till you can run continuously for 10 minutes. In 2 weeks you should be able to able to walk 10 minutes, follow it up with a 10 minute run and walk 10 minutes after the run. After a month one should start running for at least 15-30 minutes. This is where you start thinking of something more ambitious like a 5 km race. If you are unable to do this in say a month, you could take two or even three months to build yourself up gradually to do the same. Patience is a virtue which most distance runner possess. It is also advisable to follow a routine of strengthening of key muscle groups (hamstring, quadriceps, calf, core, glutes) not only in order to improve one’s running but also to stay injury free. 

Take your marathon training to the next level

 Hrithik Roshan: So what does Hrithik do to maintain those Greek God looks? He works out twice a day – morning and evening. His workout consists of cardio exercises, apart from weights. Hrithik keeps away from oily food and milk products, but has protein shakes. He breakfasts like a king, but follows it up with a light lunch, evening snack and dinner.

Salman Khan: B-town’s favorite bodybuilder hunk is going to learn a new form of combat for his next film. A complete fitness freak, Salman Khan makes sure he works out every day. His movie sets probably have more dumbbells and machines than most well-equipped gyms. And if he is shooting on the outskirts of Mumbai, he simply cycles his way there and back leaving many bystanders awestruck! Recently, he did it again to reach the sets of Ek Tha Tiger, his film with Katrina Kaif. Salman is relentless in the pursuit for the perfect physique and has been known to do 1,000 push-ups or 2,000 sit-ups a day. He hates junk and processed food and gorges on organic food mostly consisting of chicken, egg whites, fish, pulses and salads.

Aamir Khan: The chocolate boy bulked up for Ghajini with eight-pack abs and lost it just as easily to play a college kid in 3 Idiots, is at it again. He is all set to undergo yet another transformation, as he wants a lean-yet-fit body for his role in Dhoom 3 (think Brad Pitt in Fight Club). Aamir hired a desi trainer for Ghajini, but for Dhoom 3, Aamir has a British-Filipino expert stationed at his Bandra home. The actor believes that a healthy and balanced diet, exercise and rest are the key ingredients to good health. When he was bulking up for Ghajini, he ate small meals every half an hour, and followed tips from Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding.

Shahrukh Khan: His six-pack abs in Om Shanti Om didn’t come easily. Neither did his lean and mean look for playing a superhero in RA.One. The 40-plus actor works out at least four times a week. However, his 100 push-ups and 60 pull ups are a daily affair. A lover of tandoori chicken and cola, Shahrukh reportedly changed his diet to include grilled food and lots of water, avoiding desserts completely.

John Abraham: The hot hunk is a sucker for various sports and kickboxing. He works out for two-three hours every day with a combo of weights, cardio and kickboxing. Although he is a PETA brand ambassador and a strict vegan he still eats egg whites for the protein. His diet includes juices, dry fruits, tofu, corn and dal, apart from toast and tea, chapattis and stir-fried veggies. Soups and protein shakes are also on the menu. John is one of those who believe in eating small meals every few hours keeping in mind the body needs constant nourishment. Like Kareena, John too is against crash dieting. He firmly believes a good night’s sleep is necessary and looking at his Adonis like looks we are inclined to agree.

Akshay Kumar: He is probably the only Bollywood actor in his 40s who wakes up in the wee hours to practice martial arts and yoga. But fitness is also about the mind for Akshay Kumar, who keeps his energy levels high through positive thinking and prayers. And just like our former PM, the late Indira Gandhi did, the actor digs into his inner reserves for that extra dose of energy. Akshay also goes to the gym, plays basketball, swims, meditates, jogs, walks and treks! Most importantly, he eats everything, but nothing in excess.

So we can see our Bollywood celebs do put in a hard shift to keep fit and if they can do it with their round-the-clock schedules and hectic lifestyle so can we.

Source: www.bollywoodlife.com

Several of you might be walking regularly, but running is a different sport altogether.  While running, there are times when both your feet are off the ground simultaneously unlike walking. Now this may sound insignificant, but in practice one needs to build up to running in a gradual manner. Here’s a step-by-step guide to get there:

1. Start by walking - The first step to any successful running program is walking. Begin by walking for 30 minutes and gradually increase the pace until you are able to do it at a brisk pace. Keep doing this until it feels easy.
2. Add a few jogs –  When you are comfortable walking briskly and want to step up the pace, simply insert three to four jogs of 100 metres or so into your 30-40 minute walk. Warm up by walking slowly, build into a brisk walk and then do the short jogs when you feel ready.
3. Consult your doctor before your start - Especially if you have a known risk for heart disease or other health issues or are more than 40 years of age.
4. Slowly increase the amount of running time - As you get more accustomed to running, increase the running segments always avoiding discomfort. Eventually you should be able to run for 30 minutes continuously.  Do not worry about the pace! 
5.  Don’t over-do it - Listen to your body.  If you feel discomfort while running, particularly in the chest area, you need to slow down and may need to get yourself examined by a doctor. 
6. Hydrate well - If you’re running in the heat, make sure you drink plenty of water before, during, and after your run.
7. Cool down - Do not suddenly stop running; gradually do so over the last five minutes.

Below is a sample six-week training schedule to help you run for 30 minutes.

 How do you know you’re going overboard?

For safety, the intensity (how hard should you exercise) is very important.  To obtain maximum cardiovascular benefit, you should exercise between 55-85% of your maximum heart rate.  Your maximum heart rate is 220 minus your age.  Therefore if you are 40 years old, your maximum heart rate is 180, and you should exercise between 99 and 119 beats per minute, which corresponds to 55 to 85% of your maximum heart rate.  The lower end of the heart rate range is for older and de-conditioned people.  As your fitness level improves you can start exercising at the higher end of the heart rate range.

If you do not want to actually measure your heart rate a simple way of monitoring exercise intensity is the talk test. If you are too breathless to carry on a conversation with someone beside you, then you are probably working too hard and need to slow down. 

A third method is to use a system called Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE).  Using this, you should exercise at an intensity which you perceive to be between ‘fairly light’ and ‘somewhat hard’. 

The author  Dr Aashish Contractor is a renowned preventive cardiologist and the Medical Director of the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon.