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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You may have heard the phrase, ‘laughter is the best medicine’ but how often do you put this to practice in your real life? Can you laugh without any reason just to be fit and happy? If no, join a laughter club where Laughter Yoga is practised every day, their motto being – ‘we don’t laugh because we are happy, we are happy because we laugh’. Dr Madan Kataria, Founder of Laughter Yoga tells us why he is so serious about laughing and the science behind this unique fitness therapy.

What is Laughter Yoga?

Laughter Yoga is a unique exercise routine which combines unconditional laughter with yogic breathing (Pranayama). Anyone can laugh without relying on humour, jokes or comedy. Laughter is initially simulated as a physical exercise while maintaining eye contact with others in the group and promoting childlike playfulness. In most cases, this soon leads to real and contagious laughter. Science has proved that the body cannot differentiate between simulated and real laughter.

Laughter Yoga sessions start with gentle warm-up techniques which include stretching, chanting, clapping and body movement. Breathing exercises are used to prepare the lungs for laughter, followed by a series of ‘laughter exercises’ that combine the method of acting and visualisation techniques with playfulness.

A Laughter Yoga session may finish with ‘laughter meditation’. This is a session of unstructured laughter whereby participants sit or lie down and allow natural laughter to flow from within us like a fountain. This is a powerful experience that often leads to a healthy emotional catharsis and also a feeling of release and joyfulness that can last for days. This can be followed by guided relaxation exercises.

Why should anyone practice Laughter Yoga?

1. To get the scientifically proven benefits of laughter, one needs to laugh longer – at least 15-20 minutes with resting breaks in-between. Only then can the body get its physiological and biological health benefits. But, in everyday life we barely laugh for a few seconds here and there.  Laughter Yoga helps in extended laughter because laughter is done in the form of an exercise and you can choose to laugh for as long as you want.

2. Laughter Yoga enables you to laugh loudly. This is particularly essential to get health benefits. In fact, you need to do full belly laughing, but very often in social situations, this kind of all-out laughing is not appropriate. That’s why Laughter Clubs are important as they provide a safe place to laugh out loud.

3. People always need some reason to laugh. However, there are not many reasons that make us laugh in real life. Laughter Yoga enables you to laugh even when there is no reason to laugh. Sometimes, life just isn’t that funny. That’s why Laughter Yoga teaches you to laugh no matter what. We are not leaving laughter to a chance but are making a commitment to laugh because it is a great wellness tool.

What are the major benefits of Laughter Yoga?

1. Elevates mood: Laughter Yoga can change your mood within minutes by releasing endorphins. This makes you feel good and keeps you cheerful throughout the day. 

2. Improves health: Laughter Yoga reduces stress and strengthens the immune system. If your immune system is strong you will not fall sick easily and even if you have chronic health conditions, it will help heal them faster. 

3. More energy: Our brain needs 25% more oxygen for optimal functioning. Laughter exercises can increase the net supply of oxygen to our body and brain which helps improve efficiency and performance. You will feel energetic and will be able to work more than you normally do without getting tired. 

4. Builds positive attitude: Anyone can laugh when times are good, but Laughter Yoga teaches people to laugh unconditionally so that they can laugh even when times are hard. It provides strength in adversity, a coping mechanism to help people keep a positive mental attitude regardless of circumstances they are in.

Can someone laugh even if they don’t feel like laughing?

Laughing for no reason is the core philosophy of Laughter Yoga. Most people believe that one must have a sense of humour to laugh, but Laughter Yoga has proven otherwise. No one is born with a sense of humour, which is the brain’s capacity to perceive, relate, and experience a situation, and judge if it is funny or not. We acquire this judgmental skill as our mental abilities develop during mid and late childhood. Sense of humour is a very mental and intellectual phenomenon. It depends upon the person’s intellectual ability, state of mind and level of happiness and life satisfaction.

Children laugh without any mental or cognitive ability. Most of their laughter is an outcome of playfulness and inherent joyfulness.  To develop the ability to laugh joyfully once again, adults must remove layers of inhibition, programming and mental roadblocks created by self, family, and society. Beneath these barriers lies an infinite ability to laugh for no reason. Laughter Yoga techniques are effective even for people who have lost their laughter or have absolutely no sense of humour.

With inputs from www.laughteryoga.org

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 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

The yogi should act always from a centre of poise and calmness, of mental and physical relaxation. When I first met my Guru, Paramhansa Yogananda, he told me that, while sitting in a chair giving interviews, he was not even aware of his body below the chest. To be able so completely to relax the body when not using it, it is necessary first to be in full control of it; to be able at will to be fully conscious of every muscle. The yoga postures are not only a series of physical positions but exercises in mental awareness. The yogi must try to become conscious of the energy as it directs the muscular movements.

Between poses, he should calmly withdraw his energy from the periphery of his body; he should rest within himself. Savasana, the Corpse Pose, is particularly recommended for these peaceful interludes. The yogi is enjoined to practise moderation in everything. He should avoid eating too much, or too little. He should not sleep too much, nor too little. (More than seven hours’ sleep at night only drugs the nervous system.) He should be especially moderate in his sex life. Sexual over-indulgence causes tremendous drain on natural vitality. Continence, if it has the full consent of the mind, can be a tremendous factor in helping one to achieve full vigour, mentally and physically, and to attain deep spiritual insight.

Yoga practices help one to live in harmony with the forces of nature. The yoga postures should always, if possible, be practised out-of-doors, or by an open window. They should be practised on an empty stomach or at least three hours after eating. It is preferable that the body be warm when performing them. But don’t practise immediately after strenuous activity; or so long that the postures themselves result in over-exertion and fatigue.

Women should use caution if they wish to do yoga postures during the first day or two of the menstrual period. The postures should not be practised, save with the greatest of caution, when the body is unwell. Any posture that gives rise to a feeling of pain (other than muscular) in the chest, abdomen or brain should be abandoned until the cause has been ascertained. People with high blood pressure should avoid all but the most gentle poses. The duration of each posture must be increased gradually. People beginning these postures after middle age should be particularly careful to start slowly, with the easier poses, bit by bit working up to the more difficult ones.

(The author, Swami Kriyananda is a direct disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda, founder of Ananda Sangha, and a known authority on Kriya Yoga.)

Maintain consistency

As Swami Sivananda once said, one doctor gives you a prescription, the other gives you an opinion and the third gives you your cremation. It is not advisable to jump between different schools and styles of yoga or even different teachers as this will create instability in the self and nullify the benefits.

Be patient

 Progress is not immediate but gradual – beginners should not expect results immediately and keep moving on even if the progress is slow. It is imprudent to compare one’s own progress with that of others as every person is at a different stage in the practice and in life.

Find the right guru

Choose a good teacher who is knowledgeable about the subject in order to gain the maximum benefit from the practice.

Wear loose clothing and maintain proper hygiene 

Beginners should preferably wear loose, cotton clothing as it aids the circulation of pranic energy within the self. Lycra material, tight clothing and dark colours constrict the flow of energy and do not allow one to benefit fully from the practice. It is advisable to shower before the class as it cleanses the body and makes it more receptive to positive energy. If there is no time to shower before the class, there should be a 30 minute gap between the end of the class and the shower.

Some other pointers include: 

• Only fruits can be consumed 30 minutes prior to the class or 15 minutes after the class.
• Avoid wearing perfume disturbs the breathing exercises and is therefore not advisable.
• Cell phones and other electronic devices should be switched off or on silent and kept at a considerable distance so as to avoid distractions.
• Preferably, one must not practice under an electric fan.
• Every person should carry his or her own mat. This is not only for hygienic purposes but also to avoid mixing one’s personal vibes with those of another student.
• Students should make the most of every minute in the yoga class by arriving on time to avoid disturbing the teacher and the students. They should always be thankful to the teacher at the beginning and end of each class.

Like I mentioned before, yoga is not a fitness regime. It’s a way of life, a spiritual quest to find oneself. Try to realise that and don’t think of it as an alternative to gymming.  When a person practises yoga, he or she embarks upon a journey of self-discovery and spiritual growth and experiences both physical and mental changes over time.

Om. 

Also read: India.com Health’s exclusive interview with Yoga Sadhak, Mamta Aurora.

Yoga has become very popular in the last ten years or so with stars from Bollywood and Hollywood endorsing it. It has suddenly become the new trendy exercise in town. So is it merely an exercise regime or a way of life? To find answers to these questions we called upon Mamta Arora, Yoga Sadhak and instructor, who runs the Yoga Blessing studio.  Excerpts from the interview:

Yoga’s become a fad these days with the classes mushrooming everywhere particularly with Bollywood popularizing it. Many Yogis offer miracle cures for chronic ailments and fast weight loss. How do people differentiate the good yoga classes from the bad ones? What should they adopt?

 Mamta Arora: Yoga as a discourse has its roots in the ancient texts like the Vedas and the Upanishads. Not only has it has been extensively written about by learned sages and gurus, it also features prominently within the Bhagavad Gita. The Gita revolves around the principles of karma yoga, jnana yoga and bhakti yoga.

The Bollywood fuelled trends prevalent today (such as hot yoga and power yoga) do not make an appearance anywhere in these texts. Combining yoga with other forms of exercises is resulting yoga losing its roots. While it is true that yoga does enhance physical fitness, the benefits of yoga transcend physical benefits. It rejuvenates the mind, body and soul.

 Should yoga be treated only as a form of exercise in order to lose weight? What are the other benefits of yoga?

Mamta Arora: No. While yoga is indeed a very rewarding form of exercise, it is not just exercise. It is a way of life. When a person practises yoga, he or she embarks upon a journey into a world of self-discovery and spiritual growth and experiences both physical and mental changes over time. Yoga harmonises thought, action and speech. It is based on 5 holistic principles:

-  Proper exercise

-  Proper breathing

-  Proper diet

-  Proper relaxation

-  Positive thinking and meditation

It is this umbrella approach of yoga that differentiates it from solely physically-oriented pursuits such as aerobics or weight training. Thus, yoga is a strict and holistic discipline that has no shortcuts.  Physical exercise focuses on the health of body, but yoga focuses on the health of mind, body and spiritual growth. Furthermore, physical exercises don’t have the cleansing power that yoga does.  With the help of kriyas (internal cleansing techniques), yoga brings a sense of internal discipline and change. The superficial nature of pure physical exercise drawsprana out of the body while yoga draws in the prana within a person and contributes to spiritual growth.

Yoga has innumerable benefits that physical exercise does not. It leads a person from darkness to light, ignorance to knowledge and makes a person feel complete. It also increases productivity, improves immunity, enhances clarity and heightens self-awareness.

 How important is a good guru for practicing yoga?

Mamta Arora: In the traditional yoga practice, a guru is regarded as God and it is said that the words of God can actually be heard through a guru. A guru is a guide and mentor with the power to spark the true understanding of yoga within the disciple. The teachings and writings of renowned gurus such as Swami Sivananda have touched the lives of several students and helped them use the power of yoga to face adversity. A guru is a Jivanmukta or a liberated soul. The powers of a Jivanmukta are always prevalent even though he may not be physically present.

A guru gives a clear guidance to a student based on her years of tapasya and sadhana, which helps the student to follow the path of yoga with no obstacles. The grace and blessings of the guru keep guiding the aspirant throughout his journey like a light in the darkness. There is no path without a guru. An aspirant or Sadhak is like a blind person without a guru.

Students who follow in their guru parampara or tradition absorb their teachings and spread the light to other students in their path based on the teachings of their guru. Therefore, when choosing a teacher today, one must take into account not only the years of practice put in by the teacher but also which guru he/she follows and how closely they follow their teachings. It is highly recommended to seek out a personal guru rather than following an online course or DVD as it is impossible to truly experience yoga without the presence, knowledge and guidance of a teacher.

Could you tell us a little about the various different schools of yoga?

Mamta Aurora: Yoga has several schools including Hatha, Ashtanga, Kundalini and more. They all have their own names based on the guru and the teachings, although Yoga in its purest form is only Yoga and nothing else.  Yoga was defined by Sage Patanjali, as a discipline free from ideological divisions.  In the yoga sutra, he outlined “sthir sukham asanam” or steady comfortable posture as the sole and all-encompassing definition of yoga which will lead us to the light. Some yoga ashrams like the Bihar school of yoga and Sivananda ashrams worldwide follow Patanjali’s teachings by having a gurukul system wherein a student practises yoga and is completely detached from the family for months together. 

Teachers like BKS Iyengar, (fondly known as Guruji) have strived to simplify yoga through the use of props. Guruji has still devoted his entire life to yoga and given hope to many. Thus, his own practice is known as Iyengar Yoga. At the Sivananda center, a student experiences a synthesis of bhakti yoga (satsangs), jnana yoga (Vedanta and bagvad gita) and karma yoga(selfless service). While it is important to study the different schools of yoga in terms of lineage and history, the main purpose of creating name-based distinctions is so that the student can understand yoga as the guru means it to be understood, thereby helping them gain a deeper understanding than the lay person. Thus, while the different ‘schools’ of yoga are outlined and known, the goal remains the same: journeying into the self and moving inwards, from the materialistic to the spiritual.

 How can it help us deal with the stressful situations we encounter every day?

Mamta Arora: It is a little known fact that most of our stress in life originates from our own living habits – our ethics, food, clothes and thoughts. The basic principles of yoga help people streamline their habits by strengthening the mind and body.

On the physical level, asanas and postures generate oxygen in the blood and strengthen the spine and brain centres. Combined with breathing and meditation, yoga relaxes the entire nervous system and releases stress in the mind and body. Regular practice also increases willpower, thereby increasing a person’s capacity to accomplish more things and avoid stressful situations.

The teachings of yoga from the Patanjali yogasutras to the Vedanta philosophy helps students deal with difficult situations. The awareness about kleshas (afflictions of the mind), Sakshi Bhava (witness-like attitude) and pratipaksha bhavna (to counter negative thoughts with positive) are among the many aspects that go deeper to give a student a broader outlook to life, thus helping him or her rise above materialism and make life more worthwhile.

 What about people with specific health problems? Can they practice yoga?

Mamta Aurora: Yes. Yoga gives hope to the sick, strength to the weak, and light to the ignorant. As mentioned earlier, yogic cures are available and proven for several diseases, both physical and mental. Yogic treatments have benefited patients of autism, asthma, slip disc and even cancer as they make the body more receptive to cure and healing. The student must not hesitate to make the teacher completely aware of the nature of their problem so that the teacher can customize the structure of the lesson. The teacher will also assist the student in finding alternatives to certain postures and tailor the lesson to his/her needs. Yoga certainly helps one cope with a disease even if it doesn’t completely cure it.

Bipasha Basu: One of the fittest actresses in Bollywood, we are certain her ex-beau John Abraham’s fitness mania rubbed off on her. The Bong girl is a fitness freak and has different training routines for each day of the week! Each of them focusses on specific body parts. Bips does everything in moderation. That includes yoga, stretching, dance, cardio, spinning and circuit training. Surya namaskars are her favourite and she is known to do a hundred of them every day! Looking at her bootylicious figure we are inclined to believe that she is doing it right!

Sonam Kapoor: 

It’s a well-known fact that the actress had adolescent weight problems. It seems like not only has she left those problems behind but seems to have a set new precedence for fitness in the industry. She follows a strict regime of Bikram yoga. She also does other things like weight training, yoga and Pilates. When she gets the time she plays squash or swims. Considering her earlier weight problems, we recommend the lassie stick to her regime strictly.

Kareena Kapoor: B-town’s original size-zero girl, Bebo is back in her size zero avatar for Madhur Bhandarkar’s Heroine with the help of celeb dietician Rujuta Diwekar and trainer Payal Gidwani Tiwari. Her regime includes power yoga and surya namaskars. She also does 500 kapalbhatis a day. For those not in the know, kapalbhatis are a form of breathing exercise that helps increase lung capacity, popularized by Baba Ramdev.

Bebo also stays away from crash diets and eats several small, well-planned meals throughout the day. This keeps her metabolism up and helps burn calories even at rest. Her diet is mostly vegan and consists of soups, fruits, salads, hummus and yogurt.

Shilpa Shetty: One of the first actresses to release a fitness DVD, Shilpa has always been one of the fittest yet curvaceous ladies in the industry. She is a big yoga fan, particularly the Ashtanga variety. Apart from working out, the actress does simple things like taking the stairs instead of the lift. She strictly adheres to a soup and salad diet. Other things you will find on her table include pulses, brown rice and brown bread. To maintain her flawless skin she drinks aloe vera juice and green tea.

Hope you’ve been inspired by these B-town gals to start a fitness regime of your own and stick to it. Film star or not, it takes dedication and perseverance to stick to your fitness goal.

Source: www.bollywoodlife.com 

The ancient art of yoga isn’t alien to India, where it took roots thousands of years ago. This art of meditation for mental, physical and spiritual health has grown exponentially in popularity in recent years, especially in the West. But interestingly, another offshoot of yoga was born there in the late 90s and is called power yoga.

What is power yoga?

Power yoga is a more dynamic version of traditional yoga – it’s faster, more intense and the focus is more on building strength and less on meditation or chanting. And while in yoga there’s a fixed set of asanas, in power yoga teachers have more flexibility in terms of arranging postures according to their preferences.

It’s believed the new technique was created by Beryl Bender Birch of New York and Bryan Kest based in Los Angeles to make yoga more interesting for westerners.

What are its health benefits?

Since power yoga is more physically demanding, it is more enjoyable for those who are fit – like athletes and sportsmen.

Power yoga enthusiasts say it enhances stamina, flexibility and better focus. Like any other physical activity it relieves the body of tension and sweating helps release toxins. It is also said to improve posture and help those with back ache and spinal problems by restructuring bone structure.

However, teachers of conventional yoga, which is believed to be more holistic, more or less condemn power yoga labelling it a commercialisation of yoga that’s nothing but a money-making sham.

Many studies abroad have exhibited tremendous advantages of yoga – lowered cholesterol levels and blood pressure, increased cardiovascular circulation and even helping de-clogging blocked arteries. It’s also said to have helped menopausal women suffering from insomnia and mood swings by introducing poses that massage the pituitary, hypothalamus and thyroid glands.

But there haven’t been any conclusive studies that prove that power yoga is as beneficial as yoga.

“I have tried both yoga and power yoga and yes, there is an obvious difference between the two – while the conventional form of yoga  is intended for relaxation and rejuvenation, power yoga is more intense. It’s more of an exercise than meditation or relaxation,” says Aparna Nair, a 20-something Bangalore-based lawyer who gave yoga a try to escape the daily stress of a hectic life.

“I have also noticed that yoga teachers more often than not condemn power yoga. They say there’s no such thing as power yoga! I would say power yoga is meant for those looking to burn calories but if I have the time and energy, I’d choose yoga over the power yoga,” she adds.

Avoid power yoga if…

…You aren’t fit. Power yoga, at minimum, requires you to be moderately fit otherwise the physically intensive asanas can leave doing more bad than good.

…You are pregnant. This doesn’t mean that you should stave off it; rather as pregnancy advances, there are certain asanas one must avoid.

…If you are looking only to meditate. Power yoga is essentially another form of strenuous physical exercise and focuses more on that than chanting or meditation. Having said that, it depends on teacher to teacher how they incorporate power yoga with meditation.

…If you suffer from a chronic physical ailment.

Vasundhara Maheshwari, Centre Head of Mumbai-based Vivekanand Yoga Anusandhan Samasthana has been teaching and practising yoga for 20 years. The institution introduces yoga enthusiasts to Dynamic Energising Yoga or DEY, which aims at combining fitness regimes with yoga to provide a more holistic practice.

“If one is suffering from a lower backache, slip disc, hernia, any kind of spinal injury or frozen shoulder, they should not choose DEY. We suggest them to first strengthen their body through conventional yoga and then if they are fit enough, they can move on to DEY. For pregnant women, we design a course that takes into account which trimester they are in,” she says.

Can those with psychosomatic problems (such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s) practice DEY?

“Yes, but not directly. DEY needs strength so one must begin with breathing exercises. They also need to strengthen their intellect and once they have achieved both they can practice it,” says Vasundhara.

Is power yoga more beneficial than yoga?

There’s no real comparison between the two. Although the foundation of both is similar, people choose one over the other for completely different reasons. One is for meditation and the other for physical prowess.

The lowest common denominator is still stress management and flexibility so you have those two in the bag. But experts agree that a more holistic approach is always more beneficial. Too much stress on physical exercise and you miss out on the mental and spiritual quotient of yoga.

The principle objective, after all, is to harmonize the mind, body and spirit. So if you are on the lookout for salvation, make sure you choose wisely. The power of yoga is immense but it’s not concentrated only in power yoga.

Fitness Regime

The Wall usually got up at 6 am for a metabolic run followed by a meditation session. A metabolic run consists of a variety of high intensity short sprints, a training regimen followed by elite athletes around the world. On match days he followed this up with shadow practise. Obviously all international cricketers have to be in shape but Dravid was in a class of his own when it came to taking care of his body.

You don’t get the classic swimmer physique without doing some weight training and Dravid was very particular about hitting the gym, at least thrice a week. He preferred light weights to heavier ones because he really wasn’t into bodybuilding but worked more on increasing flexibility, an absolutely vital trait for agile cricketers.

Overbuilding can lead to stiffness and professional sportsmen need to watch out for that. He preferred aerobic exercises and yoga, something that explains his longevity. He basically liked to mix up cardio and yoga to remain as lithe as possible. Dravid has conceded that exercising gets tougher as you age which means that one simply has to work harder to stay fit.

It’s all in the mind
Like we mentioned before Dravid meditates for 30 minutes every day which helps him keep a cool head and gives him the mental prowess to deal with every situation. More than his physical abilities it is perhaps this quality, the ability to focus in the toughest situations that has defined his rein atop world cricket.

Winner’s Diet

One of the fittest cricketers around, Dravid looks like a man who watches what he eats. This is even more impressive considering he has been playing cricket long before sports nutrition became the norm. During games he stays away from sweets as he feels they make him sluggish on the field. He keeps sports nutrition packets handy which aid his recovery. Sports nutrition packets usually contain nutritional supplements that promotes muscle relaxation, increases post-workout rehydration and speeds overall recovery, maximizing a person’s ability and helps him train harder every day.

It was an honour to watch him represent our country and we from health.india.com  wish him the very best for his future endeavours. 

What is the  Surya Namaskar?
The practice of Suryanamaskar (or salutation of the sun) has been propogated for centuries by our ancestors. It is a sequence of 12 yogasanas.

How is the Surya Namaskar good for health?

• Unlike many other forms of exercise, the Surya Namaskar involves almost 90-95% of our body and organs, activating and energizing them. The alternating backward and forward bending actions flex and stretch the internal organs, increasing their oxygen supply thus detoxifying them.
• It also improves flexibility, strength and endurance. 
• It helps lose weight the right way by activating the internal organs and improving metabolism.
• It also give a sense of mental peace and calm.
• As per our ancestors, each asana activates a particular chakra (force centres) in the body. 

When and how should one perform the Surya Namaskar?

You can practice it anytime, anywhere. However, our ancestors have suggested that it is best done early in the morning facing the sun (east). Since all you need is a mat, you can perform it practically anywhere.

The basic instruction for breathing is to inhale during backward bending and exhale during forward bending exercises. An ideal set would be 12, covering the right and left legs in one set, adding up to a total of 24 rounds.

Can I start practising the Surya Namaskar on my own?

No, start with a good instructor. It is highly important to learn the correct postures. Many people who’ve watched TV or read books and performed asanas often complain of aches and pains and give up the Yoga practice.

A good instructor would also ensure that you perform the asanas as per your capacity and body type while keeping your medical problems in mind, if any.

 Watch the entire Surya Namaskar sequence here: