Recently one of my college friend suggested my name on our class whatsapp group to give tips on fitness, possibly because my photos look still the same as they looked during college except some signs of age on the face and the runway in lieu of hair on my head.
I got me thinking, should I write something on this matter or should I not? Looking back, I thought with a healthy life at over 50, may be I am fit enough to write about fitness though I have no official training on the matter nor I am a doctor. Rather I am not a doctor of living beings cuz Engineers are the doctors of the equipment under them. Each one of the equipment has a personality and a character (any body who disagrees with me can put a comment and I would provide my views) but no life.
Enough of the prologue, let me start.
It is known that millions of cells of human body die and millions of cells are born every day and it is said that the body is fully renewed in 12 years. Thus we acquire a new 'Kaya' every 12 years. That means by the time we are 48, we have progressed through four kayas. That apart, just because we acquire new kaya does not mean we acquire same strength or flexibility as we had as a child or a young person. What we have at or after 50 is a body that does not have same strength, flexibility or vigour of a 25 or 30 or 35 years old.
So is all lost? Not really, what I am pointing out is actually other way round, that the time has come to not to abuse our body but to respect it and worship it as it needs to sustain your soul for many years to come and we need to nurture it.
What is needed to achieve that, a healthy body and mind. It is very simple and easy to achieve. All we need to do is maintain regular lifestyle, moderation in whatever one does (occasional excess may be ok but only occasional) and some steady and regular exercise. Let me list down all of these steps.
1. Sleep on time on most days of the week.May be 1100 PM or even early.
2. Get up around 0600 hrs, again on most of the days in a week.
3. Start your day with drinking at least Two glass fresh water (at normal temp or slightly warm) empty stomach daily on all days of the week.
4. Do at least 30 to 45 minutes of exercise daily, at least 5 days a week. Walking, Cycling, jogging, swimming or even Gym is good. You can alternate in a sequence so that monotony can be avoided.
Workout in Gym to improve muscle tone after the age of 50 is a must. It is said that only these few years you can improve your muscles beyond which it is not possible. Let me tell the readers, muscles are vital for old age to support your bone structure and if not built up now, the they can't be built later.
5. Even Surya Namaskar, Yoga, Pranayam and Dhyan (meditation) are a good substitute on few days in a week in the morning.
6. Have a good breakfast of whatever you like but do not overeat and also cut down on butter, oil and ghee in the breakfast. Some milk with breakfast is good but may not be good for diabetic. Our paranthas with limited oil are actually better than bread.
7. Have some light snacks or fruit between breakfast and lunch.
8. Have healthy lunch which must have buttermilk (Chas), some Salad and normal food. Again no over eating. What quantity one ate before the age of 50 is not one needs to eat now unless our work is highly physical and strenuous (physically and not chair bound and strenuous mentally). Minor reduction of one roti or some rice is in order.
9. Again some light snacks or fruit after two hour and after 4 hours (generally the time when we are back from work) should be taken.
10. Time and energy permitting a stroll of 20 minutes or Pranayam and Dhyan can be done.
11. Healthy dinner in moderation between 8 and 9 pm is in order. Again if you can include fiber through salad, etc in your dinner, it is good.
11(a) P.S. In case you can replace wheat rotis / Rice with Jowar / Ragi mix rotis for at least Dinner, it would be more beneficial
11. Do not sleep immediately after dinner. At least one hour or more of remaining awake doing something at least sitting (and not plonking on sofa or bed) is a must. even post dinner stroll is good.
12. We can give rest to our body from physical exercise on one day of the week (better to do so on a weekend). Sometime it could be two days break but preferably that should be avoided.
13. Most of us love sweets, some of us love drinks and some Non Veg food. We are not Sanyasis to leave all these things and should enjoy them responsibly. Sweets, drinks and non veg should be now taken in limited quantities. For Non veg eaters, red meat should be avoided or reduced drastically and fish, chicken, etc can be substituted.
14 Don't forget to get your blood and urine test done every six months even if yo are perfectly healthy. If you have health issues then the tests, as required, should be done at correct periodicity. Anything doubtful in the test should end with consulting a doctor
15. Live worry free. Enjoy company of your wife, in few years from now, when your children are on their own, she would be the only company that you will have.
16. Live life to the full. Laugh often and cry some times. Remember, life is not only worth living, it is worth living enjoying it.
Wish you all a healthy and happy life beyond 50 years of age, DO look after your body and soul and enjoy every day.
I got me thinking, should I write something on this matter or should I not? Looking back, I thought with a healthy life at over 50, may be I am fit enough to write about fitness though I have no official training on the matter nor I am a doctor. Rather I am not a doctor of living beings cuz Engineers are the doctors of the equipment under them. Each one of the equipment has a personality and a character (any body who disagrees with me can put a comment and I would provide my views) but no life.
Enough of the prologue, let me start.
It is known that millions of cells of human body die and millions of cells are born every day and it is said that the body is fully renewed in 12 years. Thus we acquire a new 'Kaya' every 12 years. That means by the time we are 48, we have progressed through four kayas. That apart, just because we acquire new kaya does not mean we acquire same strength or flexibility as we had as a child or a young person. What we have at or after 50 is a body that does not have same strength, flexibility or vigour of a 25 or 30 or 35 years old.
So is all lost? Not really, what I am pointing out is actually other way round, that the time has come to not to abuse our body but to respect it and worship it as it needs to sustain your soul for many years to come and we need to nurture it.
What is needed to achieve that, a healthy body and mind. It is very simple and easy to achieve. All we need to do is maintain regular lifestyle, moderation in whatever one does (occasional excess may be ok but only occasional) and some steady and regular exercise. Let me list down all of these steps.
1. Sleep on time on most days of the week.May be 1100 PM or even early.
2. Get up around 0600 hrs, again on most of the days in a week.
3. Start your day with drinking at least Two glass fresh water (at normal temp or slightly warm) empty stomach daily on all days of the week.
4. Do at least 30 to 45 minutes of exercise daily, at least 5 days a week. Walking, Cycling, jogging, swimming or even Gym is good. You can alternate in a sequence so that monotony can be avoided.
Workout in Gym to improve muscle tone after the age of 50 is a must. It is said that only these few years you can improve your muscles beyond which it is not possible. Let me tell the readers, muscles are vital for old age to support your bone structure and if not built up now, the they can't be built later.
5. Even Surya Namaskar, Yoga, Pranayam and Dhyan (meditation) are a good substitute on few days in a week in the morning.
6. Have a good breakfast of whatever you like but do not overeat and also cut down on butter, oil and ghee in the breakfast. Some milk with breakfast is good but may not be good for diabetic. Our paranthas with limited oil are actually better than bread.
7. Have some light snacks or fruit between breakfast and lunch.
8. Have healthy lunch which must have buttermilk (Chas), some Salad and normal food. Again no over eating. What quantity one ate before the age of 50 is not one needs to eat now unless our work is highly physical and strenuous (physically and not chair bound and strenuous mentally). Minor reduction of one roti or some rice is in order.
9. Again some light snacks or fruit after two hour and after 4 hours (generally the time when we are back from work) should be taken.
10. Time and energy permitting a stroll of 20 minutes or Pranayam and Dhyan can be done.
11. Healthy dinner in moderation between 8 and 9 pm is in order. Again if you can include fiber through salad, etc in your dinner, it is good.
11(a) P.S. In case you can replace wheat rotis / Rice with Jowar / Ragi mix rotis for at least Dinner, it would be more beneficial
11. Do not sleep immediately after dinner. At least one hour or more of remaining awake doing something at least sitting (and not plonking on sofa or bed) is a must. even post dinner stroll is good.
12. We can give rest to our body from physical exercise on one day of the week (better to do so on a weekend). Sometime it could be two days break but preferably that should be avoided.
13. Most of us love sweets, some of us love drinks and some Non Veg food. We are not Sanyasis to leave all these things and should enjoy them responsibly. Sweets, drinks and non veg should be now taken in limited quantities. For Non veg eaters, red meat should be avoided or reduced drastically and fish, chicken, etc can be substituted.
14 Don't forget to get your blood and urine test done every six months even if yo are perfectly healthy. If you have health issues then the tests, as required, should be done at correct periodicity. Anything doubtful in the test should end with consulting a doctor
15. Live worry free. Enjoy company of your wife, in few years from now, when your children are on their own, she would be the only company that you will have.
16. Live life to the full. Laugh often and cry some times. Remember, life is not only worth living, it is worth living enjoying it.
Wish you all a healthy and happy life beyond 50 years of age, DO look after your body and soul and enjoy every day.
Very useful tips
ReplyDeleteUseful tips. Would like to add a few points:
ReplyDelete1. Plank is a very useful exercise. Do it in the morning for 5 minutes before leaving the bed.
2. Drink 1 litre of water just after waking up.
3. Don't watch TV/computer at least 1 hour before going to sleep.
4. Sleep with all lights OFF.
Enjoy!
Laugh often and cry sometimes....that was the best part...what an honest blog....again 10/10...
ReplyDelete