TV Room Fitness

Although it’s not the Best way to spend your Free time, still people do it and some just do it too much!!! 

I am not in favour of siting more than 30minutes at anytime of the day as it slows down your metabolism and responsible for belly fat! 

Movement is Life and we need to do move as much as possibe in any given scenario. 

Here are few tips how you can make your TV time active. 

Try to Stand up in commercial breaks and finish house hold chores.

You can actually do few things that require little attention while watching your fav daily soaps for e.g. ironing your clothes.

You can keep that remote away and stand up go to the TV if you need to change channels.

If you own a Cardio exercise equipment, place it in TV room and you can watch your fav movie while walking on treadmill or cycling through it.. you will Burn approx 1500KCal while watching an average Hindi blockbuster. 

Try not to binge on popcorn, salty snacks and cold drinks while watching tv. You can chew on carrots and radish though. 

Your Guide to Foam Rolling

People generally approach a Personal Trainer or a REHAB Expert when they are struck...

The first question I ask even to my regular class participants and specially endurance athletes...

"Are you Foam Rolling Daily?" 

Here is the Insight why is Foam Rolling Very Important in prevention of injuries and improve performance... 

If you think Performance is only for elites, you need to rethink... 

Picking up grandchildren and taking a flight of stairs is super performance for older adults..

Why it's necessary to do Foam Rolling? 

That's the first thing I recommend to any novice to elite who comes to me for training. It's a fundamental tool for anybody who wants to improve their health/ fitness / performance. 

It's basic motto is to soothe tight muscles and fascia ( it's a web under our skin and does crucial jobs like proprioception, hydration and removing toxins from the body and it's almost everywhere in your body ). It's like MASTER WEB we need to live and move better, that's why foam rolling is first and foremost technique that all need to practice on daily basis, it's like brushing your teeth. 

Do you feel Tight ? 

Foam rolling makes fascia supple and if you have any lesions / tight spots ( we call it knots ) under your skin that hampers range of motion. 

Using foam roller on tight spots for 2-3 minutes daily considerably reduce the tightness in soft tissue (opens the knot) and improves flexibility. 

Do's and Don't's while using the Foam Roller.

"Remember Brushing your teeth and Brushing your teeth RIGHT WAY!"

Do's:-

1) Hydrate yourself well, without ample H2O it may not be able to deliver optimal results.

2) Roll very slowly so that you don't miss tight spots.

3) Stop on tight spots and take deeper breaths.

4) Try to move / flex the associated joints while keeping pressure on tight spots. (E.g if I am rolling my thigh, I will flex and extend my knee or rotate my hip. )

5) Practice it daily / alternate days initially if you are super tight and have lot of painful spots. Light rollers are available if you are super tender. 

Don't:- 

1) Go too fast back n forth.

2) Spend more than 3 minutes on any tight spots.

3) Roll on / over the joints. 

4) Roll over bony projections.

5) Hold your breath. 

Who must use and who must not use this technique and why?

 It's a safe ground base technique and almost anyone can learn and practice it unless have any serious health issues including but not limited to High BP, Heart Disease, Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis, Acute Musculoskeletal Injuries etc. 

When should one Foam Roll?

 It can be used as warmup tool for any workout / game and also during cool down to remove lactate / toxins and enhance recovery. 

 I recommend is to getup and do this first thing in the morning. As we all are tight and dehydrated at that time. Drink 500ml - 1000ml water and spend 10minutes with the roller. You will feel the fluidity within a week. 

 It's a perfect tool to own and practice, also cost to result ratio is more than any other fitness equipment that one can think of buying for home. 

I really advocate foam rolling on daily basis to stay pain free and active. 

I have seen magical results in 1 session of foam rolling in acute knee pain / heel pain / plantar fasciitis. 

Here is the Video Link for practicing Foam Rolling. 

This is my GO FOR IT, NO BRAINS REQUIRED TOOL. 

Gagan Arora ( Celebrity Fitness Expert ) ACSM Certified Personal Trainer 🔸MASTER TRAINER REEBOK RUNNING SQUAD Founder 🔸Managing Director Kosmic Fitness with 20 years of experience in Fitness Industry.

Speciality :Personal Training, Marathon Training, Outdoor Boot Camps, Orthopaedic Rehab Training (Sports Injury Centre Safdarjung Hospital 3years exp.) ,Corporate Fitness Training, Animal Flow Instructor and Lifestyle Coach. 

Resistance Training

Last evening when I finished my Workout a guy who is working out from past couple of months without any Personal Trainer asked me "Sir what is Resistance Training?"

Although I have displayed enough information on the walls of my Health Club for members. It's was a matter of seconds I thought what the hell people are doing in gyms and don't know basics even after months.

 I held back my Fitness Expertise Brain and gently pushed his one shoulder as he was in good shape he RESISTED ME 😅. 

 I told him :- "This is Resistance Training"

Exerting FORCE against any resistance is called Resistance Training. ( It can be your Partner / Weights / Machines / Bands / Medicine Balls / Sand Bags / Kettlebells and what I love the Most YOUR OWN BODYWEIGHT IN RELATION TO GRAVITY and many more...) 

We generally do it for Short Bout of Time or in form of Sets and Repetitions For E.g. Pushups 3-4 sets of 10 Reps ( 30sec of rest Between Sets ) 

Squats, Deadlifts, Pushups, Pull-ups etc. fall in this Category. 

"A resistance training program can affect almost every system in the body and is used in a wide variety of populations, from young children preparing for sports to offsetting the effects of aging" ( ACSM Reaources for the Personal Trainer) 

General Principles of a resistance training program:- 

1) Specifity of training :- Only those muscles which are used in training get adapted and change in response to the program. There is some overall affect on the other body systems but it's better to be specific to the muscle group in order to get maximum benefits out of program. 

2) SAID ( Specific Adaptaions to Imposed Demands ) - Muscles will adapt to the training in a very systematic way. For e.g. in order to build endurance you need to train a muscle group with higher number of repetitions e.g. 15-20reps / set. For Strength Building this goes down to 6-8reps / set with considerably heavier loads. 

3) Progressive Overload :- Once your muscles adapt a specific training stimulus or load one need to increase that training stimulus in a progressive manner to further increase strength / power / endurance of the muscle group. If this is not done one can get stuck on a plateau and progress will be limited. 

4) Variation in training :- No program can deliver results for a prolonged period of time without modification or periodizing it with variations or on season / off season plans or recovery programming. 

5) Prioritization of training :- It is difficult to train all aspects of muscular fitness at the same time. One need to prioritize training plan according to desired adaptations like I ( as a Runner ) try to lift heavier loads slowly in off season and lighter loads quickly during on season or close to race day. 

Your love Cardio for weight loss? :-  Yes it's true you burn more fat during your cardio sessions but please be informed MUSCLES are the guys who burn that fat, you need to train them at least twice a week with resistance training protocol to enhance your quality of life and increase your Basal Metabolic Rate which transforms your body into a "FAT BURNING FURNACE 24x7 "

Every Individual is different so one needs to follow strength training protocols designed by a Certified Fitness Professional according to their needs and priorities. Setting small measurable goals will take you a long way than just goofing around in weights room with no knowledge what to do next... 

 

Gagan Arora ( Celebrity Fitness Expert ) ACSM Certified Personal Trainer 🔸MASTER TRAINER REEBOK RUNNING SQUAD Founder 🔸Managing Director Kosmic Fitness with 20 years of experience in Fitness Industry.

Speciality :Personal Training, Marathon Training, Outdoor Boot Camps, Orthopaedic Rehab Training (Sports Injury Centre Safdarjung Hospital 3years exp.) ,Corporate Fitness Training, Animal Flow Instructor and Lifestyle Coach. 

Get your Bum Cheeks Activated

Physically active people are are much less tired even after a long physically demanding day than those who SIT ON THEIR BUMS for more than 8 Hours a day! 

Researches have shown that Sitting on chair / Car seat for most of the time of your day has a bad effect on your bodies as smoking cigarettes. 

In order to get yourself moving the right way you need to train and tone the muscles at the back of your hip which are probably hibernating from past couple of hours / month / years or decades... 

Generally for physical wellbeing and health Doctors advice to walk for 30mins which is a good to start for general population. 

I advice foam rolling as the first thing to do as to mobilise your skin / fascia and muscles. It makes them supple and ready to take the LOAD of walking. Myofascial Rolling Video Link https://youtu.be/G_KEgKK-9bQ

This particular blog is about one simple yet very powerful exercise to activate your BUM CHEEKS. 

Weakness or imbalances in these muscles can lead to misalignment while walking and can do bad to your knee / low back / shoulder. 

Also overuse injuries are so common in runners, cyclist & swimmers due to prolonged and continuous use of their bodies so much that key muscles become weak and lazy. This can be a great part of your warmup after your myofascial rolling to perform better in day to day life or improve performance. 

Exercise Name :- Prone Hip Abduction. 

Exercise Description :- 

Option 1 On Ground :- Multi fold a mat so that it's 1-2 inch thick. Lie down with your navel on the mat Place the hands slightly wide just to stabalize your upper body. Try to lift your legs up from the hip with knees bent at 90 degrees. Your thighs should not touch the ground in the entire set. Split your legs wide about a feet then bring them together while pressing your heel together in each repetition. 

Option 2 On Bosu Balance Trainer :- Perform same exercise with navel in the center of BOSU BALANCE TRAINER. 

ADDITIONAL BENEFITS on BOSU :- Integrate other CORE muscles. Gives more Range of Motion. 

PLEASE NOTE :- Try not to curve and stress your lumbar spine while lifting the legs. Keep your spine in Neutral Position throughout the set. Perform all reps in a slow controlled manner. 

Sets & Reps :- 1-2 sets 5-20reps, 3 times / week. 

Video Link 

https://youtu.be/LpsPpkOCGAc

 

Gagan Arora ( Celebrity Fitness Expert ) ACSM Certified Personal Trainer 🔸MASTER TRAINER REEBOK RUNNING SQUAD Founder 🔸Managing Director Kosmic Fitness with 20 years of experience in Fitness Industry.

Speciality :Personal Training, Marathon Training, Outdoor Boot Camps, Orthopaedic Rehab Training (Sports Injury Centre Safdarjung Hospital 3years exp.) ,Corporate Fitness Training, Animal Flow Instructor and Lifestyle Coach. 

Top 6 Causes for Tight Bodies!

There are many reasons you can experience tightness in a particular muscle or overall in your body.

Nearing 40years of age, I have been training since I was 15, coaching many athletes from almost two decades. I can give you a general know how that why you get tight even after regular physical activity or otherwise.

1) Hormones: - In women as they age nearing 40 estrogens levels start dropping they can become tight and inflexible. On the other hand in men as the testosterone levels peak up in their twenties they can become tight and stiff as collagen fibres tend to dense up with increased testosterone levels.

2) Dehydration: - It’s not about grabbing a glass of water just now. Chronic dehydration surely is a huge cause for stiffness in any age group and gender. Black coffee, alcohol, sugary foods and high simple carbs diet worsens the situation.

Having an apple instead of a black coffee and muffin will help you to reduce tightness in hamstrings if you feel like munching while sitting on a desk. Drinking plenty of water throughout the day is advised as it makes muscles supple. Also frequent loo breaks will add up to your daily active minutes.

Most of us fight with early morning stiffness that’s because of less water intake the day before followed by high carb dinner and dessert. Remove simple carbs completely from your dinner plate and a big no to post dinner dessert.

Another reason of morning tightness is that your organs ligaments and joints absorb more water as you sleep. Your fascia and muscles hold enough water at night so body drives that water to the organs that make you feel tight in the morning. It is advised to have a glass of water before you sleep and at least a 500ml as soon as you get up before putting your first step down on the ground. 

3) Inactivity: - Chair sucks your fluidity. Sitting on a desk for more than an hour or while commuting makes you tight, your hip and spine becomes stiff no doubt about that. A simple four word formula works like magic for most of the sedentary population "M.O.V.E". As simple as walking around in office, while talking on phone, standing work tables, standing meet-ups will make a huge difference in your musculoskeletal system and you may feel relief from chronic aches and pains.

Things can get worse with prolong sitting as constant pressure on some areas like more weight on one side while sitting can compress nerves and arteries of that area and you might even feel referral plain in other parts of the body for e.g. sciatica nerve pain. So get up and move as you read this article...

                                                             

4) Lack of proper warm-up and mobilization techniques: - This is for my fitness lovers and fairly active people. With new fitness trends coming up every other day and time crunch for a full one hour workout people try to squeeze it into short bouts of high intensity multiple times in a week. Good for many but there is a problem; ideally there is a transition time between rest to exercise and then back to rest. “Warm-up - Workout - Cool down” This applies even to a 10min exercise session with 5 min warm-up and 5 min cool down exercises. Without these transition periods you are just shocking the body with immediate stress and its leaves muscles, organs and fascia in dilemma state and you might not see any major improvement but keep falling prey to injuries and prolonged stiffness.

Even if you want to stretch your hamstrings in office it is advised to walk for a few minutes before attempting the stretch.

5) Injuries: – A fall, soft tissue injuries or bone fractures all can make a joint or series of joints stiff and tight, so if you are feeling tightness in hip while running when you are 40 it can be your ankle sprain in a football match in class 10th. Idea is to ask few questions before accessing any issues for pains and aches at any point of time in life. Aggressive rehabilitation work is required to fix musculosketal injuries including the past ones as fresh issues will keep coming back till the time we don’t fix the old ones. 

6) Inflammation: - Minor stiffness post a hard workout is ok and gets better in a day or two but chronic inflammations can make you feel tight and sore all the time. Check your diet and lifestyle to counter these issues. Caffeine and nicotine can make things worse on the other hand having a cup of warm turmeric milk can ease out the situation and then you can work upon mobility and flexibility exercises to release stiffness.

The EYE OPENER!

Due to my early morning commitments, I use to sleep for about two hours after my lunch. Even with a very light dinner comprising vegetables chicken breast and soup I was unable to figure out what’s going wrong with my left shoulder as it was getting tighter and I was unable to lift weights as I used to do few months back. Reduced range of motion and clicking sound was bothering me in every workout. Trigger point releases during warm-up enabled me to complete my workout but next morning it used to go back to same position. It became a long non breaking cycle. Then one day I was just so tired I skipped my lunch and just fell asleep after my classes in first half of the day. I got up around 4:00pm and my shoulder was not bothering me. I had my pre workout meal and headed to gym. I was surprised with the range of motion and flexibility in the shoulder. Since then I started replacing my lunch with fruit yogurt protein smoothie and a handful of almonds giving a time gap of 30-60mins before my afternoon nap. I started improving on my shoulder stiffness and had a pain free push up after a long time. Looked up for articles, researches and journals but could not find any.

What I concluded if your insulin levels are still high and blood still has higher sugar levels and you lie down high sugar blood gets trapped in muscles as skeletal load restricts blood flow on the side you sleep (I sleep on my left) you tend to get up tight on the same side more often.

Disclaimer :- This article is not intend to prevent/ cure / treat any severe medical conditions, please refer to your dietician for diet modifications and your doctor / exercise specialist for any modification in your training program or before starting one.

Lazy Indian

LAZY INDIAN

Just a Health Club Membership will not you make you Fit! 

Researches have shown even people who exercise regularly for an hour a day but are sedentary throughout the day have similar health concerns like potentially sedentary population because calories spent in an hour of exercise is a very small portion of daily caloric expenditure. 

To over come this one needs to be more active throughout the day and find ways how one can assimilate active minutes while at work or at home. 

few suggestions would be

a ) Taking a quick flight of stairs 

b ) Walking to small distances ( banks and grocery etc ) 

c ) Pet walking 

d ) Parking your car away from shopping place 

e ) Using public transport etc. 

f ) Standing 

In addition to above active minutes one can definitely take out as less as five minutes to do a small workout circuit in the morning / before lunch / before dinner 

for example ;

 1 min each 

( Jump on the spot

Squat Hold ( Isometric Squat ) 

Jumping jacks 

Step up and down on stair 

Stair push-ups ) repeat 2 - 3 times if you have more time. 

Small bout of high intensity exercises is far more beneficial than a lazy 30mins walk. 

Studies also show that exercise benefit school children exponentially.

Human body needs outdoors! 

Children need to play, jump, climb, run all outdoors. In their growing years they are powerhouse of energy if well utilised will transform into genius individuals. Sitting in front of TV and playing with phones is the worst practice which parents do just to keep kids busy while they do what they want to do.. 

Yes it's parents who need to be taught that they are suppose to spend time with their kids it's not the phone. 

Not only kids even adults who exercise have better ideas and their brain starts working better after a 30min workout.

Exercise increases blood flow in the entire body including organs and THE BRAIN! 

More blood means more cellular activity as simple as that! 

I don't remember any day in school when we haven't played a sport before 1st period. 

Human Movement is a huge subject and we can perform endless movements with this body. Body weight exercises and various functional equipment provide variety of them to make people overcome boredom which is one of the major cause of dropouts from any exercise plan. 

Siting on a stationary strength machine or exercise bike can be boring and non productive for many as we need to move with our bodies in different directions at different speeds for life...

Do Challenge yourself with these Functional Moves.

a) Muscle up- ( Beginners Pull-ups and Bar dips ) 

Equipment :- Hanging Bar 

How To do it :- It's a combination of a chin-up and press down. You pull your body up chest touching the bar then press the bar down taking your upper body above the bar. 

Areas They Help :- Great exercise for building upper body and core strength useful in many sports and physical conditioning. 

Do it for repetitions and sets. 

b) Beast Walk- ( beginners practice crawling with knees on floor ) 

Equipment :- Body Weight 

How to do it :- Start in a box position on the ground Hands right under your shoulders and knees under your hips, Tuck your toes and lift your knees just a bit off the ground ( this is very challenging for many ) Next step would be walking forward with lifting one hand and opposite toe at a time. small steps and staying close to the ground is crucial to fire right muscles and achieve optimal results. 

Do it for repetitions and sets. 

Areas they Help :- Core Conditioning

Spine Rehabilitaion 

Body Awareness and Fat Burning 

c) Tyre Flipping- ( beginners light tyres )

 

Equipment :- Big Tyres

How To do it :- It's a variation of old school DEADLIFT exercises combined with an explosive movement of throwing.

Sit close to the tyre bending your ankle, knees and hip while maintaining a strong neutral spine. Placing your hands under the tyre and using your entire body strength to flip it over. 

Do it for repetitions and sets. 

Areas they Help :- 

Power, Strength and endurance building

 Retraining Proper Bio mechanics for rehab

Practice Multiple Flips for Fat Burning 

d) Kettle Bell Swings- ( beginners hip thrust with elastic resistance and waiters bow exercise ) 

Equipment :- Kettle Bell ( starting weight for girls 6-8k and boys 12-16k ) 

How to do it :- Grab a kettle bell with both hands ( it should be heavy enough to swing too light will not work as it should be) 

Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and knees slightly bent. Keeping your arms straight sticking to your pelvis start the movement with just bending and extending your hips to initiate pendulum action on the kettlebell gradually increase the hip thrust to swing it higher till shoulder level.

Do it for time or reps. 

Areas they help :- 

Hip and low back strengthening 

Strength Endurance 

Fat Burning 

e) Battling Rope Waves-

Equipment :- Thick Ropes 

How to do it :- loop the rope to a fixed anchor point ( tree or pole ) stand far off to the length of the rope ( no need to pull ) keeping it on the floor hold one end in each hand slightly bend your ankle, knee and hip in an atheletic ready position keeping your head up, moving your arms up and down alternatively start making waves with the rope from your arm till the anchor point.

do it for time 30sec to 90 sec rest and repeat. 

So get out and get moving because you are born to move!