Pilates is similar to Yoga in some ways as it brings about a balance between the mind and the body and in doing so is highly effective at reducing and eliminating stress. Pilates emphasizes on physical conditioning and there’s nothing quite like it. Pilates uniqueness lies in the fact that all movements originate from the commonly overlooked “core muscles” that lie deep in the abdomen and surround the spine. Pilates often focuses on isolating these muscles in order to engage them effectively. This improves the blood circulation and thus helps maintain your internal bodily health and improve the tone and texture of your skin. Unlike some forms of resistance training that can add size albeit quite small to muscles, Pilates can help you to become strong while remaining lean, alternatively helping you to become lean if you’re carrying excess weight.

Although both Yoga and Pilates provide many benefits, Yoga’s focus has always been on how to make you feel, with the added benefit of stretching and strengthening muscles.  Pilates’ primary focus is to tone muscles effectively and shaping the way you look and carry yourself. If you are looking for an agile, rejuvenating workout that will provide as much of a lift for your brain as your body, then Yoga is the way to go. If you’re interested in a more dynamic system of muscle conditioning, and want to improve your core strength, Pilates may be the answer.

Pilates is rightly regarded by many people as one of the best forms of overall body fitness and conditioning and this is exactly the reason why so many professional athletes add Pilates training to their regular fitness training. The balance between strength and flexibility creates a healthy, vigorous and symmetrical workout for all muscle groups resulting in a leaner, more balanced, and stronger body.

As we age, one tends to lose is good posture and Pilates can go a long way in addressing that problem. Good posture also helps with the energy flow through the body and it is common for people who start doing Pilates to have a lot more energy.

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The tables have turned. The tall, thin, fair ideal for women has existed since time immemorial and now men have to fit to standards. Women have almost killed themselves (sadly, not just metaphorically) in the race to match up to the prerequisites for being marriageable/ acceptable. It’s really unrealistic to expect that men will somehow save themselves from the trap.

 The one thing that invariably happens in this circus of matching up to the new ideal — and that too under a tight deadline (under 40 years) —  is that it takes a big toll on one’s health.

Eating right starts going down the list of priorities and wine tasting makes its way to the weekly calendar. If you have been exposed to a hostel for a year or two, you probably won’t realise that food plays a crucial role in keeping you fit, healthy and smart.

Late nights become a norm; buying that big house in upscale neighbourhood is always on the cards, private school fees are likely to be the life earnings of lesser mortals and you just lost a fortune from your investments in the recent recession slide.

One of my clients once told me “when I had the body to flaunt designer labels, I didn’t have the money to buy them. Now that I have the money I have lost the body!”

So what you need to do is ensure that your fatter bank balance stays inversely proportional to the size of your waist. Incidentally, the size of a man’s waist has a huge influence not just on blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol and heart health, but also on the reproductive organs and fertility. Men are also falling prey to joint conditions such as arthritis, which were until recently, exclusive to women.

When it comes to food and exercise, the human body, irrespective of the gender, responds the exact same way by increasing lean tissue and reducing fat mass. This change in body composition is what gives men a lean and muscular look. Obviously it also leads to better responses from all the vital organs such as the heart, lungs, pancreas, intestines, liver, kidney etc. Beautiful inside out.

Some health tips for the hardworking-partying-harder male of today:

• If you are not waking up fresh in the mornings for over a month, it’s probably because you need a break. Please take one ASAP.
• Ensure that you eat a meal on reaching office. If you find yourself having tea/coffee between 9 and 11 am daily, it means that you are killing the hunger signal. Stop drinking and eat. Split breakfast in two meals. Have a small portion before leaving home and pack some for office.
• Keep a bottle of water on your table at all times and drink at least three bottles in office. Smoking (passive included), tea, coffee, and of course the air conditioners, make for a dehydrating environment.
• If you travel frequently, book flights which will let you have breakfast or dinner at home.
• If you haven’t slept well or had a particularly stressful day, skip your workout and rest.
• Learn to help yourself. Cooking a few basic dishes for yourself doesn’t just add to your sex appeal, but also makes tons of sense. It helps you rewind and reassures you that you do take care of your stomach and yourself.
• Switch off your BB/iPhone by 8 pm daily. Switch it on only after breakfast.
• Bought books that you haven’t found the time to read? Book yourself on a reading holiday and at least once a year, travel alone (not on work please).

Quick Stats:
1 in 100 *Number of blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol cases in people below 40 in the ‘90s
1 in 20 *Number of blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol cases in people below 40 today

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You find the time for the family function, board meeting and the colleague’s final divorce hearing. You have the compassion to support a charity for your city marathon, the kindness to cover the back of your (once again) faltering team-mate…etc. etc. However, you don’t have the time to exercise, the compassion to spare yourself if your jeans don’t fit you anymore or if you miss the deadline for a presentation, or the kindness to feed your stomach with food at regular intervals. Compassion and kindness need to be directed towards yourself before they can have any serious effect on the outside world.

Success succeeds if it comes with a happy stomach, lean body and a calm mind. For your stomach to be happy you will need to plan the way ahead. The exact same skills that help you succeed as a working woman (knowing the pulse of your market, anticipating change or movement and preparing for the challenges in advance) will help you keep the stomach happy and the mind calm.

Haven’t we all experienced how a happy stomach (that which is not stuffed or starving) is the key to good reasoning and decision making? We have also experienced how a sad (starving or stuffed) stomach will lead to irritability, bloating, gas, headaches and all the other emotional wear and tear.

Here are four basic things that will help you keep the stomach happy:

1. Never leave home without eating. If running late, grab a banana/ handful of dry fruits and eat on the way to car/ bus/ train.
2. Always keep a jar of peanuts/Walnuts in the office. The jar should never be empty below the half-way mark.
3. Plan a day in advance for your 4-6 pm meal. It could be a grilled sandwich… anything you fancy. But needs to be planned a day in advance and never at the last minute.
4. Always keep at least one eatable in your handbag. This is your fall-back option. When you are stuck in traffic/ train delay/ boring meeting, you can sneak your snack down and calm your nerves. The snack could be a fruit, a pint of soy milk, or yougurt.

Calmer Mind

1. Remember, food is the key. Mental peace is the privilege of only those whose stomachs are happy. So food is step one. If you are not committed to eating right, forget about mental peace or calm.
2. Nothing works like regularity in going to bed and waking up. Try and go to bed at the same time every day and wake up at the same time daily.
3. Don’t kill yourself over working out. Exercise works only on a well rested body. So if you are fighting fatigue after all the multitasking at home, work and social responsibilities, take a break and rest. Working out on a tired body invites injuries and some more fatigue.
4. Know that stress and worry, even something as minor as traffic or bai not turning up, can push your body into a survival mode. This means that you start burning lesser calories from fat per minute.

So go easy on yourself and relieve yourself of perfection or the bane of multi-tasking. If your child forgot her math book in the car, or you got delayed by 15 minutes for an important meeting or the husband left a wet towel on the bed yet again, it’s still not the end of the world and it’s really not your fault.

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The healing process of the kids can begin if the parents know how to handle it well. Parents need to show the kids that they are in control of the situation and are not scared. If the children see their parents are scared then they will be affected more and much easily. 

Here are a few tips to help your child cope with the trauma better:

• It is important for parents to gently explain what actually happened. They need to realise that there are different kinds of people in the world and some people who are not good harm others.
• They should be encouraged to talk about the incident so that they can dispel doubts. However do not force your child to talk about it.
• Catharsis is important. Encourage your child to vent out his/her feelings in various creative ways like drawing, painting or writing about it.
•  Try and keep the child away form television channels that are very graphic and show gruesome details.
•  Do not ignore symptoms like excessive irritability and unusual bed-wetting. Psychiatric help if needed should not be shied away from.

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Yoga is a science that has been practiced for thousands of years. It is based on ancient theories, observations and principles about the mind and body connection which is now being proven by modern medicine. Substantial research has been conducted to look at the health benefits of Yoga – from the Yoga Postures (Asanas), Yoga Breathing (Pranayama), and Meditation. Regular practice of asanas, pranayama and  meditation can help such diverse ailments such as asthma, arthritis, arteriosclerosis, blood pressure, chronic fatigue, diabetes, digestive disorders, varicose veins and  heart conditions.

It can easily be adapted by any person at any age and in any physical condition. However, some techniques are more suited for specific age groups. For example, some asanas that involve forward and backward bending are good for children aged 5 to 10 years. At about 10 years of age, the asanas that have an upside down position and deep breathing can be started. Relaxation is necessary for all, irrespective of age. People in all age groups can therefore practice mediation regularly. It is desirable that older people avoid asanas that involve excessive stretching.

Yoga has become extremely popular in recent years due to multiple benefits offered if practiced regularly.
One of the great things about yoga is the fact that it is very powerful at relieving stress irrespective of the type of work you do, your role in life or the type of food you eat. Yoga can help everyone play his or her roles more efficiently, more smoothly and more comfortably.

Releasing stress from the body boosts the energy levels and gives a refreshing feel to the mind and body. This in turn improves your mental as well as physical posture thus making you healthier, stronger and effectively younger. The limberness that developes from doing regular yoga exercises work wonders on aches and pains, having constant pain and the energy that it absorbs from your body, is very often mirrored on the face, making you appear tired and older.

Yoga teaches you to focus on living for the moment not in the past or the future. If you can learn to live for the now a lot of your stress will disappear. It is amazing how just a mind set can change your life. Yoga not only works out the tension in your body but prepares your mind to deal with daily stress. Your thinking will become clear and decisions easier to make.

The first time you start your yoga practice you will notice why you can use yoga for relieving stress. The tension in your body will melt away and you will come out of your practice feeling happy and relaxed. People who practice yoga tend to not have any problems sleeping or unwinding at the end of the day.

More and more individuals are now are realizing all the important benefits of Yoga and it is no longer sidelined as an old person’s activity. In fact many professional sports now use Yoga as a critical part of their training routines to reduce injuries, improve strength, temprament, concentration and overall health.

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In fact, a recent study of more than 50,000 employees from a variety of manufacturing and service organizations found that two out of every five employees are dissatisfied with the balance between their work and their personal lives. The lack of balance “is due to long work hours, changing demographics, more time in the car, the deterioration of boundaries between work and home, and increased work pressure,” says the study’s author, Bruce Katcher, president of the Discovery Group, a management consulting firm.

Sometimes we feel that we just don’t have any time in the world to spare for our own health. With the pressures of work and family it seems that every hour of the day is taken doing something other than improving our health.

Maybe there is a solution to this hectic lifestyle that can give you the benefits of improved health and get the same amount done in the day.

If the dog needs a walk, then how about taking it for a run instead. You will still be out for the same amount of time but you will be getting increased benefit from running rather than walking. Or, if you don’t like running, you can step up the pace of your walk. Not only will you be getting fitter, but your pet will also be healthier.

And if you have to mow the lawn on the weekend then try walking faster with the mower, or if you have a big property run with the mower. Now that will give you a good workout and you will have more time for relaxation in the time you have saved by mowing the lawn faster.

Try walking to work rather than driving the car or park the car a little further from your office and walk the extra distance.

Go for a walk or run at lunchtime rather than sitting in the lunch room or your office.

If you are sitting in an office all day working at a desk try doing leg extensions as you sit there. Even without weight resistance you will still be exercising your legs and you can add weights if you like to get more benefit from these exercises.

Drink water rather than coffee and tea to boost your energy and you might just find the energy to spend a little more time on yourself.

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