DON’T LET THE MONSOON SHOWERS SPOIL YOUR STAY-FIT SPIRIT! YOU CAN STILL MAINTAIN YOUR FITNESS ROUTINE WITH EFFECTIVE INDOOR WORKOUTS. LET LEADING FITNESS EXPERTS GUIDE YOU.
Monsoon Workout by Fitness Expert Namita Jain
Warm-up: Start with a five-minute warm-up by walking/marching briskly.
Frequency: Thrice a week, on alternate days.
Home props
• Two 500 ml water bottles
• A chair
• A bath towel
• A carpet/mat
The Exercises:
Chest Fly
Works: The chest or pectoral muscles
Lie on a carpet or mat with your knees bent. Hold weights in your palms, extend your arms over your chest with elbows slightly bent. Open your arms to the sides, until elbows are aligned with the shoulders; and then slowly return back up. Do two sets of 12 reps.
Bicep Curls
Works: The biceps
Sit tall. Hold weights in your palms, bend your elbows slowly tensing the bicep muscles as you lift the waits up, and then lower down. Do two sets of 12 reps.
Seated Overhead Tricep Extension
Works: The triceps
Sit tall. Hold one weight in both your palms, arms extended overhead. Bend your elbows, lowering the weight behind your head, and then extend up again. Do two sets of 12 reps.
Calf Raises
Works: The calves
Stand tall with water bottles in each hand. Rise/stretch up on your toes and then lower. Do two sets of 12 reps.
Leg Extension
Works: The front of the thigh
Sit on the chair, abs in. Extend left leg until level with hip. Hold for two seconds, repeat with the other leg. Do two sets of 12 reps on each leg.
Butt Bridge
Works: The hips
Lie on your back with knees bent. Raise your hips off the floor and then lower down. Do two sets of 12 reps.
Ab Crunches
Works: The abs
Lie on your back with your knees raised at a 90 degree angle and your lower back pressed gently down on the mat. Keeping your chin off the chest, lift yourself up, contracting the abs and then lower down. Do two sets of 12 reps.
Reverse Curl
Works: The abs
Lie on your back, and lift and bend your knees at 90 degree angle. Contract your abs to stabilise your torso, and bring your hips and knees towards your chest. Slowly return to the initial position. Do two sets of 12 reps.
Oblique Curl
Lie on your back with legs extended and arms behind your head to support your neck. Contract abs and lift shoulders off the floor. Use your oblique muscles by attempting to bring the left shoulder towards the right knee; and then the right shoulder toward the left knee. The right and left leg accounts for one rep. Do two sets of 12 reps.
Back Extension
Lie on your stomach and place your hands on your lower back. Lift your upper body off the floor; keep your eyes on the floor and your chin in a relaxed position. Slowly return to your initial position. Do two sets of 12 reps.
Lessons in Yoga by Shameem Akhtar
(Yoga Exponent)
All yoga poses are indoor poses. Depending on your fitness, you may choose the intensity level. You can progress even from the scratch by repeating the number of times you do the poses or holding it for longer period of time. Both have a different but powerful impact. The former builds speed and power and the latter instils stamina, healing and endurance.
Ardha Ushtrsana (half camel pose): Sit on your heels. Place palms behind the hips, with fingers pointed towards the hips. Inhale, lifting hips off the heels. Push your hips forward with your palms and bend backwards, lifting your hips and chin high enough so there is a curve along the back. Hold the pose, as long as you are comfortable. Release, to settle hips back on heels. Relax with head down in front of the knees, palms beside the body.
Benefits: It opens the heart centre, releasing pent-up emotions, creates fearlessness, boosts immunity, tones the back and arms and controls respiratory problems.
Avoid: If having a weak neck.
Tolungulasana (the weighing scale pose): Sit in the lotus pose (padmasana). Form hands in chin mudra (tips of index fingers and thumbs touching each other) and place them on either knee. Lift your knees slowly. While doing this, your torso will start leaning backwards. Your torso and legs should be balanced on your buttocks. Close your eyes and hold this pose as long as you wish to while focusing on staying balanced. Those who cannot do the lotus pose, may sit in normal sitting pose (sukhasana). Use one hand to hold either of the foot in the locked pose, and tilt the knees up. The other hand may be held in the mudra, or just hold the knee. This latter variation is clearly not the ideal way, but is a suggestion for those who have not yet learned to do the lotus pose.
Benefits: It is deeply calming and improves concentration. It tones the legs, redirects the blood flow from legs to the digestive system and the brain, calming two of the most restless parts of our body, which are more prone to stress.
Prasarita Padottanasana (wide-legged forward bend): Stand with your feet a metre apart. Inhaling, raise arms above your head. Exhaling, lean forward slowly and place palms flat on the ground. Lift your head and push your hips back. Hold for 15-seconds initially, and then slowly increase duration in the final pose to half a minute or more.
Note: Initially, most beginners will tilt forward and rest their weight on the hands. Ideally, if you push the hips back, the effort switches to the legs and hips to strengthen them, and the hands will only be there to maintain balance. This is where you should switch the effort so the toning happens in the right place, including the entire back.
Benefits: It tones the whole body. The pressure at the neck massages the thyroid and the parathyroid, helping manage metabolism and tissue health respectively. The upward tilt of the chin also activates a marma point at the chin which is anti-aging.
Santolanasana (balancing pose, easy version): Be on your knees and hands; palms flat on the floor and in line with the shoulders. While inhaling, lift your knees, bringing your body forward in a plank. Keep a grip on the floor with your toes, and keep the knees straight. It is important to keep your back in line with wrists, elbows and shoulders. Look ahead. If the balance is good, raise the right hand up in the air, hold for a few seconds and then shift sides.
Benefits: Works on the manipura chakra (navel centre)—our core. It makes the wrists strong, the spine perfectly aligned and tones the legs. It is a complete body workout.
