Fitness Tips For Women

Are you frustrated with the increasing size of your jeans? A woman’s jeans never lies and it reveals the harsh reality of them being unhealthy. It is essential for a woman to maintain good physical fitness in order to fight back the health conditions that they might face later on in life. With the kind of responsibilities that a woman needs to take up, it is very important for her to take care of her physical health because she cannot afford to move out of responsibilities due to an unfit body. 

Physical exercise is the best way to lose body fat because exercise gears up the metabolism and encourages the body to burn down extra calories. Physical exercise also keeps the heart rate under control and makes your lungs function to their maximum capacity. Therefore, it is important to indulge in a physical workout routine for a woman to look good, stay healthy and above all feel good about herself. Here are few effective tips presented to answer questions you might have in mind.

Effective Tips For Women Fitness

Understand Your Body

Understand your body type and find out which type of exercises your body is comfortable with and which type of exercises are proving to be effective on you. If while working out you experience any difficulty, cut down on the repetitions for some time and then try once more to check whether you face the same trouble. If you want to really stay fit and toned, you need to understand the requirements of your body first.

Don’t Get Disappointed

As per the advice of professionals, one should spend 20-60 minutes in the gym for about 3-5 days in a week. However, busy schedules may not always allow you to stick to the ideal routine. You should not fret if you see yourself not following a 3 or 5 day routine, or going for a jog every morning. All that matters is your commitment towards improving your fitness. This commitment can also be fulfilled working out only twice a week for 20 minutes. The goal should be to be on track, even if you move slowly on it.

Focus On Your Successes

We often get demotivated by our failures and lose our confidence in achieving a set goal. The rescue mantra here would be to concentrate on the milestones you have achieved and not on your failures. Focus on what you have done till date to achieve your goal irrespective of how much of it you have achieved. Praise yourself for the commitment you have made and for the hardwork you are putting in.

Put Weights Before Cardio

Change your routine if you start your fitness regime with cardio exercises and then follow it up with weight lifting. This is a mistake committed by almost all women. When you start with cardio exercises you might miss on a critical component of the routine, because you end up spending more time on cardio, concentrating less on other exercises. Reverse the order and perform the weight training first, to see a more positive outcome.

Don't Overdo

A one hour workout at a time is what an average woman requires in order to stay fit. If you spend too much of your time in the gym, repeating the same routine over extended periods of time, you might get end up getting bored and tiresome. Make your workout routine interesting and more efficient by focusing on the exercises you do.

Follow The Right Technique

When you are trying out some exercise, do it in the right way. Learn the technique thoroughly before you put it into practice. Knowing the techniques right will lower the risk of any injury, and will maximize the desired result. It is better to consult your trainer and seek help, instead of getting injured by doing an exercise incorrectly.

Stay Hydrated

Your exercise routine might cause dehydration, which will prove out to be negative for your health and fitness. Therefore, it is important for you to increase your water intake, while following a tedious workout regimen. It is advisable to at least consume 8 glasses of water every day.

Keep Your Heart Rate Under Check

A woman should workout at 75-80% of their maximum heart rate. If your heart rate is low, it implies that you are not working out to your full potential. While, on the other hand if your heart rate is too high, it will pose danger to your health. Therefore, it is advisable to keep your heart rate monitored. 

Diets For Nursing Mothers

A healthy diet is very necessary for each and every individual. And when the person is a new mom, it becomes all the more necessary to eat the right foods. Similar to the pregnancy period, a woman needs to have a nutritious diet after the birth of the child as well. This is because hormonal changes take place when the body first starts lactating. In such circumstances, a well balanced diet, which has a variety of nutrient-rich foods, is a must. Nursing mothers should lower the consumption of processed foods as well as the ones that are acidic or gas producing in nature. Given below is a list of foods, which nursing mothers should eat and avoid during the breastfeeding days.

Diet For A Breastfeeding Mother

Foods to Eat

• Cod Liver Oil
• Butter
• Eggs, preferably from pastured chicken
• Additional egg yolks daily, added to smoothies, salad dressings, scrambled eggs, and the like
• Fresh seafood, particularly wild salmon, shellfish and fish eggs
• Fresh beef or lamb
• Oily fish or lard daily, for vitamin D
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil daily, used in cooking or smoothies, etc
• Lacto-fermented condiments and beverages
• Bone broths, used in soups, stews and sauces
• Soaked whole grains
• Fresh vegetables and fruits
• Lime soda
• Fresh fruit juice 

Foods to Avoid

• Trans fatty acids (e.g., hydrogenated oils)
• Junk foods
• Commercial fried foods
• Sugar
• White flour
• Caffeine
• Alcohol
• Cigarettes
• Brewer's yeast
• Carbonated beverages
• Chocolate
• Gas-forming vegetables, such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, etc
• Oranges and orange juice
• Strawberries

Some Tips

A breastfeeding infant is completely dependent on his/her mother, for nutritional requirements. So, a nursing mother should make sure to consume a diet that is rich is all types of nutrients. In short, having a balanced diet is a must for her.  

In nursing mothers, a part of the water consumption is used for milk production, making it very necessary for them to increase their liquid intake. They should drink 2.5 to 3 quarts water in a day. However, the water consumption should not be excessive also, as it can reduce milk production.

The daily intake of calories needs to be somewhere around 2,500 calories. If you are planning to continue breast-feeding for more than three months, you may increase the intake to 2,800 calories per day, as well. However, make sure to consume healthy foods, for gaining these extra calories.

Rather than having three heavy meals in a day and having high-fat snacks in-between, spread your caloric intake over five meals - breakfast, noon snack, lunch, evening snack and dinner. Use them to consume water, low-fat dairy products and fruits also.

Say no tobacco and alcohol. Whatever you intake will go inside your child as well. If you cannot seem to control yourself, make sure to smoke at least one hour before your next feeding session and drink only after a feeding session is over.

What Is Jivamukti Yoga

Most of us have heard about how various saints from Gautam Buddha, St Francis of Asisi, Meerabai, and others attained salvations or Nirvana only when they left their mortal selves behind to enter into the cosmic world. Thus, we all began to associate salvation with death and saw physical existence as only the means to attain it. We never thought that we could ever attain salvation or be one with the Almighty when alive. 

On the other way, though most of us claim to know yoga, we all seem to think it is a means to get rid of diabetes and lose extra fat, thanks to the marketing strategies of many self-styled gurus. We tend to forget that the ultimate and main aim of yoga was to attain union with the Almighty. Since we seem to think we cannot do so while alive, we never even try to venture into that. That was when two Yoga practitioners from New York, David Life and Sharon Gannon, came up with the theory of ‘Jivamukti Yoga, which was supposed to help practitioners attain salvation while still alive. Here’s all you wanted to know about Jivamukti Yoga.

Jivamukti Yoga

What Does ‘Jivamukti’ Mean?

The term ‘Jivamukti’ comes from two Sanskrit words – ‘jiva’ meaning the physical existence and mukti meaning salvation. Together they mean attaining salvation and union with God even while one lives, which is the ultimate goal of Yoga. The Jivamukti style of Yoga was created by David Life and Sharon Gannon, two teachers of Asthanga Yoga teaching in New York, in 1986. They called this branch as Jivamukti so that it poses as a constant reminder to their students that the ultimate goal of someone who practices yoga is spiritual enlightenment and union with the Supreme Being. 

What Is The Principle Behind Jivamukti Yoga? 

The noted proponent of Iyengar Yoga, Dr BKS Iyengar once remarked without meditation, chanting, and breath control, all the poses of Yoga or Asanas are mere acrobatics. This is one of the foremost philosophy on which Jivamukti Yoga is based. It follows the principles listed below, which makes all the difference between mere physical exercise and bringing one’s physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, intellectual and psychological self closer to the Supreme Being.

Jivamukti Yoga focuses on the teachings of the Sanskrit Scriptures, ancient teachings that were written down by Patanjali and chanting of Sanskrit shlokas or couplets.

Devotion or bhakti is another tenet that is essential to this branch of Yoga. Every person who practices yoga regards God as the omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent being that resides in every being; they believe that every living being is the seat of God.

Non-violence or ahimsa, leading a compassionate lifestyle, emphasizing on ethical practice of vegetarianism and awareness about animal rights, are some other facets of Jivamukti Yoga. It also aims to spread awareness about the environmental and health problems that we shall face if we continue to eat a meat based diet. In fact, turning to a vegetarian diet is considered a way to incur good karma for the next incarnation.

Nada Yoga - one of the tenets of Jivamukti Yoga - emphasizes on the importance of listening to the sacred sounds of yoga like the chanting of the syllable ‘Aum’ and other shlokas and chanting.

Jivamukti Yoga lays stress on Dhyana or Meditation, which it believes is the ultimate way in which a human being can attain union with the Supreme Being. 

How Is It Relevant? 

Viewed from a modernist perspective, the Jivamukti Yoga combines each one of the branches of yoga to give the body as well as the mind a complete workout. It combines the traditional chanting and meditation as well as the more modern practice of vigorous yoga poses. A balanced program will include cardiovascular exercises, weight bearing exercises and flexibility training. Jivamukti Yoga also teaches breath control, meditation and chanting, which it emphasizes, is the surest way to attain union with the Supreme Being or the Paramaatman.

Sun Salutation Poses

The ‘Sun Salutation’ pose of the ‘Surya Namaskar’ is a series of poses that you will be adopting when practicing yoga. The origin of this pose can be traced back to the Veda’s - Hindu religious scriptures that defined a series of poses that were meant to praise the sun for its profitable effect on one’s health. The surya namaskar is a collection of a series of twelve poses that are designed to exercise the spine by having the person bend it back and forward. The ideal way to perform the poses also includes alternating the breathing between inhaling and exhaling. 

There are some other stipulations that need to be followed while performing the sun salutation, and one of them is that it should be done on an empty stomach. This  means that the exercises should be performed prior to eating or at least two hours after eating. The salutation has certain medical advantages, some of which include oxygenating the lungs, improving the digestive system and improving muscle flexibility. The ideology behind the poses is that it indicates ones complete surrender to God.

Sun Salutation Sequence

As mentioned earlier, there are twelve postures that are adopted, in a set sequence, to complete the poses meant for sun salutations.

Stand with your feet together and hands in the prayer position. Take a few deep breaths and then exhale. This is known as ‘pranamasana’ or the prayer pose.

As you inhale, stretch your hands above your head while holding the palms still together in the prayer position while and arching your back. This pose is known as ‘hasta uttanasana’ or the raised hands pose.

For the next pose you need to bend forward as you exhale. Keep bending over till you are able to place your hands next to your feet. Bend your knees if you feel the need to do so. This pose is known 'hastapaadasana' or the standing forward bend pose.

The fourth pose is the ‘aekpaadprasarnaasana’ or the equestrian pose. What you need to do here is to inhale and stretch your right leg back while you keep the leg and the spine in one straight line.

Once you are in the equestrian pose, exhale and bring the left foot back to place it next to the right foot. At this point you should be inhaling as you support you weight on your hands and feet while keeping your back straight and in line with your legs. This pose is called ‘dandasana’ or the four-limbed staffs pose.

‘Ashtanga namaskara’ or the salute with eight limbs is the next pose where you will lower you body as you exhale. This pose is similar to the pose you are in during the downward motion when doing pushups. Once in the pose, you will need to hold your breath and inhale as you transition to the next pose.

In the next pose, ‘bhujangasana’ or the cobra pose, you will raise your torso up, bending yourself back at the waist without raising your legs and inhaling all the way up.

‘Adho mukha svanasana’ or the downward facing dog pose is the next pose. Here you will exhale as you lift your hips up and push back. At the end of this motion you should have your hips raised and your head down at a lower position.

After the ‘adho mukha svanasana’ comes the ‘ashwa sanchalanasana’. This is where you return to the equestrian pose as you inhale.

The next pose will be the ‘uttanasana’ where you return your body to the pose of standing, while you bend forward at the waist and exhale.

‘Hasta uttanasana’ is the pose where you return your arms to the position where they are held together and raised above your head as you inhale.

The final pose is the return to the prayer pose or ‘pranamasana’. While returning to this pose you will need to exhale.

Once you have completed the first set of the twelve poses you need to repeat them with the left leg being stretched back first during the equestrian pose.

Bikram Yoga And Weight Loss

You’ve probably heard of Lady Gaga and Madonna investing their time in something called Bikram Yoga. It is a fact. But, what exactly does it do and how different is it from regular yoga? All these questions and more will be answered in this piece. Bikram Yoga is where the students are placed in a room for a period of 90 minutes. 

This room is thermally insulated at 1040C and has a humidity of 40%. During this time the pupils are asked to perform 26 different yoga poses. A big issue that arises when speaking of Bikram yoga is whether it leads to weight reduction. Either ways, there is a possibility of losing some pounds and there is no harm in checking it out! Hot yoga is most often confused with Bikram yoga. The two are similar; only that the latter has more restricted guidelines. To properly understand how Bikram yoga could aid in giving you more health benefits in the future, read the following section.

Weight Loss And Bikram Yoga

Weight loss in Bikram yoga is defined by a simple principle of – B.R.E.A.T.H.E where B stands for beliefs, R for regular yoga routine, E for eating habits, A for acceptance, T for throwing away embarrassments, H for hydration and finally E for excellence. To make it simpler, the above is explained to give you a general idea.

Beliefs

Anything works if you have faith. Weight loss can be achieved if you have a stern belief that balances your inner state as well. Another advantage of Bikram yoga is learning the art of patience and to eat healthy at the same time.

Regular Yoga Routine

If you faithfully follow the eating healthy and working out regime, then there will be specific changes in your body. Cravings will be eliminated and behavioral changes are also seen to affect your body positively. Breathing power and stress management automatically becomes easier. If stress decreases, then that is your ticket to weight loss (altered metabolism). Doing Bikram yoga thrice a week is a good start.

Eating Habits

Extra pounds are shed only if you stick to a healthy and balanced diet plan. Targeting low calories and low fat is a start. Stock up on complex carbohydrates such as brown bread, whole wheat pasta and sweet potatoes for energy.

Self Acceptance

Bikram yoga teaches you to love yourself and accept your nature. Doing so will boost your morale, confidence and emotional stability. This in turn will make you want a better body and losing that flab will be a simpler task!

Throw Away Embarrassments

If you want to attempt Bikram yoga, you will need the determination to overcome all the initial difficulties! So, take control of your weighing scales and don’t let it take control of you. Weight loss management is a slow and rewarding process. So, don’t be discomfited by your progress.

Hydration

Hydrating yourself with water and juices after a workout is very important. Water melts fat and calories and it is essential in breaking bonds. This form of yoga will be a wasted effort if you don’t drink enough water.

Excellence

Successful weight loss means excellence in Bikram yoga. You, therefore, will have to follow the right techniques and proper methods prescribed. If you do not do so, your body will fail to respond.

Benefits Of Bikram Yoga 

• Causes the body to sweat
• Detoxifies the body
• Increases the heart beat rate
• Burns extra calories 
• Hope this piece on Bikram yoga and weight loss has given you enough inspiration to opt for it.