Few tips to bring about weight loss as well as ensuring good health:

1. Eat plenty of vegetables, fruits, and grain products like wheat.

2. Increase the consumption of complex carbohydrates like whole wheat, millet (jowar) and barley
(bajra)
3. Restrict refined products such as flour (maida) and its products such as bread, noodles,
macaronis and pastas in regular diet
4. Restrict fat and cholesterol rich foods. Only non-vegetarian foods (like eggs and dairy products)
are good sources of cholesterol, however saturated fatty acids present in butter, ghee, vanaspati
and coconut get metabolised to cholesterol in our body
5. Reduce the amount of sugars consumed
6. Consume raw fruits and vegetables in form of salads and raitas in every meal. These provide
adequate vitamins, minerals and fibre. Fibre is essential as it aids in digestion, has an effective
role in managing obesity and cardiovascular problems
7. Limit salt intake
8. Have small portions of food at a time
9. Do not skip meals
10. Have regular meal timings
11. Do not eat while cooking and watching television
12. Drink plenty of water (6-8 glasses) in a day
13. Exercise regularly. Do brisk walking at least for 20-40 minutes in a day
The best exercises that are sustainable and safe to loose weight are aerobic exercises. Aerobic exercises
usually involve vigorous exercises sustained over a period of several minutes and their effect is to
increase the efficiency of the lungs, heart and blood circulation, which are collectively known as the
aerobic system. Short and sharp bursts of activity which rely on the body's reserves of oxygen do not
produce a similar improvement. Exercises should increase strength and mobility and also aid relaxation.
You can choose walking, swimming, bicycling as per your fitness level and increase gradually. You should
plan on 20-minute sessions at least 3 times per week. Gradual changes in eating habits will help
encourage a permanent lifestyle change. A slow weight loss of 1 or 2 pounds a week, until the desirable
body weight is reached, is best.

Exercise:
Exercise has been defined as a rhythmical activity for the purpose of improving fitness or health.
What are the different types of exercise?
Physical activity includes all forms of activity (occupational, recreational, or sports-related) performed
without the specific purpose of fitness or health.
Aerobic (e.g. walking, swimming)
Anaerobic (e.g. sprinting)

Isometric (e.g. lifting weights)

Resistance training involves providing some form of resistance to the contracting muscles to
stimulate the body for increased strength. Equipment used for resistance training takes multiple
forms, including hand weights, pulleys, hydraulic, elastic, rubber, fibreglass, and magnetic
equipment.

Strength or resistance training is very important to improve ones functionality and reduce the risk of
injury. As people age, the lean tissue (i.e. muscle) declines more from lack of use than from ageing itself.
Performing some type of resistance training on a regular basis is essential.
Safety Since the demand on the heart is generally less while strength training than when walking at a
moderate pace, resistance training is regarded as safe for patients with heart conditions. It is advisable
never to strain or hold breath in an attempt to lift something. Straining can adversely affect blood flow to
the heart.
What are the goals of exercise?
The goals of exercise are to:
The goals of exercise are to:
Improve oxygen delivery and metabolic processes

Build strength and endurance

Decrease body fat

Improve movement in joints and muscles

Improve sense of well-being.

Slows down ageing process.

Rules for exercises:

Do not eat for two hours before vigorous exercise

Drink plenty of fluids before, during, and after a workout

Adjust activity according to the weather and reduce it when fatigued or ill.

Be realistic in your goals.

Combine exercises with any pleasurable activity.

When exercising, one is advised to listen to the bodys warning symptoms, and consult a physician if
exercise induces chest pain, irregular heartbeat, undue fatigue, nausea, unexpected breathlessness, or
light-headedness.
Warm-Up and Cool-Down Period. Warming up and cooling down are important parts of any exercise
routine. They aid the body in making the transition from rest to activity and back again and can help
prevent soreness or injury, especially in older people.

Warm-up exercises should be practised for five to 10 minutes at the beginning of an exercise
session. Older people need a longer period to warm up their muscles. Low-level aerobic exercise,

such as walking briskly, swinging the arms, or jogging in place are the best

To cool down, one should walk slowly until the heart rate is 10 to 15 beats above resting rate.
Stopping too suddenly can sharply reduce blood pressure. This is a danger for older people, and
may also cause muscle cramping. Breathe deeply during the cool off phase.

Stretching is appropriate for the cooling down period, but not for warming up because it can injure
cold muscles. Particular exercises may require stretching specific muscles. For example, a jogger
or biker might emphasise stretching the hamstrings, calves, groin, and quadriceps, while
swimmers would focus on the groin, shoulders, and back. Stretching is best done when joints are
lose and flexible that is in the afternoons or evenings.

1. Aerobic (Endurance) training:

Aerobic exercises are those that require a steady supply of oxygen, to sustain the energy giving powers
of the muscles .An aerobic exercise is any activity performed for a minimum of 20 minutes maintaining a
heart rate between 70%-80% of maximum heart rate with chief energy sources being oxygen and body
fat.
Aerobic exercise is usually categorised as high or low impact.
Low to moderate impact exercises: such as walking, swimming, stair climbing, step classes, rowing,
and cross-country skiing. Nearly anyone in reasonable health can engage in some low to moderate
impact exercise. Brisk walking burns as many calories as jogging for the same distance and poses less
risk for injury to muscle and bone.
High impact exercises: such as running, dance exercise, tennis, squash etc. High-impact exercises
should be performed no more than every other day and less for those who are overweight, elderly, out of
condition, or have an injury or other medical problem that would preclude high-impact.
Benefits of aerobic exercise
Regular aerobic exercise provides the following benefits:
Builds endurance
Keeps the heart pumping at a steady and elevated rate for an extended period, boosts HDL (the
good) cholesterol levels, and helps control blood pressure

Strengthens the bones in the spine

Helps maintain normal weight.

Circuit Training: Circuit Training is one of the best forms of aerobic exercise .You need to choose that fits
your goal. For example, circuit training for endurance, weight loss, muscle building will be different Since
this includes a full body work out and uses all muscles, you will feel refreshed and less sore as this helps
the body to remove toxins which build up in the body after vigorous activity and your muscles recuperate
faster because of the increased blood flow.
2. Strength or Resistance training:
Types of muscle contractions: There are three types of muscle contractions involved in strength
training:
1. Isometric contractions. There is no change in the length of the muscle. For example, pushing
against a wall.

2. Concentric contractions. These movements shorten muscles (for example, the up phase of when
the bicep curls up while lifting weights).
3. Eccentric contractions. These movements lengthen muscles (the down phase as the weights are
lowered).
To build muscle strength, steadily increase the weight that a muscle resists. If you are in the middle age
group or old age group, take care, as there can be a sudden rise in the blood pressure due to
unaccustomed effort. Weight training is safe when properly supervised and controlled.
Benefits of strength exercise
While aerobic exercise increases endurance and helps the heart, it does not build upper body strength or
tone muscles. Strength-training exercises provide the following benefits:
Builds muscle strength while burning fat
Helps maintain bone density

Improves digestion

It appears to lower LDL (the bad) cholesterol levels

Improves neuromuscular coordination.

Increases flexibility and speed.

Increases utilization of glucose in the body and reduces the possibility of adult onset diabetes.

Beginners should always start with low weights irrespective of their goals. For fitness, use lightweights
and many repetitions. For bodybuilding, you need to use higher weights.
Breathe easily while lifting weights. Breathe out while lifting. Breathe in while bringing a weight back. Eat
sensibly. Take a meal within an hour of your workout. Take time to see a change in your body. Be
prepared for this. Each person takes a different time to get used to a particular exercise routine. So do not
compare and be discouraged.
3. Flexibility training (Stretching):
It is now recommended that one should perform stretching exercises for 10 to 12 minutes at least three
times a week. The following are some general guidelines:

When stretching, exhale and extend the muscles to the not pain, and hold for 20 to 60 seconds.
(Beginners may need to start with a 5 to 10 second stretch)
Breath evenly and constantly while holding the stretch

Inhale when returning to a relaxed position. (Holding ones breath defeats the purpose; it causes
muscle contraction and raises blood pressure.)

It is important when doing stretches that involve the back to relax the spine, to keep the lower
back flush with the mat, and to work only the muscles required for changing position, often only
the abdomen.

Avoid doing stretches the first thing in the morning. They are best done when the joints are loose
and flexible, that is in the afternoon or evening.

Benefits of flexibility training

Flexibility training uses stretching exercises for the following benefits:

Preventing cramps, stiffness, and injuries

Allowing a wider range of motion (i.e., the amount of movement a joint and muscle has)

Certain stretching exercises are particularly beneficial for the back

Specific exercise tips for older people:

Any elderly person should have a complete physical and medical examination and professional
instruction before starting an exercise programme.
For sedentary, old people one or more of the following programmes may be helpful and safe: low
impact aerobics, gait training, balance exercises, self-paced walking, and lower extremity
resistance training using elastic tubing or ankle weights.

Strength training assumes even more importance as one ages, because after the age of 30
everyone undergoes a slow process of muscular erosion. The effect can be reduced or even
reversed by adding resistance training to an exercise programme. As little as one day a week of
resistance training improves overall strength and agility. Strength training also improves heart and
blood vessel health and general well being.

Power training, which aims for the fastest rate at which a muscle or muscle group can perform
work, may be particularly helpful for older women in strengthening muscles and preventing falls.

Flexibility exercises promote healthy muscle growth and help reduce the stiffness and loss of
balance that accompanies ageing.