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Uncover Your Exercise Potential
Marla prided herself on her rigorous routine, running five miles
daily. When she reached her early thirties she started to feel
exhausted, couldn't sleep at night, and discovered that her skin was
showing signs of aging.
Marla was exercising too much for her health. After consulting an
ayurvedic physician, she started an exercise program that was more in
line with her Vata body type. Today she sleeps through the night and
has recovered her stamina, strength, and youthful skin.
Exercise has been an important part of the ayurvedic routine for
thousands of years before it became a modern fad. "Exercise gets rid
of heaviness and stiffness of the body because it burns ama
(digestive impurities) and creates more flexibility, lightness,
smoothness and
easiness," says Vaidya Rama Kant Mishra, director of product
development at Maharishi Ayurveda Products International.
Other benefits include enhanced firmness, endurance, and ability to
do work. It pacifies all three doshas and creates balance when
suitable for the body type and season. It enhances the digestion, and
if done properly, it dissolves impurities in the tissues. Exercise
enhances immunity and capacity for food. It banishes fatigue, stops
early aging, and retards weight gain.
Respect Your Limits
But too much exercise can be damaging. "Fatigue, lack of glow in the
skin and face, Pitta and Vata aggravation, and strain on the
respiratory and cardiovascular systems result from too much
exercise," says Vaidya Mishra. Modern research confirms that too much
exercise can create free radicals and damage the body. Excess free
radicals have been linked to over 80% of degenerative disease as well
as premature aging. "According to Maharishi Ayurveda, you should not
use more than 50 percent of your total capacity," says Vaidya
Mishra. "And that capacity depends on daily fluctuations of energy,
change of the seasons, age, and body type." This is the ayurvedic
principle of balaardh -- using half your capacity and conserving the
other half. Exercising beyond one's capacity can create imbalance in
mind and body, and do more harm than good from the ayurvedic
perspective.
Vata types need less exercise, so lighter activities such as walking
are best. Pitta types need moderate amounts, swimming and skiing, for
example, and Kapha types need more intense exercise, such as jogging
and aerobics, in order to stay in balance. The seasons follow another
pattern: if you want to increase your exercise, winter and spring are
the best times. In hot weather, you need to decrease exertion and
stay out of the hot sun. As for age, children have more capacity for
exercise and older people need less, although daily exercise is
essential at any age.
How do you know if you're doing the right amount of exercise? As long
as you feel energized and blissful, you are not going beyond what
your physiology can sustain. If you feel strained and exhausted,
you're doing too much. You can continue to exercise until you notice
one of the following two signs of overexertion:
1. Difficulty breathing through the nose. If you have to open your
mouth to gulp in air, that's a sign that your heart is overexerted,
the circulation system is taxed, and the coordination of heart and
lungs is disturbed. Stop immediately.
2. Sweating on forehead or tip of nose. It's fine to sweat elsewhere
in the body, but when you notice sweat in these two places, it's a
sign that you are overexerted and should stop.If you're not exerting
enough, you can exercise for a longer period or with more intensity.
You could start with a walk, but each day you could increase the
intensity of exercise (by walking faster). Or you could walk for a
longer time (increasing the duration). Start out slowly and gradually
increase the intensity and time. Stop when you note signs of
overexertion.
Yoga asanas are the ideal form of exercise for all body types and
ages, because they balance the three doshas, tone the muscles, and
rejuvenate all the organs in the body. Pranayam, or breathing
exercises, are also good for restoring balance to mind and body. You
can take a course at a Maharishi Vedic Center to find out how to do
them properly.
Increase Your Stamina
To increase endurance, eat more sweet, juicy fruits, and more
proteins such as milk, paneer (a fresh cheese), soaked almonds and
cashews. Make sure your bowel movements are regular, and if not,
incorporate more cooked prunes, figs and raisins in your diet.
Exercise every day, as part of your regular daily routine. If
possible, exercise in the morning before 10:00, as your body has more
strength, stamina, and coordination during the Kapha time of day.
Exercising at this time also energizes you, preparing you for the day
ahead. Exercising in the late evening or towards bedtime is not
recommended, as it can elevate body temperatures and disrupt sleep
rhythms. A light walk in the evening is fine. Also avoid exercise
from 10a.m. to 2p.m., the Pitta time of day when the digestive fires
are burning high and it is time to eat the main meal of the day.
It's not a good idea to exercise on a full stomach, nor is it good to
exert yourself if your stomach is empty. Wait about two hours after a
full meal. Have a light snack of fruit juice, a cooked apple, or some
kind of soupy, warming food before exercising and eat your full
breakfast afterwards.
Note : This ayurvedic information is educational and is not intended
to replace standard medical care or advice.
Copyright MAPI, 2002.
For more information on Ayurveda or to subscribe to free newsletters,
plaese visit http://www.mapi.com
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