8 Crazy Body Connections Explained

A strange machine that our body is, each part is connected to the other in ways that we can’t imagine. We know too much drinking can damage our liver or too much smoking can damage our lungs, but how would you feel if we told you that the length of your index finger could actually reveal your penis size? Crazy but true, here are eight body connections you should know that just might save your life.

Know About Your Brain From Your Eyes 

According to a study in Psychological Science, the vessels behind your eyes are capable of revealing the health of your brain. Keep the veins in check, as those with wider veins show lesser IQ.

Know About Your BP From Your Skin 

Sagging skin and wrinkles are a worry from the past. Healthy skin also means that your blood pressure is under control and hence, your heart is in perfect condition. Journals of Gerontology show that cardiac disease risk is related to the youthfulness of your skin.

Know About Your Height From Your Voice

Man-voice, baritone, soft-spoken—somehow all these qualities instantly make us visualise tall men. Research shows that it is actually possible to determine the relative height of people just by hearing them talk. The sound produced in the lower airway of the lungs tends to get lower as one’s height increases.

Know About Penis Size From Your Hand 

We know you have been waiting for this since the start of the article. Well here’s the news: According to a 2011 Korean research, men whose index fingers are shorter than their ring fingers tend to have bigger penises. Go ahead and check yours; no one’s watching!

Know About Your Mind From Your Teeth

Your pristine pearls are also the mirror to your ability to remember and forget things. Nothing has been proven as such with regard to chomping yet, but researchers say that either mental decline can lead to poor dental care, or difficulty in chewing can impact your brain.

Know About Your Erection From Your Legs 

Restless leg syndrome is a common problem among us men. But before you start ignoring it, you better know that it could affect your stick directly. Men who have jimmy legs are 50 per cent more likely to develop erectile dysfunction than guys without fidgety legs. The reason could be low levels of the feel-good chemical dopamine.

Know About Your Eyes From Your Sleep 

We might blame our sedentary lifestyle and a 1000 other things for lack of sleep, but it’s high time you don’t turn a blind eye to it. People with sleep apnea are twice as likely to develop an eye disease that can lead to blindness, glaucoma. Restlessness during sleep means you are not breathing at a normal rate. That leads to loss of oxygen, damaging the optic nerves and causing glaucoma.

Know About Your Memory From Your Lips 

Yes, lips don’t lie! Chapped lips and cold sores could put you at an increased risk for Alzheimer’s or dementia. Research shows that those who are exposed to more virus are likely to have worse cognition.

Top 5 Exercises that can be Done at Home

We understand that you have an extremely busy schedule. We also understand that there is not a good gym where you live or maybe you don’t really like going to one. So we tell about the top 5 exercises which can be easily done at home. No excuses now!

Here are 5 great exercises that you can do at home, without the need for any equipment:

Push-ups

This is one of the most useful exercises that can be easily done at home. If done correctly it can rev up your stamina and build your pecs and triceps.
How to do it: Lie face down with your palms on the floor about shoulder width apart from each other. Push your whole body up with your back and legs in a straight line and then lower yourself back down towards the floor. To strengthen your chest more place your arms wider apart. To strengthen your triceps and back more, move your arms closer together.
Muscles involved: Chest muscles and triceps

Pull-Ups

This exercise doesn’t require any kind of equipment or the presence of a gym trainer. The only thing you need to ensure is doing it at least twice a week. Pull-ups are regarded as the most basic of training exercises that help to maximize your gains for the back, neck and arms. You can find a horizontal pole in or around your house. You can even install a small bar in your garage. This is a very affordable addition and will last for a long time. Just ensure that the bar is smooth and straight. This exercise should be done for the maximum amount of reps—you keep doing it until you reach the stage of muscle fatigue and cannot lift yourself, again.

Sit-ups

This is another great exercise to do in the house and can be done almost everywhere. This can help in the strengthening of the hip flexors and abdominal muscles.
How to do it: Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Cross your arms across your chest and raise your body up to try and meet your knees. This can cause strain on the back, so if you have a weak back it may be better to do a crunch instead.
Muscles involved: Abdominal muscles and back muscles

Jumping on the Spot

This might sound a bit silly but it’s a great workout and is used to get the heart pumping and build stamina. This can also build your leg muscles.
How to do it: Literally just jump up and down raising your whole body off the ground by at least 5-6 inch or more.
Muscles involved: Calf muscles and thigh muscles

Squats

It is another easy but very useful exercise for your thighs and buttocks. It helps to shape your buttocks, strengthen thighs and build stamina.
How to do it: Stand up straight , bend your knees with your arms stretched outright parallel to the floor. Bend until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
Muscles involved: Thigh muscles and buttocks muscles.

Crunches

We have seen everybody trying their hand at abdominal crunches but few have the patience and the stamina to stick to crunching. Among the many exercises that help you build muscular mass in and around the waist, crunches are deemed most effective. Yes, you need to combine some cardio like running to lose the flab but defining the abs or simply flattening the stomach is best achieved by crunching. This can be done on alternate days.

Back Extension

Back extension is a strength training exercise. It is done for strengthening lower back muscles.
How to do it: Lie face down with your arms at your side. Slowly lift your head toward the ceiling and look up as far as you can go. You can extend this by lifting your legs and your head up as far as you can and hold for 5 seconds and release.
Muscles involved: Stomach muscles and Back muscles.

Daily Yoga for Abs

When it comes to having the perfect body, no workout technique is more effective than yoga.
While it can be used to achieve ideal health, yoga can also aid in sculpting the abs perfectly. Here are some yoga postures to help you achieve the perfect body you dream of. All you need is a yoga mat to get you started.

1. Hand and Knees Balance

The following posture tests core strengths, builds muscular mass, improves balance while building your abs at the same time.
a. Step One
Rest your body on all fours, with your hands placed directly under your shoulders and your knees resting directly underneath your hips.
b. Step Two
Extend your right leg out and keep it straight on the floor.
c. Step Three
Lift your right leg to the same height as your hips. Keep them in the same alignment as before.
d. Step Four
Lift your left arm to the shoulder level and keep it outstretched.
e. Step Five
Balance your body weight on the right arm and left leg and keep your spine straight. Hold this position for 10 counts.
f. Step Six
Exhale as you return to your starting position. Rest for 5 counts and repeat the posture with the other leg.

2. Downward-Facing Dog Pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana)

This posture is great for building resistance in the abdominal muscles, along with strengthening the spine.
a. Step One
Rest your body on all fours, with your hands underneath your shoulders and knees aligned under the hips.
b. Step Two
Keep your hands and feet on the ground and push your hips outward, keeping your feet straight.
c. Step Three
Balance your weight on the forearms and fingers and keep your head hung low.
d. Step Four
Balance your weight in such a way that the bulk is removed from the arms, thereby reducing muscular strain.
e. Step Five
Keep your legs as straight as possible and your heels flat on the floor.
f. Step Six
Exhale as you relax your posture and gradually sink to your starting position. Rest for 5 counts and repeat.

3. Plank Pose (Vashisthasana)

This yoga posture can be continued from the Downward-Facing Dog pose discussed earlier. This enhances resistance in the abdominal muscles and also improves the strength in the arms and shoulders.
a. Step One
Having assumed the Downward Facing Dog Pose, adjust your body weight such that your arms are directly below your shoulders.
b. Step Two
Lower your hips till your torso is in a straight line with the legs.
c. Step Three
Distribute the weight among your toes and hands such that you can comfortably rest in this position without straining your limbs.
d. Step Four
Keep your neck in the same line with the rest of your body and hold this position for 10 counts.
e. Step Five
Exhale and relax your posture gradually to lie on your stomach, on the mat.

4. The Boat Pose (Navasana)

This posture is excellent in building abdominal core strengths and creating greater muscular resistance among the legs, hamstrings and spine.
a. Step One
Sit on the floor with your spine straight, your legs parted and outstretched in front of you.
b. Step Two
Gradually bring the legs up to a 45 degree angle keeping them straight at the joints, all the way.
c. Step Three
Let the torso fall back as you raise your legs, but take care not to bend your spine. The resultant position will be a ‘V’ shape.
d. Step Four
Stretch your arms out in a straight line in front of you, perfectly aligned with the shoulders.
e. Step Five
Balance your weight on your pelvic bones for as long as you can. Try your best not to let the assumed position collapse. Hold this posture for 10 counts, while you inhale and exhale at an optimum pace.
f. Step Six
Exhale as you gradually lower your hands and feet on the ground, letting your torso relax. Rest for 5 counts and repeat.

5. Hand to Foot Pose (Padahastasana)

This posture renders spinal flexibility and muscular strength along with incredible abdominal toning.
a. Step One
Stand straight with your arms touching your ears and stretched outward.
b. Step Two
As you inhale, gradually lower your torso and hands, to touch your toes. Take care not to bend your feet or knees during this process. Keep your legs straight and distribute the body weight over the balls of your feet.
c. Step Three
Bend as low as you can, in your attempt to touch the toes. The ideal position would have your palm flat against the floor and your torso as low as possible.
d. Step Four
Lower your head as close to the knees as possible.
e. Step Five
Exhale as you release your muscular grip and gradually rise to your starting position. Lower your hands to the sides of your body and relax for 5 counts before you begin again. The key to master this posture is in holding the position for as long as you can. You can initially retain this position for a few counts and gradually work up the duration to a minute.

6. Half-Wheel Pose (Ardha Chakrasana)

This posture is extremely helpful in completely stretching the abdominal and spinal muscles and can be performed as the great precursor to the Hand-to-Foot Pose.
a. Step One
Stand straight on the mat, with your arms extended above your head.
b. Step Two
While inhaling deeply, gradually bend backwards with your arms still outstretched and you fingers interlocked.
c. Step Three
As you feel the tension in your ribs, bend as far backwards as possible forming an arch with your spine.
d. Step Four
Hold this position for 5 counts and return to your starting position.
e. Step Five
Once you are back to your starting position, lower your arms and let your body relax. Rest for 10 counts and repeat.
By performing the suggested postures regularly, you will be able to have the physique you’ve always dreamed of.

How to Include Yoga in Daily Life

In our hectic life, it is not always possible to schedule time for working out, let alone practice yoga.
Though there can be no replacement for the complete session, you can easily include some of the following postures in your daily life. Read on!

1. Yoga at Office

Who says that you cannot squeeze in some time for yoga, in the midst of a busy workday? The following exercise can be easily done at one’s desk.

The Warrior Pose
This exercise corrects the spinal posture and helps relax the upper body. Here are the steps for the same:




i. Step One
Stretch out your arms, with the fingers pointing outward.
ii. Step Two
With your right foot forward, take a step in the outward direction bending your knee and keeping your left foot straight.
iii. Step Three
Hold this position for 10 seconds while you breathe in a slow rhythmic manner, keeping your upper body at rest.
iv. Step Four
Switch sides and repeat this posture with the other foot.

2. Yoga while Cooking

While you saute your tomatoes and wait for the eggs to boil, you can perform this exercise with ease.

Pranayam (Breathing Exercise)
This exercise propounds the ancient way of breathing appropriately, through the diaphragm instead of the stomach. It improves circulation and concentration. Some yoga experts believe that, regular practicing can help one lose weight and cure heart ailments as well.



i. Step One
Put your thumb on your left nostril.
ii. Step Two
Inhale as deeply as you can and hold the air in for some time. When you inhale, your belly should feel tension.
iii. Step Three
When you have to exhale, switch your thumb to block the left nostril and breathe out through the right. When exhaling, your belly should feel relaxed.
iv. Step Four
Repeat this process for half an hour.

3. Yoga while Bathing

You can perform the following exercise while taking a shower. The calming influence of water will enhance the healing effects of this posture.

Neck Exercise
This exercise brings about an agile flexibility in the neck and facilitates proper spinal health. Performing this regularly will keep chances of incurring spondylitis away.

i. Step One

Keep your body upright and chin relaxed to perform this exercise.
ii. Step Two
Inhale while lowering your neck, as far as possible, gradually lifting it to its starting position.
iii. Step Three
Exhale having reached the neutral position.
iv. Step Four
While inhaling slowly, tilt your head to the right. Exhale and return to the neutral position.
v. Step Five
Try this posture for the back and left in the similar way. Having completed all four rounds, rotate your head slowly in the clockwise direction once.
vi. Step Six
While you bring your head to the neutral position, breathe slowly.
vii. Step Seven
Rotate your head in the counter-clockwise direction, while breathing in the manner explained above.
By following the suggested exercises, you will be able to partake of the benefits of yoga, without actually having to perform lengthy workout routines.

Yoga for Back Pain

Incorrect sitting and sleeping postures, erratic working hours and insufficient
nutrition has resulted in a number of people especially the youth suffering from back pain. Simple yoga postures can be an answer to these issues.

Tadasana

Performing this asana is known to relax the muscles of your neck, arms, shoulders and also stretches the spine. You can begin with standing with your feet kept at a considerable distance from each other. Inhale while you lift your arms in the upward direction. Slowly the palms must be brought together over the head. Stay in this position for a few seconds and then come back to your original position.

Matsyasana

This posture is primarily aimed at the cervical vertebrae and also relaxes you of the stiffness in the neck. You can begin with lying down on your back and simply inhaling. Now tilt your head in the backward direction to form an arch. The crown of the head should touch the floor. You can make use of your forearms and elbow to help you form and stay put in the posture. Breathe normally and hold on to the position for a few minutes.

Shalabhasana

Shalabhasana is a posture that facilitates the relaxation of the tension in the nerves. Lie on the floor on your abdomen and place the arms at the side while your chin will touch the ground. You must keep your heels and toes together. Lift your legs above the floor and inhale. By applying pressure on your fists you can perform this asana in a better manner. Stay in the position for a couple of seconds and exhale.

Bitilasana

This asana is considered to be a warm up pose for the spine. You may start this asana by forming a table like position. Your eyes must face the ground and knees below your hips. Now inhale and lift yourself upwards with your head facing forward. Hold yourself for a few seconds and then exhale back to your neutral position.

Halasana

The asana not only helps in reducing the pain in your back but also nourishes the spinal cord. You may begin performing the asana by lying on your back. Slowly raise your legs in the backward direction and touch the ground. The toes must be above the ground while the palms flat on the floor.

Taking care of your delicate back is extremely important. Support these yoga asanas with nutritious and healthy food to stay away from back problems in the long run.

Office Workout: Exercises you can do at Work

We live in busy times. Things move at a rapid pace. Most of your time is eaten up in your office.
You are worried about a lot of other things: health, family, friends and what not but you can't find time for them. For example, we know how hard you try to incorporate gymming into your daily life but there's no time during the weekdays and you're exhausted during the weekends.
Now since you can't take out the time to hit the gym, you should do something that the gym comes to you. This can help you remain in good shape even while staying inside the office. But yes, you would need to take out at least 15-20 minutes from your office hours. The best time do this would be during the lunch hour or you can come to office a bit early. You can go to a cabin, close the door and get started. Don't let your co-workers bother you and don't bother yourself what they think about the entire thing. Once they see the difference your regular lunch workouts are making to your body, they may just start doing the workout as well.
Now let's check out these workouts:

One-foot Travelling Push-up

By this exercise you work the upper body and add more punch to your standard push-up. This should be done in the centre of the area you are in. Start with a standard push-up position, lift one foot up off the floor and cross it over the other. From, there bring yourself done and finish the push-up. Once this rep is over, move your arm as far sideways as you can, then repeat the process with one hand. Stop once again, this time crossing the other leg behind the supporting leg and perform your second push-up.
Go for 10-12 reps per set, doing 2 sets per workout.

Wall Squat Hold

This exercise is very good for building led endurance. You will need an empty wall for this. Lower yourself down into the squat position. Once your knees are at a 90-degree angle with the lower back pressed into the wall, hold for 30-60 seconds. Take same rest and then repeat two or three times.

Single Leg Squat

This is also very good for building strength, balance and agility. Get into a standing position in the centre of your office. Lift one leg up by at least two feet. From this position, begin to squat all the way down. Your butt should almost touch the ground but your hands should not touch the floor. When you reach the bottom, pause for a second and then press up using your quad, hamstring and glute strength to drive the movement.
Aim for 5-10 reps per leg, and then switch sides and repeat.

Alternating Leg Lift Planks

This is one is amazing for targeting the hamstrings, the glutes and the abs. First, get down into a standard plank position. Your legs should be extended and your back should be flat. Lift one leg off the ground, hold for 10-15 seconds, and then repeat on the other side.
Try doing 3-4 rounds, doing 2-3 sets per session.

Tricep Dips with Legs Elevated

Tricep dips are meant to target the back of the arms and when you do it with your legs raised off the floor (and then positioned on the chair), you only make it more challenging.
This is how it works: Place your hands on the edge of an office chair, table or desk (they should be steady) and keep your feet up in front of you. The body and legs should be perpendicular to each other. From this position, carefully bend at your elbows to bring your body down to the maximum possible extent, pause for a second and then press back up to complete one rep.
15-20 reps per set, doing 2-3 sets per session are recommended for this one.

Smart Ways to Workout on Workdays

A hectic workday can make you forget your daily workout.
But what if you snuck in exercise into your workday.
MensXP tells you how.

Plan the Workday Workout

First, figure out a realistic amount of time you want to be working out. Unless you have an office gym (and time to burn), you can't really consider high intensity exercises. Rather, think in term of minutes you spend in physical activity.
But before rushing off to exercise, remember to do a few long stretches in your cubicle, or some private place you have to yourself.
Figure out the time slots you have to yourself, or ways to schedule some off time for yourself. This can even include conducting 1-on-1 meeting while taking a walk around the office.

Use the Office Commute for Killing Calories

If your office is nearby, or there's a safe route, consider cycling to work. Otherwise get off the bus a few stops before the office and walk the rest of the distance.
If you are one of the early-to-office types, consider parking at a distance from your office and walking the rest of the distance. You can also use the spare time to take the stairs. For out-of-shape, couch potatoes, slowly increase the number of stairs every 10-14 days.

Fitness: Not Just a Desk Job

Stretch! Our lazy lifestyles have made the use of muscles redundant, but unused muscles atrophy. Avoid stiffness and immobility by stretching - you'll be in form for a real workout when you have the time.
Till then, squeeze a stress ball to strengthen your keyboard-tired fingers, and do bicep curls with anything heavy enough (telephone directories included!).
Route your calls to your Wi-fi headset and address them while walking around, and go to a nearby park with your lunch instead of eating in front of your computer.

Business Trip

Don't binge on company-sponsored booze. Instead, indulge yourself with the range of fitness equipment and facilities (including spas!) at the hotel.

Busted! 7 Most Common Fitness Myths

The definition and idea of fitness is often misunderstood by people and their minds are ingrained with numerous myths about the same.
Read through the article to know the most common fitness myths.

1. Pain Factor

Most people believe that if the workout regime you are following doesn’t cause pain it indicates ineffectiveness. However one must be aware of the fact that if a certain part of your body is in pain you have injured it in the process. Do not overdo your exercises just to feel the pain.

2. Dieting

Drastically reducing your calorie consumption is not the best way to keep fit. It would rather be inert to be cutting down your diet without any professional advice. Breaking down your meals and reducing fat intake should be your method to achieve your target.

3. Equipment

There are many who believe that the better equipment you use, the fitter you can get. However, it is important to bear in mind that simple exercises, yoga or even a walk can contribute the same way as a heavy workout with posh equipments would.

4. Weight Lifting

People assume that picking up heavy weights while working out can make them look bulky. However, one must remember that the bulkiness of the body is related to the testosterone levels, which is about 30 times more in men than women.

5. Time Factor

Some people live under the misconception that exercising for longer hours can give better results. Exercising regularly for a considerable amount of time can show the results on your body in some way or the other. Any form of exercise immediately has a positive effect on your heart and improves the strength of your body.

6. Selective Workout

A popular belief held by many is that you can concentrate on the part of your body that you wish to reduce the fat from. However this seems to be an impossible task. Experts recommend performing full body workouts that ensure fitness for the entire body.

7. Empty stomach workout

In the frenzy of losing weight rapidly, people work out on an empty stomach. However experts recommend that the body requires a certain amount of glucose to work with. If the glucose in your body is used up, it starts burning the muscle. It is best to eat a quick snack before beginning your daily workout.
Taking expert advice and planning your daily workout regime can prove to be highly effective and aid the weight loss target you have set for yourself.

3 Simple Exercises For A Flat Tummy

No injury, no exhaustion – just three simple exercises that will tone those ab muscles into perfection, if supplemented with 20-minute brisk walks everyday.

1. Bicycle crunch

Lie down with your back pressed onto the floor. Bring your hands behind your head. Starting with your legs bent at a 45-degree angle, bring the right knee into the chest while straightening out your left leg. At the same time, rotate your top half so your left elbow goes to your right knee, then switch to the other side. Repeat for one minute, three times a day.

2. The boat

Sit on the floor, with your knees bent and feet flat and tilt back, extending your legs so your body forms a right angle. Pull your abs in to balance. Extend your arms at shoulder height past your knees. Hold for five slow breaths and return to your starting position. Repeat five times a day.

3. The plank

Lie face down then lift yourself up on to your toes and forearms, with your elbows bent at 90 degrees. Keeping your core muscles -— your stomach and bottom — tight and your legs straight, hold for 10 seconds. Repeat three times a day, gradually building to 40 seconds each.

The Hidden Benefits of Regular Exercise

Don’t we all aspire to have the perfect body, the good looks and the suave demeanor? In order to achieve this we religiously work out, follow strict diets and try to stay away from things that might distract us from achieving our goal of staying fit and healthy. We are so engrossed in looking at the bigger picture of having the perfect body that sometimes we overlook some of the benefits that daily exercise provides us with.

Stronger Immune System 

Ever wondered why you are not as susceptible to cold and flu as your colleague who is sneezing and coughing all the time? It is because you are consistent in your exercise routine. Exercise elevates your level of immunoglobulin, which are proteins that help bolster your immune system and ward off infection. This is the reason why you have a stronger immune system than your colleague’s. Exercise not only helps your immune system fight off simple bacterial and viral infections, it decreases your chances of developing heart disease, osteoporosis, and cancer. However, don’t overdo it as it may reduce your white blood cells and increase the presence of stress-related hormones.

Higher Self-Esteem

Consistent, daily exercise will greatly enhance your self-esteem and mental outlook while reducing stress. It releases pent-up, nervous, energy that would otherwise fester within your psyche. Furthermore, the chemicals released by the pituitary gland during vigorous exercise, endorphins, improve one’s mood, making you feel happier and more relaxed. You may also feel better about your appearance and yourself when you exercise regularly, which can boost your confidence.

Energy Boost 

You have a lot of work to do and don’t know how you are going to survive your work deadlines and pressures? Don’t worry; your daily exercise regime has taken care of your problems. Regular physical activity can improve your muscle strength and boost your endurance. Exercise and physical activity deliver oxygen and nutrients to your tissues and help your cardiovascular system work more efficiently. Thus, exercising will help you combat the weariness and give you greater energy throughout the day.

Glowing Skin

If you have been exercising regularly, you would have noticed that your skin looks radiant after an exhaustive workout. This is because exercise gets the blood flowing, and that increased blood flow carries more oxygen to the skin. The boost in blood flow and oxygen to the skin cells also carries nutrients that improve skin health. Exercise also reduces stress which is a cause of acne. Thus, make exercise your secret skin care ingredient for a younger, healthier and smoother complexion. However, remember to gently wash your face post a rigorous workout.

The key is to find what exercise you enjoy, stick with it, and reap the ongoing benefits of sticking to a regular workout routine.

5 Reasons Why Cycling Boosts Weight Loss

What we started as kids could be the biggest life-changer if you pay more heed. Shedding pounds or overall fitness, spinning those pedals provides a fat-scorching workout that’s actually fun to do.
MensXP brings you the motivation as well as the justification why you should hop on your bike and hit the roads instantly after reading this. Here are five reasons why cycling boosts weight loss: eight easy ways to get leaner by bike.

It Produces More Ways to Burn Fat

In order to burn fat, you need the fatty acids to shuttle from your body’s storage into your working muscles. That is enhanced by the endurance training you do on a bicycle, as the levels of fatty-acid-binding proteins and fat-carrying enzymes increase. The idea is to use more oxygen to burn more fat, and that can be done only when you get fitter.

It Strengthens Your Body's Biggest Muscles

In order to increase your fat-burning ability, you need to build lean muscle tissue in your lower body, especially in your legs and glutes. Cycling does exactly the same—it uses all the biggest muscles in your body—your quads, hamstrings, hip muscles, and glutes.

It Won’t Wear Your Joints Out

Whether you’re sweating it out at the gym or lifting heavy weights at home, you’re bound to strain your joints in some way or the other. Fortunately, bicycling is a non-impact exercise, which means there’s no jarring on your joints. Even if you are overweight, you will do good to your body by biking your way to weight loss.

It Trains Your Muscles to Burn More Fat

Cycling builds hundreds of thousands of capillaries in your legs, which means you can deliver more oxygen-rich blood to your working muscles. When the mitochondria (the fat-burning furnaces in muscle cells) get bigger, they use the raised influx of oxygen to burn more fat and produce more energy.

It Increases Your Daily Calorie Burn

Here’s the final good news: cycling also increases your daily calorie burn while you’re out there turning the pedals. Even at a recreational pace of 13 to 15 miles per hour, you burn 500 to 600 calories in one hour. If you ride just an hour every day, you can burn up to 4000 calories per weak. If you are not convinced, here’s a small example: an hour of walking burns just 150 to 250 calories, while jogging only burns between 350 and 450 calories.

Cycling Vs. Running - Which Is Healthier?

Any type of exercise will help you burn calories and improve your cardiovascular health. The easy accessibility of cycling and running make these two activities very popular. However, people often ask which of the two is healthier. Here are some of the points that will help you decide which activity suits you better.

Weight Loss

If your main aim is to lose all those extra kilos and get back into shape, then running should be your obvious option. Running will give you a more intense workout in less time compared to cycling, as you are just sitting down on your bike, after all. At 755 calories per hour, a 5-mph run more than doubles the energy expenditure of a leisurely cycle ride, which burns just 364 calories per hour for a 90-kg man. Also, the calories burned in both these activities will depend on the weight of the man.

Wear And Tear

Cycling is less jarring to the body compared to running. It is more comfortable and as long as you don't fall off the cycle or crash into someone, your body doesn't go through any major wear and tear. However, running certainly stresses weight-bearing joints. Your knees support up to seven times your weight while running. It leads to muscle soreness and damage. Running won't cause arthritis of the knees, but it may hasten or worsen the condition, once it has started.

Seeking Pleasure

You may enjoy running but it requires a lot of stamina and is painful after a certain point of time. Cycling is sustained stamina training and you can go on for a longer time. If you are someone who loves speed and adventure, then you should choose cycling over running. For overweight people, running could frequently cause pain in the knees, ankles and back, making the exercise less enjoyable and cumbersome. Thus, these people should start with cycling and then go on to running once they have built their stamina.

Health Benefits

Both cycling and running have equal health benefits. Running is one of the best ways to give your heart muscle an effective workout. By running regularly you can improve blood circulation, and reduce the risk of a heart attack, high blood pressure and stroke. It also helps you build a stronger immune system. Cycling is a non-weight bearing activity and regular cycling leads to improved muscle strength and improved mobility and coordination. It reduces the risk of diabetes and cancer. They both help in reducing anxiety, depression and stress.

The Final Verdict

Cycling and Running both have their set of pros and cons. You should pick one on the basis of which activity suits your body type and what your final fitness goal is.

Indian Diet for Diabetes

In a country where it has been estimated that around 40 million people are affected with one or the other form of diabetes, Indians have a lot to worry about.
When it comes to a condition like diabetes, there’s plenty of information available and that is a cause of worry too. The question remains, what suits you best? To know that, it is important to first analyze the type of diabetes you are suffering from.

There are only two well-known types of diabetes, one is non insulin dependent (NIDDM) or Type-II Diabetes, and the other is insulin-dependent (IDDM) or Type-I Diabetes. One of the factors that differentiate the two types is the diet a person would need to essentially follow. Indian food habits being such crucial aspects of a lifestyle, it becomes imperative to determine the perfect diet to be followed by individuals suffering from respective types of diabetes.

What to Watch out for

While determining the diet for a diabetic, it is important to consider complications like high blood pressure or cholesterol that they may be prone to. As the doctor would advise, a simple and balanced diet, in adherence to the person’s calorie requirement, works best.
High fibre foods like dalia, green vegetables, fruits such as apple, peach and guava are very good for diabetes. Food items low on fibre content but high on carbohydrate have to be removed and fatty foods are a complete no-no.

An Ideal Diet

Planning an entire day is another important part of a diabetic’s diet and that can be done with the help of the following chart, which takes care of the diabetes type.

Diet Chart for Type-I Diabetic

Breakfast: Boiled egg, corn flakes, brown bread toast, tea or coffee (no sugar)
Brunch: Fruits, juice (without sugar)
Lunch: Two chapattis, curry, veggies (seasonal and green), bitter gourd (karela), salad, raita
Evening Tea: Sandwich, toast, or baked snacks
Dinner: Two chapattis, dal, veggies (cabbage, capsicum), salad, sugar-free dessert

Diet Chart for Type-II diabetic

Breakfast: Toast, tea or coffee (without sugar), fruit, salted dalia
Lunch: Two chapattis, veggies (beans and other greens), dal (yellow, moong), raita and salad
(People can skip Brunch when they are Type-II diabetics)
Evening Tea: Snacks preferably salted, veg. or non-veg. soup
Dinner: Two chapattis made of mixed flour (wheat, gram and soya), veggies, cottage cheese (paneer), salad
To be able to follow the above charts, as per the respective diabetic type, may be the best Indian diet plan for diabetes. Whilst temptations are never very far away, with some or the other delicacy leaving its whiff around, a bit of strictness can go a long way!

Yoga for Diabetes

Diabetes is catching up fast as one of the deadliest diseases afflicting us.
With more and more people turning to alternative therapies for recovery, yoga is fast becoming a viable option for treating the same. Here are some quick postures to aid in eventual relief.

1. Downward Facing Dog Pose

Though fairly easy to perform, this posture offers benefits far beyond its simplistic implementation. It helps to alleviate hypertension and the effects of type 2 diabetes.
a. Step One
Stand on your knees and hands and slowly lift your hips up in the air, while you exhale sucking your stomach in.
b. Step Two
Keep your spine straight, hands outstretched, knees straightened and your palm as flat on the ground as possible.
c. Step Three
Let your head hang freely and keep your eyes at your navel.
d. Step Four
Hold this position for a couple of breaths and exhale as you relax into your starting position.

2. Big Toe Pose

One of the most basic yoga poses, this exercise aids in improving digestion and liver functioning. Since diabetes results mostly in renal failure, practicing this posture on a regular basis might improve chances of bypassing kidney-related diseases.
a. Step One
Stand with your feet apart, keeping your thigh muscles relaxed and gradually bend down to touch your toes, inhaling as you go.
b. Step Two
Take care to keep your hips in an upright position, your knees bent and your elbows folded. Place your index finger between the toes and hold this position for some time.
c. Step Three
Exhale as you begin to stand upright, releasing the tension in your spine and returning to your starting position.

3. Triangle Pose

This position is particularly helpful in strengthening the spinal column and the abdominal area, thereby promoting greater insulin production. Greater insulin levels result in a marked reduction of Type 2 diabetes.
a. Step One
Stand with your left foot in front of the right one. Make sure your knees are straight.
b. Step Two
Bend to touch your left foot with your left hand. Then slowly turn your torso in the diametrically opposite position, with your right hand reaching for the sky. If your balance is unstable, you can take the support of the wall.
c. Step Three
Hold this outstretched position for a couple of breaths and then slowly exhale and reach your relaxed position.

The all-encompassing power of yoga is enough to treat any disease. By following the suggested exercises, you will be able to reap great benefits in the long run.

Prevention of Diabetes

Diabetes is a condition in which the blood sugar or glucose present in the blood rises abnormally. This disease is caused when the pancreas do not produce enough insulin or the body stops responding to insulin.
Insulin is a hormone which is required for the absorption of glucose by the cells in the blood. It is best to observe some simple precautions to effectively curb this disease:

1. Get Some Exercise

A good physical workout can help you prevent diabetes in many ways. Regular exercise helps you maintain a healthy body mass index (BMI) and also lowers your blood sugar. Exercise can also increase the sensitivity towards insulin. Aerobics and resistance training are some of the exercises especially helpful in preventing diabetes.

2. Increase Your Fibre Intake

Foods with high fibre content like apples, bananas, nuts, seeds and beans can significantly cut down the risk of diabetes. Fibre rich foods can also help lose weight by giving you a feeling of fullness.

3. Cut Down on Sugar

Intake of junk food which is high on processed sugars, salt and fat should be kept to the minimum. Home-cooked meals rich in vegetables and whole grains can help you lead a healthy life.

4. Quit Smoking

The risk of developing diabetes is double in smokers than non-smokers. Quitting smoking will not only decrease your risk of diabetes, but of many other diseases as well.

5. Cut Down on Alcohol

Binging on alcohol can lead to increase in body weight as well as blood pressure and triglyceride levels. Limit your alcohol intake to a maximum of two drinks a day.

6. Balanced Diet

You can easily curb the risk of diabetes if you provide optimum nutrition to your body. A balanced diet is one of the classic and best ways to control your blood sugar and also your risk of diabetes.

7. Choose Good Fats

Polyunsaturated fats are regarded as good fats as they can help in lowering the risk of diabetes. These types of fats can be found in vegetable oils and oil from nuts and seeds.

8. Get Frequent Check-ups

Early detection of diabetes is one of the best ways to effectively prevent it from getting worse. Get your blood sugar levels tested every three months so that you can take extra precautions if chances of diabetes surface.

Type 2 diabetes is a result of sedentary lifestyle and a bad diet. If you follow a simplistic lifestyle which incorporates exercise and a balanced diet, then you can easily stay away from this disease.

Symptoms of Diabetes

Diabetes is a fairly common disease which involves abnormally high levels of sugar in the blood. This disease can last for the entire lifetime and may cause several other problems.
The only way to treat diabetes is early detection and appropriate precautions. Read on to know more about the various symptoms of diabetes.

1. Frequent Urination

If more often than not, you feel the urge to pee then there is a possibility that you may have diabetes. The spike of sugar levels in the blood increases its osmolality, which causes increased amount of fluids in bloodstream. As this puts more pressure on the kidney, it also causes it to create more urine and thus the person needs to urinate more frequently.

2. Excessive Thirst

A diabetic person may feel an unquenchable thirst at all times. As the body gets rid of its fluids rapidly, it needs more water to replenish the loss. Generally, excessive thirst and frequent urination in combination is a more definite indicator of diabetes.

3. Blurred Vision

A diabetic may experience blurred vision as high levels of glucose pulls fluid out of the blood and tissues, including the tissues in the eyes. This affects the ability of the eyes to focus properly. If diabetes goes untreated, it can lead to loss of vision and even blindness.

4. Loss of Weight

This is a more common symptom of type-1 diabetes. The body breaks down the fatty tissues for energy which can lead to weight loss as cells are not getting enough glucose.

5. Fatigue

As the body is not able to utilize sugar for its need of energy, a diabetic may experience fatigue and weakness. Cells become low on energy as they are not able to absorb the glucose present in the bloodstream without insulin.

6. Numbness in Hands

High levels of sugar in the blood can significantly damage the nervous system. If diabetes remains undetected for a long period, it can lead to symptoms such as a tingling sensation or loss of any feeling in the hands.

7. Bruises, Cuts Heal Slow

This is one of the most common signs in all diabetics. The ability of the immune system to function properly is compromised with high levels of sugar in the blood. The irregular water balance in the tissues also delays the healing of cuts and wounds.
The symptoms of diabetes can be many but none of them are conclusive. It is best to get your blood sugar levels checked every once in a while as symptoms of diabetes can stay hidden for a long time.

How to Prevent Daytime Sleepiness

You have so much work to be done, but well, you feel like taking a nap.
At the back of your head lurks that feeling that the nap will not remain just a “nap” once you doze off! Blame it on your poor sleeping habits, you have fallen prey to daytime sleepiness. Well, daytime sleepiness is fine, till the time it isn’t against your wishes. But once it gets in the way of your daily chores, it can be quite a menace.

The main reason for this sleep disorder is a set of poor sleeping habits . Lack of proper sleep during the night can make you feel all groggy and crabby in the morning which is primarily because your brain and your body have been deprived of the kind of rest they require. Hence, having a good night’s sleep is a critical component to avoid daytime sleepiness. Following are a few ways you can ensure good sleep in the night:

Get Adequate Sleep at Night

Regardless of how obvious it might sound, many people have a tendency to cut down their sleep in the morning or at night to do other things. Most adults need at least seven to eight hours of sleep, while teenagers need complete nine hours. So, block those hours for sleep every night.

Keep Distractions Away

Experts unequivocally state that your bed is a place to sleep or have sex. You shouldn’t read, watch TV, play video games or use laptops in bed. Doing your bills or having arguments in the bed might leave you sleepless in the night.

Avoid Drinking Just Before Hitting the Bed

People usually think that consuming alcohol just before hitting the bed helps them sleep better. But here’s a reality check: it robs you of deep and peaceful sleep which is essential for feeling well-rested and refreshed next day. Now, the effect of alcohol might wear out in a couple of hours in the night, but after that you’d probably be wide awake, unable to sleep, leaving you all groggy and tired the next day. Or you may even wake up with a terrible hangover in the morning.

Don’t Sleep Late in the Day

Dozing off late in the afternoon can make the usual daytime sleepiness worse as it interferes with your nighttime sleep. If you’ve had a good nap, you might not feel sleepy at the regular time in the night. You'll be ending up sleeping late in the night and then getting up late and feeling groggy throughout the day, and thus, turning your body clock upside down.

Set Consistent, Healthy Meal Times

Eating a healthy breakfast and lunch on time prevents energy deficits during the day that aggravate your sleepiness. Try to finish your meal two to three hours before the bed time.

A Guide to Push Ups

Pushups. They look incredibly easy, uncomplicated and almost childish when compared to arsenal of fitness machines and free weights at the gym.

Before the Push Up

Warm up with a bit of cardio; options include skipping rope, jumping jacks, jogging. The physically active can even combine a bit of the three. However, don’t wear yourself out in the warm up process in the zealous enthusiasm of fitness; the purpose here is to get blood pumping through your arms, chest and back, optimizing your ability to support your frame when you get down to it.

What is a push up?

Remember to exhale while raising your body, and pause a moment, and hold the push up pose before raising your body back to prone position. Keeping this rhythm of breathing enables optimum oxygen levels. And more oxygen means better workouts.

A Contingency Plan

Factoring in people who don’t have the shoulder/chest strength yet to perform a ‘proper’, sustained pushup, it is advisable to bend the knees so that they touch the floor during the push-up. This will create more surface area for the body to bear the weight.

Alternatively, beginners can also perform inclined pushups. This is an inclined push-up.

Alternatively, you can lean on a vertical surface (like a wall)

Why do pushups?

With regular push-ups over a long period of time, you can create massive changes in how your abs, triceps, shoulder and torso look. If the monotony of the basic pushup might get you thinking of it as just another exercise, try this. To work specifically on your chest, widen the position of your hands a bit further. For triceps, bring ‘em closer. See, with just two tiny changes in your stance, you emphasize two different muscle groups!

What to NOT do

With what seems a simple goal of ten pushups, you may have started optimistically. However, sometime near the seventh push up, when fatigue sets in, you might literally ‘compromise your stance’; by letting your elbow joints take the weight of your body when you rise up. Pushups are meant to exercise abs, triceps, shoulders and chest. Not elbow joints. It may seem ridiculous to even point it out, but a little detail like, if not rectified can cause seriously elbow damage. Another very popular mistake is to let the chest touch the ground when you descend. It may look cool, but it just takes away the weight from your arms.

Ditto for a desperate streak of making up for lost workout time. If, a 10 pushups a day guy misses 3 days of workout, and then decides to make up for it with 40 pushups when he gets the chance. Your body doesn’t work like that.
The holiday season seems a good excuse to chuck your fitness regime. But you can manage two minutes, cant you? Just two minutes of push-ups may seem tiny, but sometimes when we get lost, a baby step keeps us on track.

Fitness Log

Maintain a simple notebook logging down your warm-up exercise(s) & time, the number of pushups you did. Also, if you count calories, then remember that a push-up can burn up to one calorie. (mention how if you get dedicated, you can burn away your pint of beer, so stay tuned when we get advanced). And you can always use your jotted fitness stats with people who’ve been working at fitness for a while longer than you.

Stretch

Stretch your chest muscles by holding onto a wall, and then stretching away from it. Any other method by which you can feel a gentle stretch on the concerned muscles is appropriate. Just don’t overdo it - hold the stretch for a moment before coming back to original position.

Why you should have a personal accident cover policy?

You need a life insurance policy to cover the risk of death and a health insurance policy as a cushion against hospitalization expenses. While most readers are bound to be familiar with these essential covers, very few would have heard of the personal accident cover. Personal accident schemes cover the policyholder against death or disability due to an accident. All general insurance companies offer these policies, but it's very unlikely that an agent will try to sell you one. These low-priced policies are not very popular because the agent earns barely Rs 20-30 as commission from selling such a policy.

However, you should buy a personal accident policy because it plugs an important hole in your insurance portfolio. Firstly, it will provide financial support to the policyholder if he is disabled after an accident. Secondly, the magnitude of the mishap doesn't matter; even minor ones like falling off a bicycle and breaking an arm, or fracturing a leg while playing football are covered by the policy. If you thought term insurance policies were cheap, wait till you find out about the premium rates of a personal accident policy. For as little as Rs 225 a year, you can get a cover of Rs 5 lakh.

The daily cost works out to about 60 paise. However, this is the rate for a basic cover from a PSU insurer and will only cover death and permanent disability. If you want enhanced protection, you will have to shell out more (see graphic). Bundle it with other covers One way to get the agent interested is to buy it along with your health or motor insurance.

"Since agents get very low commissions, they usually try to bundle the personal accident cover with some other insurance product. However, this doesn't mean that you will pay a lower premium, though some companies may give you a discount," says Sanjay Datta, head of underwriting and claims, ICICI Lombard General Insurance. A basic personal accident cover against death and permanent total disability is already built into a motor insurance policy. You can enhance the cover by paying extra. PSU insurers offer a maximum cover of Rs 5 lakh under a personal accident plan.

Private insurance companies offer a higher cover and a wider range of benefits, but the premium rates are higher too. You can take a cover of up to 8 times your annual salary. Apart from the basic death and permanent disability cover, you can buy additional protection against partial and temporary disability, even loss of livelihood. "A personal accident policy covers the buyer against costs that can shatter him financially," says Subrahmanyam B, senior vice-president, health & commercial lines, Bharti AXA General Insurance.
Understand terms & conditions It's important to understand the terms and conditions clearly before you buy a policy. For example, hospitalisation benefit can be availed of only if the policyholder is admitted within seven days of the accident and is hospitalised for at least 24 hours. A fractured leg is a temporary disability, and if you have taken a cover against it, your policy will pay a weekly sum of Rs 5,000 for up to two years. However, this weekly cash benefit is paid only if you are unable to go to work and the payment starts only 60 days after the accident. One also has to submit proof, including a doctor's certificate for the disability that prevents one from attending work.

 



Also, be very clear about the definition of disability. When a Delhi-based policyholder lost his index finger in a car accident, the hospital gave him a certificate of 15% disability.
Yet, the life insurance company denied his claim because he had a cover against total disability. "The policy document defines the loss of hand as total disability. The loss of one digit, even though it was the index finger, was not covered," he says.

Permanent total disability is defined as total loss of sight in both eyes, or total loss of use, or dismemberment of both hands or legs, or one hand and one leg. Losing one eye is a permanent, but not total, disability. Ask the insurance company or agent to explain the exclusions clearly to you.
You may also have a group cover Most companies offer personal accident insurance to their employees through a group cover. However, this is a very basic cover and may not offer the benefits offered by a standalone policy.

"I recommend an individual policy only if one can afford it and if his company's cover is insufficient," says Jayant Pai, head, marketing, Parag Parikh Financial Advisory Services. You can also buy an accident cover with a rider along with a life insurance policy.

However, these riders come with strings attached and don't offer certain covers. "Since life insurance companies cannot offer anything but life cover, you will not be covered against other damages, such as hospitalisation expenses," says Sanjay Tiwari, vicepresident, strategy and product, HDFC Life. "Riders can never be as comprehensive as a standalone policy," he adds.