Fit n' Fab

I am a working woman in my early 30s. I have been diagnosed with endometriosis. I wish to lead an active life. Are there any exercises that can help my condition? — Lavanya V

Women with endometriosis often experience period pain, pelvic pain, ovulation pain, painful sex, painful urination, pain with bowel movements, and nerve pain. And hence it’s important to keep the body moving to allow the muscles to lengthen and to remove soreness.

To begin with, be aware of your breath. Diaphragmatic breathing (inhaling through your nose and filling the stomach with air, exhaling through the mouth and releasing all the air from the stomach) will help reduce the pain. Exercises like hip bridges, hip flexors, glute and groin stretch will help. You can end your workout with child’s pose.

I am in my late teens. I am bored of hitting the gym. I have heard a lot about kick-boxing. What are the things that I need to keep in mind while taking up the sport? — Pia

If you are bored of the gym, hitting group fitness is a great idea. Try different kinds of workout with workout buddies, and a healthy competition can be a lot of fun. Kick-boxing is an amazing sport. It’s a good format for cardiovascular and muscular endurance and teaches you self-defence. Pick a class that focusses on technique, as compromising on technique could cause injuries.

I am a senior citizen — 65 years young. I underwent an angioplasty last year. I have been advised by my doctors to take things slow. But I wish to remain active. Can you suggest some low impact exercises that I can perform easily? — KP

Your cardiologist is right, you have to take things slow, but you can certainly do a few things to be active. You can start with three days a week of walking and gradually increase it to five days.

For aerobic exercise, ensure you get a go-ahead from your doctor on what your maximum heart rate should be, and keep it light. Begin with walking, brisk walking, cycling and gradually add jogging or yoga. For weight lifting, you can do it twice a week, keep your weights light and maybe more reps.

I am a college student and because of constant sitting and a sedentary lifestyle, I have gained almost 12 kg (my weight is 93 kg). I don’t look fat because I am 5 ft 10, but now things are getting out of hand. Can you suggest a fitness routine for me? — Aryan Raghuram

You are young and getting into shape will be easy-peasy if you are willing to put in some hard work and discipline. Join a fitness centre and if you are one of those people who gets bored with the gym, go for group fitness that has the perfect mix of cardio and strength and flexibility. Do workouts like strength and conditioning, boxing, yoga and sports conditioning. If you can’t join a gym, start playing your favourite sport or running.

--

A fitness expert at Curefit, Shwetambari Shetty specialises in zumba, cross-fit, functional and kettlebell exercises.