The Future Of Fitness : Boot Camp

Boot Camp style of fitness and exercise has been around for a long time, but given the upsurge of importance given to one’s health especially in today’s time, it is finally getting the attention it really deserves. Boot Camp fitness is an inspired form of military style fitness. It is not as rigorous and intimidating but it is serious fitness which results in some serious fat burn.

A typical boot camp fitness comprises of a group training indoors or outdoors and the workout is a mix of a high and low intensity workout. A typical boot camp regimen is a mix of intense and light bursts of strength and aerobic workouts beginning with cardio training, lifting weights, pushups, situps, squats, burpees, using body weight etc. It ends with some stretching exercises and yoga or pilates moves.

Boot Camp pushes you do give your 110 percent and brings a great amount of variety to the workout regimen. You might find it tough in the beginning but by the end of the workout, it makes you feel like you have accomplished the impossible. Also, it is human nature to compete with others, so the group training keeps you motivated and working out with driven people makes you test your boundaries too.

Enrolling in boot camp is a great change from the usual gym routine. It gives you something to look forward to when you are counting your sets, therefore it keeps you going. It is hard but effective.
Boot camp also makes you mentally strong and can act as a vent for your pent up stress or burn out. It is known to help people lose upto 5 kilos of weight in four weeks and maintain it. For someone who is looking to control their body weight in order to take control of their life, boot camp is the perfect solution.

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Boot camp is no cakewalk, once you have signed up you have got to stick to it before you see any results. And there is a good reason why boot camp is the talk of town - because it works, people. It works in ways more than one - it certainly helps in better body function and weight loss and more importantly in staying motivated through peer interaction. 

Boot Camp is for everyone however you are the best judge of the intensity upto which you can do a particular workout. In addition, it also depends on how good your trainer is. All you have to do is show up each day and meet your goal.

content source:
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/boot-camp-workout/art-20046363
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/boot-camp-fitness
http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/fitness-boot-camps-should-you-enlist?page=3

Haul Your Metabolism

Forget wonder foods, foods we consume everyday can immensely boost your metabolism. A fast metabolism aids in weight loss and better digestion even if you are not active. Good news is that even though your metabolism rate is hereditary, you can manage to accelerate it with help of foods in your kitchen.

Better metabolism means more energy, especially in the summer. So here goes:

1. Green Tea : Switch your brew of the day to hot or cold green tea. Pick your flavour and give your body the ‘pick me up’ it needs. Increasing your intake of green tea will ensure that your metabolism is going well and your food is better absorbed.

2. Melon : Summer is here and so is melon, honeydew and cantaloupe. These fruits are low in calories and hydrate the body.

3. Oatmeal : Oatmeal is such a food that can be added to almost anything and can be had in any form. Add it to your smoothie, homemade bread, breakfast cereal etc and satisfy your body’s need for fibre. More fibre means better digestion which in turn is a sign of good metabolism.

4. Spinach : Popeye, the sailor man, was so active and strong because his metabolism did not hold him back. He would have been just another guy with wonky arms if he didn’t digest his food as well as he did, thanks to spinach.

5. Fruits: In the summer season, you don’t need a reason to gorge on fruits. Given the heat, the body craves for a cooling and hydrating feeling that fruits can very well provide. Fruits such as strawberries, apples, oranges, raspberries and bananas are easily available so you have no excuses for being sluggish.

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6. Cold water: There’s no better time to load up that glass of water with ice cubes and keep yourself hydrated. Cold water forces the body to warm up so it can come back to its normal temperature, thus revving up the metabolism rate.

7. Ginger : Since it is summer season we are cautiously suggesting to consume ginger in any form you like. Ginger not only enhances the flavour of your food but aids in better metabolism. Having stir fry for dinner? Sprinkle a few extra ginger julienne on your plate and chomp away. And just in case you were wondering, ginger flavoured lozenge does not count.

8. Cucumber : We cannot get enough of cucumbers. Summer is synonymous with salads and sandwiches. Ssssssso… load up on cucumbers - they are fibrous, hydrating, cooling, crunchy and delicious. You don’t need more reasons.

Be sure not to over consume any particular food item lest it interferes with any health condition that you may have.

content source:
www.epicurious.com
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A Lazy Person’s Guide to Diet Hacks

We’ve all been there, done that. If a diet is not working for you, it won’t work for you next month or the month after that. The bottom line is that you are not a ‘diet person’. This leaves you with one choice that is to opt for some diet hacks that might actually work for you. There’s no harm in trying!

Food replacement hacks:

1. Opt for popcorn instead of potato chips especially on weekends when your limbs don’t function and your eyes are stuck to the television.

2. If you are craving for rich, oily food items like fries opt for milk, cheese or green leafy vegetables. Craving for oily food is your body’s way of telling you that you need calcium.

3. There’s no telling when you will get a sugar craving, so always keep in handy sweet alternatives such as raisins, fruits and dried fruit and nuts.

4. Bake for your health’s sake: Always go for food that is baked instead of cooked in oil or worse – fried. It may still be full of carbohydrates and fat but more nutritious and better for those taste buds.

5. Having salad for lunch? Great. Just top it off with extra virgin olive oil. Include olive oil in Mediterranean and continental diet as often as possible. Olive oil is a healthy fat and is well known for regulating good metabolism.

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6. Eat breakfast like a king: Oh if we had a rupee for every time we heard that… Just eat an awesome, wholesome breakfast, OK? Did you know that eating a heavy breakfast aids weight loss and reduces hunger pangs?

7. If you are a sportsperson and a sparkly sports drink is your holy grail product post workout, may we suggest carrying a bottle of fresh coconut water instead? Coconut water is cooling for the stomach, is low on sugar and more potassium than a sports drink.

8. There is nothing wrong in having a fruit juice – as long as it is a fresh fruit juice with fiber and all we will not sue you. But the second you grab a tetra pack sitting fancily on the supermarket shelf, the nutrition goes out the window. When God created fruit, he meant for it to be eaten as it is. So let’s just do that instead of passing it off as kitchen waste.

9. Include a side of salad with each meal even if it means chomping on four sticks of carrot or celery.

10. The most important diet hack is a simple one – make changes in your eating pattern one food at a time. If you are a foodie, a sudden and drastic change can be overwhelming and can make you more prone to go off of your diet as soon as you begin.

Hope these tip motivate you to get healthier and make more informed changes in your diet, if you are on one. Don’t hold back, just become more intelligent food wise.

Content source:
http://zenhabits.net/top-15-diet-hacks/
http://www.swansonvitamins.com/blog/natural-health-tips/food-replacement-hacks

Salute the Sun

Times are tough and fast-paced but health is valuable and fragile. Enter Suryanamaskar or Sun Salute – a yoga sequence that promises good overall health and flexibility. An ancient form of a complete body workout, suryanamaskar is popular in Western countries as well.

Suryanamaskar is a single mantra to fitness when you are in a time crunch. Who isn’t? You only need to do 12 sets of these 12 asanas or postures to keep your mind calm and body fit.

It is also believed that by doing suryanamaskar consistently over a period of time, one can lose and maintain their weight. Yoga unlike cardio or aerobics takes its time to show effects on the body. Hence a lot of patience is required while doing the asanas and like any other exercise it requires proper technique.

This workout comprises of the following twelve asanas: 

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1. Pranamasana

2. Hastauttanasana

3. Hasta Padasana

4. Ashwa Sanchalanasana

5. Dandasana

6. Ashtanga Namaskara

7. Bhujangasana

8. Parvatasana

9. Ashwa Sanchalanasana

10. Hasta Padasana

11. Hastauttanasana

12. Tadasana

You can begin the workout with either leg and repeat with the other. One round of suryanamaskar comprises of these exercises or asanas done twice, one with each leg in posture 4 and 9. 

With 12 asanas laid down, let’s go through 12 benefits of suryanamaskar and yoga in general:

1. It helps to lose weight

2. It lowers one’s stress levels

3. It makes the body flexibility making you less prone to muscle wear and tear

4. It lowers the blood pressure and sugar level in the blood

5. Yoga helps to cure back pains

6. Yoga lowers the risk of heart disease

7. When done in the morning, it helps to calm your nerves and give mental clarity

8. Yoga helps you relax and as a result sleep better at night

9. If you are an athlete, yoga improves your athletic performance

10. Yoga is beneficial even for the children as it helps to gain good body balance

11. Suryanamaskar targets almost every part of the body and releases tension in that part.

12. Suryanamaskar regulates the thyroid glands and keeps its activity normal.

Suryanamaskar, as the name suggests, is best done in the morning as it releases energy in your system that helps you get through the day with maximum productivity. One should do it on an empty stomach and if possible take a bath with cold water prior to doing the exercise. With time, you will feel your joints and muscles loosening up which might make you go faster. Try and go slow when you do yoga as it will allow you to enjoy each asana and revive your spirit.

Content source:
1. www.m.huffpost.com
2. www.ommmm.com
3. http://www.healthandyoga.com/html/news/surya.aspx
4. http://www.artofliving.org/in-en/yoga/yoga-poses/sun-salutation
5. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/fitness/Surya-Namaskar-12-Yoga-poses-for-weight-loss/articleshow/22326709.cms

A Busy Person’s Guide to Quick and Healthy Breakfast

The two words - quick breakfast is sweet music to one’s eats, especially on Monnday mornings. We bring you not only fast and easy but also healthy breakfast options that you can whip up in the matter of minutes or make ahead of time.

So let us plan your breakfast for the week – all you have to do is ensure that you have these ingredients in the pantry.

1. Breakfast muffins – Mix together two eggs, chopped capsicum, tomatoes, onions and cilantro. Add a dash of salt, pepper and paprika. Put into cupcake moulds and bake for 20 minutes until puffed up. Top with ketchup and eat them on the go. You can bake and freeze the cupcakes – heat and eat as needed. Until they bake you can use the time to get ready and make your to-do list. You can add leftover spinach, broccoli, sausages or potatoes as per your liking.

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2. Breakfast smoothie – Blend together roughly chopped spinach leaves, a whole apple (roughly chopped), half a cucumber with some ice cubes and a little water to a smoothie consistency. You can add some lemon or orange juice to add zing to the taste. Chug it down in a matter of seconds and you are set until lunch.

3. Pancake – Pancakes can make the world go around. Simply mix a cup of each ingredient – oats, whole wheat flour and milk. Add one egg, a tablespoon of sugar, a teaspoon of baking powder and a pinch of salt. Mix into a smooth batter and eat them fresh with plain honey and a glob of butter. The pancake batter minus the wet ingredients can be made the previous night and stored in the fridge.

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4. French toast – Got leftover bread or buns? Break an egg, add some milk and sugar and whisk well. Dunk the bread slices in the mixture and using oil or butter, cook evenly on both sides in a pan. You can use a waffle iron or a sandwich maker to make this quicker and crispier. Top the bread with maple syrup, honey or chocolate sauce.

5. Oats parantha – This recipe has been inspired from Chef Vikas Khanna’s version of oat-stuffed parantha. Roast plain oats in the pan with spices or dry herbs. Once they are brown in colour, add salt, paprika or red chili powder, chopped onion and cilantro or parsley and cook for a minute or two. Stuff this in a roti or flatbread and flatten it out. Roast it on a pan with butter (optional) and eat it with a bowl of cold yoghurt. The stuffing mixture of oats can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge.

6. Breakfast salami cups – Instead of the usual way to eating cold meats, why not bake them for breakfast? Place one slice of salami in each muffin or cupcake mould. Add one whisked egg, some cheese, a pinch of salt and pepper and a chopped green onion. Bake for 15 minutes or until done. Eat with ketchup or mustard. 

 www.recipe.com

content source:
1. http://juliasalbum.com/2015/02/breakfast-egg-muffins-with-bacon-and-spinach/
2. http://www.fitfoodie.in/recipe/paneer-paratha-saffola-masala-oats
3. http://foodgawker.com/post/2014/12/23/418865/