It has been a journey of 3 years since i started yoga. Now it has become a part of my lifestyle. Even if i miss it one day i feel something is missing. Yoga has taught me a lot. Most importantly it has taught me to be patient and calm. It has taught me to face difficult situations with patience.Yoga has made me into a person full of positivity.Before i started yoga i used to think its all about postures and flexibility but as time passed i realised its also about knowing your inner self. It teaches you to synchronise your mind with body. Yoga instills in you self awareness which is very important to be successful in life.

Devoting some time of your day in doing something productive for yourself is very important. When i started i had problem adjusting with time but once you start it becomes a part of you. So learn to manage your time in a way that you don’t ignore your inner self.

When you spend hours behind a computer screen day after a day, your posture naturally takes a hit. While it may not always be possible to remain conscious about how you’re sitting, there are certain exercises that you can do that will ease the strain on your back, neck and shoulders.

Seated cat and cow pose

This is especially for those who suffer from lower back ache. The best part? You don’t have to on on all fours to do it.

• Start by sitting on the edge of the chair and ensure your feet are flat on the floor and place your hands on your knees.

• As you inhale, lift your chest and stick your hips out behind you so that there is a curve in your spine.

• Next, look towards the ceiling, broaden your shoulders and squeeze shoulder blades together.

• When you exhale, start rounding your chest, pull your navel towards you and curl your tailbone while gently dropping your head towards your chest. Repeat this about 10 to 15 times.

Twist your torso

This exercise allows your upper body to release tension and barely takes any time.

• Cross your right leg over the left and place your opposite elbow on the top of the thigh, close to the knee but not on it.

• Make sure your back is erect and slowly twist it so that you can look over your shoulder. Remember to take deep breaths while twisting.

• Hold the pose for 15 seconds and repeat it on the other side.

Toe raises

Want to tone your calves while you’re busy brainstorming for that presentation? Try some toe raises.

• Stand behind your chair and put your hands on the top of the back of the chair. Make sure your shoulders are tucked in and slowly stand on your toes.

• Consciously squeeze your legs and buttocks so that they become hard and hold on for 10 seconds. Repeat the exercise 10 to 15 times.

Leg lifts

Apart from working your legs, this exercise is great for your lower abdominal muscles as well.

• Sit straight in your chair and hold the sides so that your arms are straight. Make sure your legs are well rested, with your feet firmly in front of you.

• Slowly raise the right leg in front of you and start pointing and flexing your toes. Do this about 10 times.

• Lower your leg and repeat the same pattern with the other leg. Complete at least five sets.

Side bends

This will stretch your sides and shoulders, and ease the stress in your neck.

• Sit straight and place your feet slightly apart. Place your right palm near your left ankle and twist your torso so that you are looking towards the ceiling.

• Hold the pose for 10 seconds and repeat it on the other side. Five to seven sets are enough to open up your shoulders and sides.

Fat burns while you stand

When you sit, your body’s metabolism goes for a toss. As against this, just standing can turn the tables for you. Studies show that when you stand, your body starts burning fat, which it was storing when you were sitting. “The enzymes in blood vessels of muscles responsible for fat burning are shut off within hours of not standing,” Professor Marc Hamilton, of the University of Missouri, said.

Prevents diseases

A study published in the European Heart Journal showed that standing has multiples benefits, such as it improves one’s cholesterol, controls blood sugar and fat levels, and improved the good cholesterol levels. The study that involved 800 participants, showed that by standing for two extra hours every day, participants reduced their blood sugar levels by 2 per cent and fat levels by a whopping 11 per cent.

Why standing burns calories?

If you are wondering why would a task as simple as standing burn calories, it is because when you stand, you exercise your muscles in your legs, abdomen and butt. This expends more energy than sitting.

Standing vs walking

Now, if you think that standing can do justice to your day’s walking schedule and replace it, that’s not true. Though standing definitely is a better habit than sitting, walking is better than standing. For an average adult, standing would burn about 190 calories in an hour while sitting would only burn 130 and would also contribute to fat storage. On the other hand, walking can burn up to 320 calories in the same time. However, walking may not always be possible for you, but standing mostly is.

How many times do you get up from your seat?

If you have a job that involves you to sit, it is recommended that for every 30 minutes of sitting, you must stand for 10 minutes. So, let’s say you have an eight-hour shift, it would require you to stand 16 times every day.

What can you do?

If you want to incorporate standing more in your everyday life and replace sitting with it, you can try the following:

– Look for a standing desk in your office and spend at least two hours of your shift while standing.

– Walk and talk. If you are on conference calls, just get a headset and stand. It will be even better if you loiter around while you take the call.

– Watch TV while you stand. Though it may sound like a bad idea, it is a good way to make your body burn more while the mind is elsewhere.

– Get a wearable device that will remind you to stand more.

1. Foods that contain almost zero-calories!

2. Apple

This is one of the best negative-calorie fruit to have when hunger strikes. It is full of dietary fibre and when eaten along with its skin on, it provides you ample amount of nutrition while even relieving you of constipation. A medium apple contains only 95 calories and keeps you full for a longer period. Because of high pectin levels (a type of soluble fibre), apples are known to aid in weight loss process.

3. Broccoli

Full of antioxidants and fibre, broccoli comes in the category of super foods for diet-watchers. It’s high in water-content and has almost no fat at all. You will be surprised to know that 1 cup of broccoli has only 31 calories that are almost negligible for those trying to lose weight. Apart from providing nutrition, broccoli also keeps you full for long and thus helping you stay off junk food.

4. Carrot

This vegetable is super-rich in vitamins and minerals and have only 41 calories per 100 grams. You can have carrot juice daily or mix it with other low-calorie foods for a healthy morning. You can gorge on a carrot as a snack and even steam it to get more benefits.

5. Watermelon

Watermelon is known to be a fruit with the highest water-content in it, which makes it a superfood that can-do wonders for weight loss. Exceptionally juicy and refreshing, it just has 30 calories per 100 grams and can be eaten anytime. It not only aids in weight loss but improves the insulin sensitivity and lowers your blood pressure levels.

6. Zucchini

Zucchini has been gaining popularity ever since its inception and is recommended for weight loss process. With zero fats in it, zucchini is rich in potassium and water-content that makes it very healthy for people on a diet. Also, the phytonutrients present in it helps your body in regulating the bowel movements. Zucchini also has pectin fibre in it that protects you from diabetes.

7. Grapefruit

It’s a fruit known to be extremely low in calories and a powerhouse of vitamin C. Grapefruit has immunity-boosting capabilities while it’s low cholesterol levels makes it easy for people who are dieting to lose some weight.

8. Celery

Ranking number 1 in the category of negative-calorie foods, celery has just 16 calories per 100 grams. It’s quite rich in vitamins and minerals, and the high water-content in it makes you feel hydrated that is the key to weight-loss. Also, celery is known to be a fibre-rich food that helps in digestion while proving to be a metal in making you feel full for longer.

9. Tomato

Extremely juicy and a rich source of dietary fibre, tomatoes are known to lower your cholesterol levels, which in turn helps in weight-loss. Also, tomatoes lower the water retention of your body while reducing stomach-inflammation. Tomatoes contain a protein called leptin that regulates your appetite along with increasing the metabolic rate, which is essential to lose those extra kilos.

10. Lettuce

This is one vegetable that should top the chart of negative-calorie foods, as it has just 6 calories per 100 grams. Not many people know about the nutrition lettuce has! It’s exceptionally rich in dietary fibre, vitamin B, and folic acid that can help you in your weight loss process. So, the next time you are thinking of a stomach-filling dish, make a salad using lots and lots of lettuce leaves with veggies like carrot and broccoli.

11. Cucumber

This amazing food is rich in electrolytes and is full of vitamins and minerals, which makes it good for hydration. It’s one of the best sought-after food for weight-loss and keeps you cool as well in summers.

1) Enhances concentration: Power yoga is known to improve the ability to concentrate in human beings and also sharpen their memories. After a quick power yoga session, the mind is in a relaxed state, which in turn, allows the brain to function at a lightning speed and give undivided attention to the things that matter.

2) Flexibility on fleek: Although most exercises help in increasing our body flexibility, power yoga, because of the aerobatic energy it exudes, takes our flexibility game to the next level.

3) Yoga pose correction: Since it is fast-paced and filled with energy, power yoga is a great way to correct one’s traditional yoga poses. So if you have been doing it wrong all this while, you know what to do to makes things right.

4) Power to endure: There is always a limit to what our minds and bodies can endure. And, if you want to push your boundaries (physically and otherwise), incorporate power yoga into your daily routine.

5) Makes you sleep well: Contrary to popular belief, power yoga can be really intense and is a perfect blend of stretching (for the body) and relaxation (for the mind), which helps people in getting proper sleep at night.

Just take a single look at the washboard body of this fitness expert and you know this guy practices what he preaches. California-based Guru Mann is definitely one of the most versatile fitness professionals across the globe. He is a YouTube star with over 1.2 million subscribers and an Instagram influencer with almost 7 lakh followers. We caught him for a quick chit chat about his fitness routine and the chiseled man has spilled the beans about his diet and fitness schedule.

Tell us about your diet routine in detail.

I don’t have a fixed diet. I keep changing it because healthy diet gets boring if you don’t keep variety. However, this is what it mostly looks like:

Breakfast – Smoothie, oats, quinoa, boiled eggs or omelette

Snack – Greek yoghurt with apples, peanuts, cinnamon or seeds. This is also good for travelling.

Lunch – Chicken, fish, tofu, paneer, I rotate these four types of protein sources, along with rice with potato or sweet potato and beans for fiber.

Snacks – Pancakes made of whey protein or crushed oats. I add nuts and seeds etc.

Pre-workout – Few boiled eggs, apple, banana

Post-workout – Protein shake and after half an hour, a few bananas

Dinner – I usually take what I did not take in lunch.

Two hours before bed – Peanut butter, sandwich

Half an hour before sleep: Milk or drinks as it gets digest easily

You mentioned 4 types of protein which you rotate. What are they?

There are four kinds of protein sources:

Seafood, like fish

Animal-based, like chicken

Plant-based, like tofu

Milk-based, like paneer

These four have different types of amino profiles, so they fulfill all your body’s protein requirements and they also ensure variety.

Top three vegetarian sources of protein

First, Greek yoghurt – It has two parts protein for every one part carbohydrates.

Second, paneer – Good source of fats and protein

Third, tofu

Many vegetarians consider legumes as good sources of protein. However, in truth, they are only secondary sources of protein and primary sources of carbohydrates. One should not just depend on legumes to fulfill their protein requirement.

Even broccoli is a good option but you will have to consume a lot of it to fulfill the requirement. However, in many cases still, people are not able to meet their requirement and it’s okay to add supplements if they want to.

Three diet blunders people commit

Oil, sugar and salt. All these three things are in excess in Indian food. Excessive oil leads to cholesterol, excessive salt leads to high blood pressure and excessive sugar leads to diabetes.

Artificial replacements are equally bad, so one should try to cut these down as much as possible and adjust his taste accordingly by giving his brain less dosages.

Do you follow a diet routine in terms of macronutrients?

I take carbs in breakfast and maybe, till lunch but try to avoid them post 4. It is good to take complex carbohydrates as your breakfast because they fuel you for the day. Proteins and fats are essential nutrients so they can be had the entire day.

What does your fitness routine look like?

I change my fitness routine every week. I train all my muscles in one week. I take Saturday off and work out on Sunday but that Sunday routine is usually different, like swimming or hiking. One must try to use all the fancy isolation machines they may have in their gym because when you follow the same routine for a long time, your body hits a plateau.

Four most common myths about diet

First would be starving to lose weight. People stop eating to lose weight but it is definitely not right and has really negative impact on one’s health.

Second, people believing in not eating banana and egg together as it may lead to death. It is not true.

Third, people believing in not consuming fish and milk together. It is okay until you have a skin allergy.

Fourth, people believing in not having water while standing. All athletes drink water while standing. This is absolutely a myth. Look at the water coolers or taps we have. They are made in such a way that one can only have water while one stands. I haven’t seen anyone have any repercussions from drinking water while standing.

Two most common myths around fitness

First, that women should not weight train. They will not have biceps like men because women have more of estrogen while men have more of testosterone. So, women’s body’s will only get more toned and tight if they weight train.

Second, spot reduction. It is not possible. When you lose fat, it happens through your entire body. Your diet impacts your entire body because the nutrients get transmitted to your entire body through the blood. So, its benefits or harms are also equally distributed. One cannot lose weight just in their thighs or face.

Three diet and fitness tips for everyone

Eat in every three hours. Even an apple can suffice as a meal. Have frequent meals throughout the day and it is applicable to all age groups and to people who exercise or don’t.

Fat has 2.5 more calories than carbs or proteins. So, know this before you make your choices and avoid fatty foods to cut down on your calories.

Exercising two to three times a week is very important. You can do zumba, cardio, swimming, dancing, yoga, weight training or combination of all. You just need to sweat and raise your heart rate. Exercise for at least three and up to seven hours a week.

This is how frequent and long your workouts should be

We bet you know someone in your close circle who, in their effort to lose weight or tone up (or even bulk up), has worked out multiple times during the day. Talk about leveraging your gym membership! They do it for maximum gains but does that really work?

For starters, working out too much, without proper nourishment (and nutrition) can only deteriorate one’s health. So how does one know the ideal duration and frequency of their work out?

Dangers of exercising too much

Too much of anything is bad for health and exercise is no different. Excessive workout can lead to insomnia, depression, mood swings, fatigue and loss of appetite. Estrogen production can also increase in women due to over exercising. Mental illness and eating disorders are also common in people who work out excessively.

If you are training for an event

While preparing for a marathon or some other athletic activity people are asked to practice for extra hours. These are exceptional cases and to avoid fatigue during this time, it is important to continue refueling yourself with enough carbs and electrolytes before, after and while working out.

The ideal time

Your ideal workouts should not be more than 30-90 minutes long and should not be done for more than four to five days in a week. Though this may be different for different people as your workout depends on your goals, abilities, likes, dislikes and many more things.

Training five times a week is considered ideal, but with a busy life and time constraints, not many people are able to follow it. And three is the minimum number of times one should work out in a week in order to achieve their fitness goals.

Weight loss

The three pillars of any fitness goal are sleep, nutrition and training. One needs to optimize and consider each and every aspect of these three in order to achieve their weight loss goals.

We all love food but we also like to keep fit and healthy at the same time. Going From 50 to 60 kilos and coming back to 50 was a journey indeed. Though it required blood, sweat and lot of hard-work, each shedding kilo kept me motivated and determined to achieve the target weight. I joined yoga which at first seemed like a task but quickly converted into a passion. Each week I used to set a new target and directed myself towards achieving it. No work is hard if you have the right zeal and right energy.

Yoga not only helped me in losing weight but also instilled in me strength, self confidence, power and helped in building higher stamina and immunity. It kept me moving, made me happier and full of life.

Yoga is also a source of meditation. Once you start enjoying the programme, your soul feels a sense of enlightenment. It extracts the stress out of your body and replaces it with new level of positive energies which keeps your mind fresh throughout the day.

I strongly recommend you all to join Yoga not just for weight loss but to keep your body positive, healthy and strong. Today, I can see a massive change in both my external and internal body. Yoga is indeed a fitness programme embraced with immense benefits.