Ayurveda Article - Exercise Potential For All

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Uncover Your Exercise Potential

 

Marla prided herself on her rigorous routine, running five miles

daily. When she reached her early thirties she started to feel

exhausted, couldn't sleep at night, and discovered that her skin was

showing signs of aging.

Marla was exercising too much for her health. After consulting an

ayurvedic physician, she started an exercise program that was more in

line with her Vata body type. Today she sleeps through the night and

has recovered her stamina, strength, and youthful skin.

Exercise has been an important part of the ayurvedic routine for

thousands of years before it became a modern fad. "Exercise gets rid

of heaviness and stiffness of the body because it burns ama

(digestive impurities) and creates more flexibility, lightness,

smoothness and

easiness," says Vaidya Rama Kant Mishra, director of product

development at Maharishi Ayurveda Products International.

Other benefits include enhanced firmness, endurance, and ability to

do work. It pacifies all three doshas and creates balance when

suitable for the body type and season. It enhances the digestion, and

if done properly, it dissolves impurities in the tissues. Exercise

enhances immunity and capacity for food. It banishes fatigue, stops

early aging, and retards weight gain.

 

Respect Your Limits

 

But too much exercise can be damaging. "Fatigue, lack of glow in the

skin and face, Pitta and Vata aggravation, and strain on the

respiratory and cardiovascular systems result from too much

exercise," says Vaidya Mishra. Modern research confirms that too much

exercise can create free radicals and damage the body. Excess free

radicals have been linked to over 80% of degenerative disease as well

as premature aging. "According to Maharishi Ayurveda, you should not

use more than 50 percent of your total capacity," says Vaidya

Mishra. "And that capacity depends on daily fluctuations of energy,

change of the seasons, age, and body type." This is the ayurvedic

principle of balaardh -- using half your capacity and conserving the

other half. Exercising beyond one's capacity can create imbalance in

mind and body, and do more harm than good from the ayurvedic

perspective.

Vata types need less exercise, so lighter activities such as walking

are best. Pitta types need moderate amounts, swimming and skiing, for

example, and Kapha types need more intense exercise, such as jogging

and aerobics, in order to stay in balance. The seasons follow another

pattern: if you want to increase your exercise, winter and spring are

the best times. In hot weather, you need to decrease exertion and

stay out of the hot sun. As for age, children have more capacity for

exercise and older people need less, although daily exercise is

essential at any age.

How do you know if you're doing the right amount of exercise? As long

as you feel energized and blissful, you are not going beyond what

your physiology can sustain. If you feel strained and exhausted,

you're doing too much. You can continue to exercise until you notice

one of the following two signs of overexertion:

1. Difficulty breathing through the nose. If you have to open your

mouth to gulp in air, that's a sign that your heart is overexerted,

the circulation system is taxed, and the coordination of heart and

lungs is disturbed. Stop immediately.

2. Sweating on forehead or tip of nose. It's fine to sweat elsewhere

in the body, but when you notice sweat in these two places, it's a

sign that you are overexerted and should stop.If you're not exerting

enough, you can exercise for a longer period or with more intensity.

You could start with a walk, but each day you could increase the

intensity of exercise (by walking faster). Or you could walk for a

longer time (increasing the duration). Start out slowly and gradually

increase the intensity and time. Stop when you note signs of

overexertion.

Yoga asanas are the ideal form of exercise for all body types and

ages, because they balance the three doshas, tone the muscles, and

rejuvenate all the organs in the body. Pranayam, or breathing

exercises, are also good for restoring balance to mind and body. You

can take a course at a Maharishi Vedic Center to find out how to do

them properly.

 

Increase Your Stamina

 

To increase endurance, eat more sweet, juicy fruits, and more

proteins such as milk, paneer (a fresh cheese), soaked almonds and

cashews. Make sure your bowel movements are regular, and if not,

incorporate more cooked prunes, figs and raisins in your diet.

Exercise every day, as part of your regular daily routine. If

possible, exercise in the morning before 10:00, as your body has more

strength, stamina, and coordination during the Kapha time of day.

Exercising at this time also energizes you, preparing you for the day

ahead. Exercising in the late evening or towards bedtime is not

recommended, as it can elevate body temperatures and disrupt sleep

rhythms. A light walk in the evening is fine. Also avoid exercise

from 10a.m. to 2p.m., the Pitta time of day when the digestive fires

are burning high and it is time to eat the main meal of the day.

It's not a good idea to exercise on a full stomach, nor is it good to

exert yourself if your stomach is empty. Wait about two hours after a

full meal. Have a light snack of fruit juice, a cooked apple, or some

kind of soupy, warming food before exercising and eat your full

breakfast afterwards.

 

 

Note : This ayurvedic information is educational and is not intended

to replace standard medical care or advice.

Copyright MAPI, 2002.

 

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