Which Exercise For Me, Doc?

“Which is the best exercise for me, doc?” is a frequently asked question I find difficult to answer and that I often return with “ Which one do you like best?”

If you thought docs always had the perfect lives and answers, this personal recount will tell you how very human and vulnerable we are. Having been a sports enthusiast in my younger days, weight had never been a problem till my 40s, as a daily dose of soccer, cricket or shuttle with young colleagues kept me trim. Games further added that “enetrtainment value” that is so unique about them.

Things changed when forgetting may age, I tried a scissor shot on the soccer field, landed with a thud, broke my bone, and realized that soccer had now become a game to be only watched on TV screens. In a few months, when I grew  a paunch, a senior colleague suggested tennis. It was a refreshing change and provided the much needed pauses between points during which my vintage colleagues and I could catch our breath.Ten years rolled pleasantly by except for the seasonal gain of 3-4 Kg of  body weight during the monsoon months that we struggled and shed when the rains left.

When I developed a “tennis elbow” a few months ago (my friends laughed that I got it in my left one!) and had to discontinue tennis, my family insisted that I try walks. I had never been a steady walker and considered this lengthy exercise of crossing suspiciousy looking dogs and men, monotonous and flat. I soon gave up.

When my son, worried about my lack of stamina, dragged me to the gym one evening, my initial fascination with the treadmill turned to horror when the calorie-meter showed that I had burnt only 46 Kcal, about half that of a nice sized chapati,.after having spent 10 endless minutes on the machine.

There is really no such thing as the best exercise that fits all. We need to move our bodies (that is aerobics), for around 30-40 minutes, should rave up your heart rate and breathing, and should do it with regularity. While I continue my search for what is best for me, you could try some of these websites to find out what appeals to you.

The website www.stronglifts.com provides you all information on how to build muscles, lose weight and shape up. If running appeals to you visit www.completerunning.com and learn how you can maximize your gains and make the jog interesting. If yoga appeals to you, go to www.itsallaboutyoga.com and discover which ‘asanas’ are best for you. And if you fancy dancing your weight down try www.zumba.com and enjoy the experience with Latin beats and tunes.

If you want to enjoy all the wonderful foods this world has to offer, you need to burn calories so that you don’t bulge when you savour them. So find out your best exercise and get started.

As published in HT City( Hindustan Times) dated 9 january, 2011.