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Uncover Your Exercise Potential
by Ayurveda
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. For more information on Ayurveda or to subscribe
to free newsletters, please visit http://www.mapi.com.
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