Category: You

Categories
Wellness

5 exercises for excellent calf muscles

Ditch your power walks and zumba classes that exhaust you – do these five exercises for the most shapely calves ever.
by Beverley Lewis

You don’t need to spend hours at the gym trying to work on your calf muscles. You simply need to spend about 15 minutes exercising this muscle, three times a week to get shapely calves.

So without further ado, here are our top 5 calf workouts.

Double leg calf raiseThe double-leg calf raise. This particular exercise uses one’s body weight to strengthen and tone the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles or calf muscles.

Begin by standing next to a wall. This is to help you with balance.

Now place your feet hip-width apart. Next, press down onto the balls of both feet and raise your body upward, making sure that your abdominal muscles are pulled in tightly. Hold this position for a few seconds and then go back to the starting position. Do 3 sets of 12 repetitions each.

When you get fitter you can add different variations such as using a stepper and holding a dumbbell between your hands while performing this exercise.

Single-leg calf raises. Stand on one leg near a wall for balance with the other leg bent behind. Now, position your toes and the balls of your feet on an elevation like a stepper or a stair, making sure that your heels and arches are off the stepper or stair.

In order to balance yourself, place your hands on the wall. Lift one leg and place it against the leg which is on the stepper or stair.

Now begin raising your leg up and down. This particular exercise works the calf muscles. Do 15 repetitions and then switch legs.

Seated calf-raise. The seated calf raise exercise places emphasis on the soleus muscle, which consists of slow twitch muscle fibres. Begin by sitting on a boxSeated calf raise or a bench, making sure your feet are flat on the floor.

Now, flex your calves as high as possible before returning back to the starting position. Make sure to squeeze your calves at the peak extension of the movement, making sure that you perform this movement slowly, before returning to the starting position.

Walking and hiking. These are excellent calf-strengthening exercises, especially if you go uphill. Remember, the steeper the climb, the more strain on your calf muscles.

Swimming. This is another great exercise to get toned and shapely calves. This is because swimming works the calf muscles along with the rest of the legs muscles. Also, because it is low-impact, it’s a safe way to strengthen calf muscles, especially if you are overweight or are recovering from an injury.

Need more help? Watch this: 

(Pictures courtesy blitarweb.biz.id, www.fitstudio.com, terrafirmaadventures.com. Images are representational in nature)

Categories
Wellness

Getting into the spirit of Ramadan

A Muslim explains the essence of Ramadan, why fasting purifies the body and soul – and how fasting helps us.
Abbas Gadhiaby Abbas Gadhia

The month of Ramadan is here again. Muslims all over the world celebrate its arrival by fasting from dawn to dusk in anticipation of purifying their bodies, minds and souls of filth and dirt. It is a sacred month dedicated to prayer, supplication, repentance, sacrifice, self-purification and spiritual wayfaring.

Fasting is not merely a Muslim ritual. Hinduism emphasises on fasting or Upavaas, which means to ‘stay near’ to God. Similarly, the greatest leaders of many religions fasted before they attained spiritual highs. In Jainism, it is learnt that Mahavira fasted before attaining Nirvana. In Buddhism, it is said that Buddha fasted before attaining enlightment. In Judaism, Moses or Prophet Musa fasted before he attained prophethood. In Christianity, the fasting of Jesus or Prophet Isa for 40 days established the practice of Lent. Finally, it was during the month of Ramadan that the Prophet Muhammad received his revelation while meditating during the ‘Night of Power’.

So, what has fasting or abstinence from food got to do with ideas such as purification, spiritual enlightment? Why is it that the phenomenon of fasting is so pervasive amongst so many cultures and religions?

What does fasting achieve?

Fasting is a form of liberation and freedom. The freedom from the slavery of sensory impulses such as food, drink and physical desires. The term for Muslim fasting or ‘Sawm’ also means making one’s self free. Although we might be pre-occupied with the idea of freedom, our daily lives are a reflection of self-indulgence and bondage to our selfish needs.

So what is the month of Ramadan? It represents a kind of self-discipline one needs to undertake to drive a positive change in his or herself. It represents the awareness of God and a hightened focus towards Him that one would attain when one is not preoccupied with mundane routines of food and drink and other sensory pleasures. By practicing self-discipline, one can control one’s desires, be strict with one’s self and and witness the spirit of sacrifice. Hunger and thirst, simply in obedience to a Divine order, does wonders in measuring the faith man has in God and helps him strenghthen it by putting it to a difficult test.

What Ramadan is about

One of the goals of the month of Ramadan is to develop an active awareness of God and a feeling of humility and thankfulness to Him. A simple example of this kind of active awareness would be one’s awareness of traffic on the road while driving a car while being constantly on the alert. However, a passive awareness would be like one’s awareness of the air around him, which is only realised occasionally and not thought of often. Training oneself for achieving this active awareness of God is perhaps one of the most important keys in attaining spirituality and the absence of distractions of food and drink help in such an exercise.

In the Quran, verse 2:182 says,

“O you who believe, fasting has been prescribed upon you as it has been prescribed upon those before you, so that you may attain God-Consciousness.”

Finally, here’s what the Prophet Muhammad himself says about some of the benefits of fasting in the month of Ramadan

“This is a month in which He (God) has invited you. You have been, in this month, selected as the recipients of the honors of Allah, the Merciful.”

In another narration, he is said to have said:

“Whosoever observes fasting during Holy month of Ramadhan while maintaining silence and preventing his ears, eyes, tongue, sexual organs, and other body parts from lying, backbiting, and other forbidden acts, with the intention of achieving God’s Nearness, God-Almighty will bestow upon him His nearness, so that he will become a companion of Prophet Abraham (a.s.), God’s chosen friend.”

And in another narration, he is said to have said,

 “Whoever fasts the month of Ramadan, obeying all of its limitations and guarding himself against what is forbidden, has in fact atoned for any sins he committed before it.”

So, indeed a true joyful Eid, which is a celebration of the Muslims’ successful fasting season, is felt by those who have attained the mercy and the forgiveness of God. A successful Eid is not the new found freedom to eat and drink again, but it is a celebration of gaining a heightened proximity with God.

Abbas Gadhia is a software developer who lives in Pune. His interests lie in spirituality, alternative medicine and software.

(Picture courtesy www.news1130.com. Image used for representational purpose only)

Categories
Deal with it

Hurrah for separate Investigation Units in police stations

Praja Foundation reviews the implications of the new order which stipulates that all police stations will have one Investiation Unit.
by Praja Foundation, Mumbai

Congratulations to Mr Sanjeev Dayal, Maharashtra’s Director General of Police for the long awaited announcement to separate Investigation Units (IUs) from law and order police. The Standing Order No. 24 of 2015, which follows the Supreme Court directive, means that IU officers and constables will not be assigned to duties under any other category of investigation and will be exempt from extraction for law and order duties as well.

The order stipulates that all the police stations and district police will have at least one IU; numbers will increase depending on the average number of serious cases registered over three years. According to Dayal’s order, which will come into effect on July 1, 2015, each IU will investigate a maximum 15 cases a year. According to the Director General’s order officers in charge of the investigation wing will supervise the investigating as well as pairavi units, who follow up on the cases being tried in court. The order also mentions that that women police officers and constables will aid IUs. There is a stipulation that Mumbai needs 691 personnel for investigation, pairavi and women units; and these will be chosen from already existing personnel in the police force. There are also provisions for a fixed tenure for IUs with fully equipped legal, forensic, scientific and technological resources.

Praja has been consistently taking up the issue of separation of investigation and law and order personnel in its White Papers on the issue Law and Order and Policing in Mumbai. According to Nitai Mehta, Managing Trustee, Praja Foundation, “One of the urgent steps to address the issue of lack of IUs has been laid out by the Supreme Court directives on Police Reform in the Prakash Singh case of 2006, i.e. the separation of investigation from law and order. According to experts, this does not even require a legislative intervention. Even the office of the Police Commissioner or the Home Minister of the State has the power to introduce this much-needed change in the policing policy of the city, and perhaps the state as well.”

The gap between sanctioned and available IOs (Investigating Officers) needs to be bridged; a total of 4,301 IOs are sanctioned, but only 2,904 are working, a gap of 32 per cent! Although this gap has reduced from 50 per cent in 2013; total of 1,397 officers are still needed to bridge the gap completely. Due to this gap, investigations have not been conducted in an organised manner. Mhaske contends, “A study of acquitted cases shows that the chief reason for acquittal has been ‘lack of evidence’. This, in turn, showcases the performance of the IO, the public prosecutor and the lack of coordination between the two.”

Praja’s crime White Papers also present some startling data regarding conviction rates in criminal cases. Milind Mhaske, Project Director, Praja Foundation says, “Conviction rates in Class II serious offences (cases involving bodily harm, murder, rape, grievous hurt, kidnapping, abduction etc.) has been an abysmal 8 per cent in 2013 – 92 per cent of those charge-sheeted have got away scot-free! Overall, the conviction rate remains at a low 22 per cent”. To maintain law and order in the city, it is imperative that these figures rise.

Low conviction rates lead to thriving crime and, consequently, an unsafe city. These figures highlight the lack of IOs in the city. Mehta says, “Understaffing and multiplicity of tasks in the Mumbai Police Force is compromising investigation and there by leading to low conviction rates. A fully manned force will mean that the officers handling criminal cases will focus solely on these investigations, rather than being called on to man roadblocks and performing bandobast duties. Consequently, cases that make their way to the courts will be watertight and there will be an assurance that the guilty will be convicted”.

(Picture courtesy www.mahapolice.gov.in. Image is used for representational purpose only)

Categories
Wellness

Your nostrils can help prevent migraines, exhaustion

Did you know that breathing through a particular nostril can cure a headache and relieve exhaustion? Read on for more.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

If you’re struck by a migraine in the middle of your working day, don’t pop a painkiller. What your doctor has probably never told you is that painkillers don’t help migraines – just a 5-minute breathing exercise will help.

Hold your thumb firmly against your right nostril and breathe slowly through your left nostril for five minutes. Keep the rest of your fingers straight but relaxed. Focus on your breathing, counting as you inhale and exhale. In a couple of minutes, the intensity of the headache reduces. Five minutes later, it is completely gone!

Another good technique to try on the days you’re feeling really exhausted is to hold your left nostril with your thumb and breathe slowly and deeply through the other. Five minutes later, you will feel more energetic and your tired limbs will feel better, too.

How are the nostrils connected to pain relief?

Yoga believes that our breathing is connected to our emotional and physical health. Ancient Chinese and Indian healing systems are firm believers in the power of deep breathing to heal many internal disturbances. Yoga stresses that breathing and the body’s ‘vital force’ are in tandem with each other. Thus, the deeper you breathe, the deeper is the flow of your body’s vital force. This helps in self-healing.

Also, the emphasis on deep breathing is accompanied by breathing through one of the two nostrils for specific healing. It is said that air coming in from the left nostril promotes a ‘cooling’ of the body’s nerve centres, thus lessening pain. On the other hand, air coming in through the right nostril causes warming up of the body, which relieves exhaustion and energises one to perform tasks better.

So don’t grab your medication for a headache – just breathe right!

(Picture courtesy www.lexiyoga.com. Image is used for representational purpose only)

Categories
Deal with it

Injection basics: Prepare your child for his shots

Young children must be mentally prepared for receiving daily insulin shots. Ease your child into the process with easy steps.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

A parent’s – any parent’s – biggest nightmare is watching their child in pain. Parenthood is all about fortifying oneself against the sight of one’s suffering child, so that the parent may give the child the strength to get through his or her illness.

Many parents are apprehensive when their young child is detected with diabetes and with good reason – the doctor might prescribe regular insulin shots. Any child is afraid of needles, and it can be daunting to explain to your child that he or she needs to take insulin shots every day. However, if you convince yourself that this is a necessary step in your child’s road to recovery, you can persuade your child that taking injections every day is a good thing. In time, your child will fear the process less and even be prepared to take injections by himself.

Here are 5 steps to follow in preparing your child to take injections:

1. Talk to the child calmly. Explain why your child needs to take daily injections. Tell him or her, “You need to take your injections so that you can grow up healthy and strong.” Every child needs to be told the reason behind your actions – don’t tell him that injections must be taken “because you say so.” Not preparing the child for the process can make him fearful and resistant to the idea. If necessary, have the conversation with your doctor present so that all questions can be answered.

2. Don’t be squeamish. If you show a fear of needles, so will your child. Show the insulin bottle and syringe to your child, and demonstrate how you will draw up the required dose of insulin before injecting him. Explain every step of the process, right down to how you will inject the needle. Tell your child that the needle will not hurt after a while, and that he must be absolutely still while being injected. Keep your tone measured – your aim is to remove the fear associated with the process.

3. Be careful with the injection. Be extremely precise with the dosage and leave out any air bubbles in the canister. Next, dip a cotton ball in cold water, squeeze it and rub it over the injection site. Pinch the skin at the injection site using your forefinger and thumb, and plunge the needle in slowly and completely. Talk to your child soothingly while the needle is in, and now push the plunger so that all the insulin is injected. Stop pinching the skin and slowly remove the needle. Apply gentle pressure at the site for five seconds. After the first few times, your child will learn to relax during the injection.

4. Supervise your child’s dosage. Your child may be in his teens and able to take the injection without your help – still supervise the process. Make sure the dosage is precise, and that the needle is completely plunged in. If there is an insulin leak (this happens when the needle has not gone in deep enough), don’t let the child take more insulin to compensate for the loss – this might cause blood sugar levels to plunge.

5. Consult the doctor regularly for dosage. As children grow, the requirement for insulin may vary. Regular blood tests are a must, and so are doctor consultations. Be precise in following the prescribed dosage. Also try and maintain a record of blood sugar readings, changed dosages and prescribed dietary controls so that your child’s diabetes may remain under control.

(Picture courtesy www.telegraph.co.uk. Image used for representational purpose only)

Categories
Wellness

Why have potted plants in the home

Apart from adding a soothing green look to our living premises, plants have many health benefits as well. Read on.
by the Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

Everybody loves to be surrounded by greenery, but for those living in the metros, greenery is a luxury few have the good fortune to possess. Concrete jungles in cities like Mumbai have systematically wiped out the earlier green tracts of land over the years. A few stray trees here and there can now be seen in most localities in Mumbai.

Besides, citizens themselves are unappreciative of the value of planting and maintaining trees, often thoughtlessly hacking off entire branches and stems because the tree blocks their view, or because the leaves fall on their parked cars below. But while we cannot always stop the rampant killing off of trees, we can do our bit to add to the greenery in our immediate surroundings to beautify them.

The health benefits of having plants in the home cannot be disputed, but several people feel that having potted plants in the home is only for those who like gardening and getting their hands dirty with soil. If you were unaware of the benefits of having plants in the home, let us give you four good points:

Clear the air with plantsThey clear the air. This is pure science. Every plant’s natural food-creating process ensures that large amounts of pure oxygen are released to the environment and harmful carbon dioxide is absorbed. This is why office workspaces should have large plants (preferably of the flowering variety) in close vicinity, because the freshness they bring to the air is more beneficial for people sitting in air-conditioned environments all day. Breathing fresh air is a luxury in a highly polluted city like Mumbai, so the more plants you will have at home or in the office, the fresher will be the air you breathe.

However, ensure that plants are not present in the bedroom or sleeping space, because they reverse the oxygen-carbon dioxide release process at night, so effectively, you will be breathing carbon dioxide as you sleep.

Their products are safe to consume. People who plant their own kitchen gardens swear by the nutrition value of the fruit and leaves their gardens yield. Since you take care of the garden yourself, you are careful in limiting the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides, as also spraying your plants with harmful Kitchen garden producefungicidal. People who plant tomatoes, onions, chillies, lemons and even oranges and carrots at home eat fresh, healthy produce daily. Their food is as free from chemical intervention as possible.

Dr Ramakant Shetty, a dentist, has been cultivating his own organic kitchen garden for three years now. “I limit the buying of vegetables and fruit from the market,” he explains. “The produce from my garden is larger in size, tastier and very healthy for even young children to eat.”

They promote calmness and health. Much like looking at fish swimming in a fish tank promotes feelings of serenity among sick people, maintaining your plants is good for health. At a physical level, cultivating a variety of potted plants is hard work. “You have to periodically re-pot the plants, change the soil, add manure and bio-waste to enhance its quality, and conduct regular checks to see that grubs and ants are not eating your plants,” says Dr Shetty. “Working in the soil is good for the body and the mind, because the aroma of fresh earth enhances the mood. Those who have large gardens can keep fit with regular work in the garden.”

Most people who invest time and energy in growing plants in the home are thoroughly invested in the plant’s welfare. It is a healthy hobby to cultivate as well.

They uplift the mood on sight. Fresh, healthy and well-groomed plants are a delightful sight, and they uplift the mood instantly. It has to do with the green colour of the leaves and the sharply contrasting colours of fruit and flowers on the plants that pleases the eyes and cheers us up. “Plants in good health will have firm green leaves and stems, and they will grow faster,” opines Shraddha Kamat, a housewife. “I always enjoy observing my plants when it is windy – because the plants are healthy, the leaves dance in the breeze instead of wilting and falling out,” she smiles.

(Pictures courtesy www.bbc.co.uk, chemicalfreeagriculture.blogspot.com, blackfootnativeplants.wordpress.com. Images used for representational purpose only)

Exit mobile version