It was only a matter of time that my editor would have asked for the best exercises to try at the moment. What with lockdowns, uncertainty, and exercise is the need of the hour even more so now in these extraordinary circumstances, she suggested I come up with 3 simple exercises to be doing now, and that is a good idea as any, just that I tend to side with instinct rather than instructions, my intuition is guiding me to suggest 3 things/exercises for you to try to be healthy but they aren’t exactly following the letter to T. So here it goes:
Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutations): Well I couldn’t have completely defied the idea, (not why you think) but because it’s a good thing. Physical exercises at this point and at any point in time are imperative for maintaining health, and what better than our Surya-namaskar to achieve overall fitness. It’s a total body workout made of 12 poses. Starting from a standing position and coming back to the same, you stretch your entire body including the all essential spine, working all major muscles, improving the digestive system. Weight loss, healthy skin (due to the proper flow of blood in the entire body), it improves anxiety, aids in depression and insomnia. It also helps you regulate your blood sugar levels and improves your posture too. It can and should be practiced by everyone.
Dance It Out: Okay I already said it’s a little unconventional. But it’s not even something I have to tell, we all have danced at some point. The sheer joy of it the energy the exuberance, and the bonding that comes with it, is immeasurable. Besides dancing gives you a physical workout, it boosts up your mood, strengthens your bones, tones muscles improves your heart and lungs, and you know surprisingly it even improves your brain and memory function too. Works wonders for your cerebral functioning. You don’t even have to know any certain type. You could learn a new one or just play some music and groove.
Journaling: Ok so we found the happy pill, worked for our body and brain too, but what about your soul. All this pandemic scare, worry about the economy and life in general sometimes weighs heavy on our heart and soul. There are thoughts in our heads we don’t want to share with anyone. Journaling in these situations works cathartically, it purges you of any negativity, any anxiety, and not just that, it can be used to do some introspection, help you organize things better, allow your creativity to surface too. All you need is to take 15-20 minutes out of your schedule. Write whatever it is that you feel like. Since it’s for personal use you don’t even need to worry about anything.
Martin Luther King said, “Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope.” In simple words, it means victory comes from struggle, and stranger problems require stranger solutions.