You have taken the important first step on the path to physical fitness by seeking

information. The next step is to decide that you are going to be physically fit. This is
designed to help you reach that decision and your goal.
The decision to carry out a physical fitness program cannot be taken lightly. It requires a
lifelong commitment of time and effort. Exercise must become one of those things that
you do without question, like bathing and brushing your teeth.
Patience is essential. on!t try to do too much too soon and don!t quit before you have a
chance to experience the rewards of improved fitness. You can!t regain in a few days or
weeks what you have lost in years of sedentary living, but you can get it back if you
persevere. "nd the pri#e is worth the price.
This basic information will help you to begin and maintain a personal physical fitness
program. These guidelines are intended for the average healthy adult. It tells you what
your goals should be and how often, how long and how hard you must exercise to
achieve them. It also includes information that will make your workouts easier, safer and
more satisfying. The rest is up to you.

$%E$&I'( Y)*+ %E",T%
If you!re under -. and in good health, you don!t need to see a doctor before beginning an
exercise program. /ut if you are over -. and have been inactive for several years, you
should consult your physician, who may or may not recommend a graded exercise test.
)ther conditions that indicate a need for medical clearance are0
High blood pressure
Heart trouble
Family history of early stroke or heart attack deaths
Frequent dizzy spells
Extreme breathlessness after mild exertion
Arthritis or other bone problems
Severe muscular, ligament or tendon problems
ther kno!n or suspected disease
"f you are taking or considering cholesterol reducing drugs,
1igorous exercise involves minimal health risks for persons in good health or those
following a doctor!s advice. 2ar greater risks are present by habitual inactivity and
obesity.
E2I'I'( 2IT'E33
4hysical fitness is to the human body what fine tuning is to an engine. It enables us to
perform up to our potential. 2itness can be described as a condition that helps us look,
feel and do our best. 5ore specifically, it is0 6The ability to perform daily tasks
vigorously and alertly, with energy left over for en7oying leisure8time activities and
meeting emergency demands. It is the ability to endure, to bear up, to withstand stress, to
carry on in circumstances where an unfit person could not continue, and is a ma7or basis
for good health and well8being.6
4hysical fitness involves the performance of the heart and lungs, and the muscles of the
body. "nd, since what we do with our bodies also affects what we can do with our minds,
fitness influences to some degree qualities such as mental alertness and emotional
stability.
"s you undertake your fitness program, it!s important to remember that fitness is an
individual quality that varies from person to person. It is influenced by age, sex, heredity,
personal habits, exercise and eating practices. You can!t do anything about the first three
factors. %owever, it is within your power to change and improve the others where
needed.
&')9I'( T%E /"3I$3
4hysical fitness is most easily understood by examining its components, or 6parts.6 There
is widespread agreement that these four components are basic.
Cardio respiratory Endurance - the ability to deliver oxygen and nutrients to tissues,
and to remove wastes, over sustained periods of time. Long runs and swims are among
the methods employed in measuring this component.
Muscular Strength - the ability of a muscle to exert force for a brief period of time.
pper-body strength, for example, can be measured by various weight-lifting exercises.
Muscular Endurance - the ability of a muscle, or a group of muscles, to sustain
repeated contractions or to continue applying force against a fixed ob!ect. "ushups are
often used to test endurance of arm and shoulder muscles.
#lexibility - the ability to move !oints and use muscles through their full range of
motion. $he sit-and-reach test is a good measure of flexibility of the lower bac% and
bac%s of the upper legs.
/ody $omposition is often considered a component of fitness. It refers to the makeup of
the body in terms of lean mass :muscle, bone, vital tissue and organs; and fat mass. "n
optimal ratio of fat to lean mass is an indication of fitness, and the right types of exercise
will help you decrease body fat and increase or maintain muscle mass.
" 9)+&)*T 3$%E*,E
%ow often, how long and how hard you exercise, and what kinds of exercises you do
should be determined by what you are trying to accomplish. Your goals, your present
fitness level, age, health, skills, interest and convenience are among the factors you
should consider. 2or example, an athlete training for high8level competition would follow
a different program than a person whose goals are good health and the ability to meet
work and recreational needs.
Your exercise program should include something from each of the four basic fitness
components described previously. Each workout should begin with a warm8up and end
with a cool down. "s a general rule, space your workouts throughout the week and avoid
consecutive days of hard exercise.
%ere are the amounts of activity necessary for the average, healthy person to maintain a
minimum level of overall fitness. Included are some of the popular exercises for each
category.
&'(M" - )-*+ minutes of exercises such as wal%ing, slow !ogging, %nee lifts, arm
circles or trun% rotations. Low intensity movements that stimulate movements to be
used in the activity can also be included in the warm-up.
MSCL'( S$(E,-$. - a minimum of two /+-minute sessions per wee% that
include exercises for all the ma!or muscle groups. Lifting weights is the most effective
way to increase strength.
MSCL'( E,0(',CE - at least three 1+-minute sessions each wee% that include
exercises such as calisthenics, pushups, situps, pullups, and weight training for all the
ma!or muscle groups.

C'(023(ES"2('$3(4 E,0(',CE - at least three /+-minute bouts of
continuous aerobic 5activity re6uiring oxygen7 rhythmic exercise each wee%. "opular
aerobic conditioning activities include bris% wal%ing, !ogging, swimming, cycling,
rope-!umping, rowing, cross-country s%iing, and some continuous action games li%e
rac6uetball and handball.
#LE8292L2$4 - *+-*/ minutes of daily stretching exercises performed slowly without
a bouncing motion. $his can be included after a warm up or during a cool down.
C33L 03&, - a minimum of )-*+ minutes of slow wal%ing, low-level exercise,
combined with stretching.
A MATTER OF PRI!IP"E
The keys to selecting the right kinds of exercises for developing and maintaining each of
the basic components of fitness are found in these principles0
3pecificity 8 pick the right kind of activities to affect each component. 3trength training
results in specific strength changes. "lso, train for the specific activity you!re interested
in. 2or example, optimal swimming performance is best achieved when the muscles
involved in swimming are trained for the movements required. It does not necessarily
follow that a good runner is a good swimmer.
)verload 8 work hard enough, at levels that are vigorous and long enough to overload
your body above its resting level, to bring about improvement.
+egularity 8 you can!t hoard physical fitness. "t least three balanced workouts a week are
necessary to maintain a desirable level of fitness.
4rogression 8 increase the intensity, frequency and<or duration of activity over periods of
time in order to improve.
3ome activities can be used to fulfill more than one of your basic exercise requirements.
2or example, in addition to increasing cardiorespiratory endurance, running builds
muscular endurance in the legs, and swimming develops the arm, shoulder and chest
muscles. If you select the proper activities, it is possible to fit parts of your muscular
endurance workout into your cardiorespiratory workout and save time.
MEA#$RI% &O$R 'EART RATE
%eart rate is widely accepted as a good method for measuring intensity during running,
swimming, cycling and other aerobic activities. Exercise that doesn!t raise your heart rate
to a certain level and keep it there for => minutes won!t contribute significantly to
cardiovascular fitness.
The heart rate you should maintain is called your Target %eart +ate. There are several
ways of arriving at this figure. )ne of the simplest is0 5aximum %eart +ate :==> 8 age; ?
@>A. Thus, the target heart rate for a B> year8old would be C=D.
3ome methods for figuring the target rate take individual differences into consideration.
%ere is one of them. C. 3ubtract age from ==> to find 5aximum %eart +ate.
=. 3ubtract resting heart rate :see below; from maximum heart rate to determine %eart
+ate +eserve.
-. Take @>A of heart rate reserve to determine %eart +ate +aise.
B. "dd heart rate raise to resting heart rate to find Target +ate.
+esting heart rate should be determined by taking your pulse after sitting quietly for five
minutes. 9hen checking heart rate during a workout, take your pulse within five seconds
after interrupting exercise because it starts to go down once you stop moving. $ount
pulse for C> seconds and multiply by six to get the per8minute rate.
!OTRO""I% &O$R (EI%'T
The key to weight control is keeping energy intake :food; and energy output :physical
activity; in balance. 9hen you consume only as many calories as your body needs, your
weight will usually remain constant. If you take in more calories than your body needs,
you will put on excess fat. If you expend more energy than you take in you will burn
excess fat.
Exercise plays an important role ink weight control by increasing energy output, calling
on stored calories for extra fuel. +ecent studies show that not only does exercise increase
metabolism during a workout, but it causes your metabolism to stay increased for a
period of time after exercising, allowing you to burn more calories.
%ow much exercise is needed to make a difference in your weight depends on the amount
and type of activity, and on how much you eat. "erobic exercise burns body fat. "
medium8si#ed adult would have to walk more than -> miles to burn up -,.>> calories, the
equivalent of one pound of fat. "lthough that may seem like a lot, you don!t have to walk
the -> miles all at once. 9alking a mile a day for -> days will achieve the same result,
providing you don!t increase your food intake to negate the effects of walking
If you consume C>> calories a day more than your body needs, you will gain
approximately C> pounds in year. You could take that weight off, or keep it off, by doing
-> minutes of moderate exercise daily. The combination of exercise and diet offers the
most flexible and effective approach to weight control.
3ince muscle tissue weighs more than fat tissue, and exercise develops muscle to a
certain degree, your bathroom scale won!t necessarily tell you whether or not you are
6fat.6 9ell muscled individuals, with relatively little body fat, invariably are
6overweight6 according to standard weight charts. If you are doing a regular program of
strength training, your muscles will increase in weight, and possibly your overall weight
will increase. /ody composition is a better indicator of your condition than body weight.
,ack of physical activity causes muscles to get soft, and if food intake is not decreased,
added body weight is almost always fat. )nce8active people, who continue to eat as they
always have after settling into sedentary lifestyles, tend to suffer from 6creeping obesity.6
('E TO E)ER!I#E
The hour 7ust before the evening meal is a popular time for exercise. The late afternoon
workout provides a welcome change of pace at the end of the work day and helps
dissolve the day!s worries and tensions.
"nother popular time to work out is early morning, before the work day begins.
"dvocates of the early start say it makes them more alert and energetic on the 7ob.
"mong the factors you should consider in developing your workout schedule are personal
preference, 7ob and family responsibilities, availability of exercise facilities and weather.
It!s important to schedule your workouts for a time when there is little chance that you
will have to cancel or interrupt them because of other demands on your time.
You should not exercise strenuously during extreme hot, humid weather, or within two
hours after eating. %eat and<or digestion both make heavy demands on the circulatory
system, and in combination with exercise can be an overtaxing double load.

Some of the benefits of increased activity are:
Improved %ealth
increased efficiency of heart and lungs
reduced cholesterol levels
increased muscle strength
reduced blood pressure
reduced risk of ma7or illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease
Improved 3ense of 9ell8/eing
more energy
less stress
improved quality of sleep
improved ability to cope with stress
increased mental acuity
Improved "ppearance
9eight loss
toned muscles
improved posture
Enhanced 3ocial ,ife
improved self8image
increased opportunities to make new friends
increased opportunities to share an activity with friends or family
Increased 3tamina
increased productivity
increased physical capabilities
,ess frequent in7uries
improved immunity to minor illnesses
5ind over Immobility
0iet and 'ction - the #itness Combo
id you know you need to burn off -,.>> calories more than you take in to lose 7ust one
poundE If you!re overweight, eating your usual amount of calories while increasing
activity is good for you, but eating fewer calories and being more active is even better.
The following chart gives you an idea of the calories used per hour in common activities.
$alories burned vary in proportion to body weight, however, so these figures are
averages.
Acti*ity !alories burned
Per hour
/icycling D mph =B>
/icycling C= mph BC>
Fogging ... mph @B>
Fogging @ mph G=>
Fumping rope @.>
+unning in place D.>
+unning C> mph C,=H>
3wimming =. yds<min =@.
3wimming .> yds<min .>>
Tennis :singles; B>>
9alking = mph =B>
9alking B mph BB>
Ideal body weight
One should always be mentally & physically fit. Over weight can lead to high blood
pressure, elevated blood cholesterol, arthritis, diabetes etc. We should therefore
maintain an ideal weight, according to the our body structure.
Desirable Weight for Men
Height
Feet Inches
Small Frame (lbs)
Median Frame (lbs) Large Frame (lbs)
5
5
5
5
4
5
6
7
118-126
121-129
124-129
128-137
124-136
127-139
130-143
134-147
132-148
135-152
138-156
142-156
5
5
5
5
6
6
6
6
6
8
9
10
11
0
1
2
3
4
132-141
136-145
140-150
144-154
148-158
152-162
156-167
160-171
164-175
138-152
142-156
146-160
150-165
154-170
158-175
162-180
167-185
172-190
147-166
151-170
155-174
159-179
164-184
168-189
173-194
178-199
182-201
[To convert lbs to kg, divide by 2.2. 1kg = 2.2 lbs]
Desirable Weight for Women
Height
Feet Inches
Small Frame (lbs) Medium Frame
(lbs)
Large Frame (lbs)
4
4
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
10
11
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
92-98
94-101
96-104
99-107
102-110
105-113
108-116
111-119
114-123
118-127
122-131
126-135
130-140
96-107
98-110
101-113
104-116
107-119
110-122
113-126
116-130
120-135
124-139
128-143
132-147
136-151
104-119
106-122
109-125
112-128
115-131
118-134
121-138
125-142
129-146
133-150
137-154
141-158
145-163
Your calorie needed per day depends on your state of health. If you are thin and
underweight, then you need more calories than you expend daily. On the other hand,
if you are overweight or obese, then you should have a negative balance of calorie.
This means that you need to intae less number of calories than you expend.
In general, your calorie needs decrease as you get older due to lesser physical
activity. !eavier or more active people may need more than the calorie need values
given in the table below.
Years
Age Group !" #!$ %!& !# '!( )!') $&!%# %'*
+alorie ,eeds Male 1230 1715 1970 2220 2755 2550 2350 2100
+alorie ,eeds Female 1165 1545 1740 1845 2110 1940 1900 1810
"o you want to calculate how much calories do you actually need. You can mae a
rough estimate by the following calorie need calculator. !owever, the actual calories
should you eat to maintain weight may vary based on muscle mass, activity and a
variety of other factors such as illness.
The table below lists the nutrition data #total fat, carbohydrates, calories, and
proteins of Indian foods.
The table contains the data for Indian home made vegetables #vegetable curries$,
dals #dhals$, rice, snacs lie samosa, idli, mil products, roti%bread%chapatti, and
parantha
In the following table &'& means that data are not available.
Calorie Counting Chart: Calories in Fruits, Vegetables, reads and !ilk
now the calorie content of various food items.
+alories in Fruits per && Grams
The values are in (alories. )ultiply by *.+, to get values in -.
Apple 56
Avocado Pear 190
a!a!a 95
"hic#oo 94
"herrie$ 70
%ate$ 281
&rape$ lac# 45
&'ava 66
(iwi )r'it 45
&'ava 49
*ychie$ 61
+a!goe$ 70
,ra!ge 53
,ra!ge -'ice 100.l 47
Papaya 32
Peach 50
Pear$ 51
Pi!eapple 46
Pl'.$ 56
/trawberrie$ 77
0ater.elo! 26
Po.egra!ate 77
0ater.elo! 16
+alories in -egetables per && Grams
roccoli 25
ri!-al 24
"abbage 45
"arrot 48
"a'li1lower 30
)e!'gree# 2+ethi3 49
)re!ch bea!$ 26
*ett'ce 21
+'$hroo. 18
,!io! 50
Pea$ 93
Potato 97
/pi!ach 100g
/pi!ach 1 lea1
/pi!ach 1 b'!ch
26
2
78
4o.ato 21
4o.ato -'ice 100.l 22
+alories in +ereals per && Grams
a-ra 360
+ai5e 1lo'r 355
6ice 325
0heat 1lo'r 341
+alories in .reads per piece
1 .edi'. chappati 119
1 $lice white bread 60
1 paratha 2!o 1illi!g3 280
+alories in Mil/ 0 Mil/ 1roducts per cup
'tter 100g.$7 750
'tter.il# 19
"hee$e 315
"rea. 100g.$7 210
&hee 100g.$ 910
+il# '11alo 115
+il# "ow 100
+il# /#i..ed 45
+alories in 2ther Items
/'gar 1 tb$p 48
8o!ey 1 tb$p 90
"oco!'t water 100 .l 25
"o11ee 40
4ea 30
)ne $oke can is C>> empty calories.
Idli =8C>>clas
"valakki or upma half cup8 C>>cals
C plain dosa 8C=> cals
C chappati8..D diameter 8C>>cals
4ongal C>> gms8 -.> cals
4i##a D> gms8 C.- cals
C> potato chips 8CC> cals
= potato bonda 8CGG cals
H pakoda 8=-> cals
4anner C>> (ms 8=D. cals
3ugar less $offee cup 8.> cals
(hee C tsp 8.> cals
C tspn oil 8.>cals
5ilk C cup 8C>>cals
+ice C>> (ms 8CC> cals
'an 8C=> cals
$he SEC(E$ to losing weight is to eat and drin% the right %ind of food until you are
#LL and satisfied. ,ot eating enough will slow metabolism, deteriorating your
health. 2deally one has to lose / to / and a half %gs a month;not more than that as it
will lead to health complications.
+REA,FA#T- 4refer
(arbohydrates, whole'wheat bread, roti<chapatti<bread, whole grain cereal
.immed mil or light tea or decaffeinated coffee.
3ome nuts. 'uts help feel full while also increasing the body!s ability to burn fat
"$!'- This is the main meal.
4refer
/ salad, boiled vegetables as starter,
0oti and% or rice.
Whole grain vegetables lie kidney beans #ra1ma$, chic peas #chole$, dal, blackeye
peas or lobia.
2ightly cooed green vegetables.
.im yogurt
E.EI% TEA-
"ny fruit with tea or coffee.
/IER- 3hould be light with no fat.
/ vegetable soup as starter
0ice or roti. If you had roti for lunch then have rice for dinner.
Whole grain vegetables lie kidney beans, ra7ma, chick peas :chole;, 5ung dal, etc.
2ightly cooed green vegetables.
.im yogurt
/ny dessert with minimum sugar.
(anitha0s Mantra to lose 1eight is *ery simple2
'void all fatty food
<un% food
#ast food
'erated drin%s
Sweets
0eep fried food
(efined food
2nstead have whole grain food, red rice, veggies n fruits...slim mil% slim curds
etc...'nd get into a good gym or 'erobic class.
Tummy is the last to go...for this do a lot of cardio exercise...B> min in the morning and
B> min in the evening if you cannot hit the gym that is.

I am a content 1riter for /ainik 3agran4s 5 e1 'ealth Portal

http0<<www.onlymyhealth.com

ainik Fagran is a ,eading 'ewspaper in the 9orld. %ighest selling paper in the world
and has made it to (uinness book of world record too.

$heck plenty of articles of mine or you can even (oogle my
name..

http-66111.onlymyhealth.com6'EA"T'6lifestyle7articl
e.page8
locale9en7$#:cid9;<=>=?<@A=:cls7id9;<=>=?<@A=
:story7id9;<@BC=<@CD
Eat right and eEercise
+ody Transformation EEpertF
(anitha Ashok
Mo*ing +ody Aerobic #tudio5 M/
111.1anithaashok.com