BENGALURU: In a fast-paced and competitive city like Bengaluru, health and well-being often get neglected. There is an undeniable need to strike the right balance between life and work. Mickey Mehta, one of India’s leading holistic health gurus, tells us how to find the right fitness routine and just how simple it is to have a balanced lifestyle.
Mickey Mehta began his career almost three decades ago and strives with passion to advocate wellness. Excerpts from an interview:
How it all began..
For three decades, I have been working to promote a healthier world and I strive to reach out to people to heal and improve their wellness quotient through my regimes that have equipment free exercises, yoga, boot camps, calisthenics and natural nutrition. I began my chain of wellness centres in 2004.
How we can stay motivated
Exercise should be an integral part of a person’s lifestyle and when kept creative and interesting, it will really motivate us. It is very easy to maintain and sustain one’s exercise regime as long as the exercises are varied.It should never be forced. Exercises must have recreational value to stimulate you.
Choose from calisthenics,yoga, pilates, aerobics, swimming, dancing, walking or anything that works for you. Plan a course that is workable and sustainable. What is needed is discipline, consistency and support or guidance to obtain desired results. So first, set your mind on your goals and you will find yourself becoming receptive to the thought of exercising. If time is a constraint, one can do stretches, strengthening exercises like squats, side-bends, ab crunches, yoga stretches, pranayam etc at home or go for brisk walks daily.
The right regimen
The right exercise schedule and eating habits will surely reward your body in a couple of months. Keep experimenting with new exercise formats to boost motivation and set realistic goals to give your best. Our bodies are adaptable but prone to injuries when exercises are done aggressively. However, if you have a physical issue or health condition, it is recommended that you consult your doctor and work out under supervision and guidance.
How to begin..
Start with warm-up exercises like spot jogging, arm, shoulder, neck rotations and side-bends to improve circulation and lubricate your joints and to improve flexibility for 5-10 minutes.
Stretches like tadasan, twisting, toe-touching and five rounds of suryanamaskars are great.
Strength exercises like squats, lunges and push-ups, oblique crunches and Yoga asanas like bhujangasana, naukasana and dhanurasana are great for overall fitness.
Lastly relax in shavasana and spend a few minutes doing deep breathing exercises.
All of this will take about 30-40 minutes and does not require any equipment. It is recommended that you do these under guidance initially.
My mantra is to optimise what you have, maximise your health with planning and effort and transform and evolve to a more energised you.
What is wellness..
Wellness is more about feeling good and healthy by eating right, exercising and getting good sleep. Only when all these boxes are ticked, can we truly say that we are on the path to complete wellness.
One’s focus must be on lifestyle corrections for enhancement of health so that optimum health in mind, body and spirit can be experienced.
The effects of such a lifestyle can be felt in many ways -improved circulation, hormonal balance, lowered blood pressure, improved digestion, emotional wellness, mental equilibrium and a heightened immunity. These are simple steps towards transformation, evolution and freedom from diseases.
A positive attitude, discipline and consistency are the prime motivators for a healthy mind, body and spirit. Go ahead, change your life.