25 Minutes Yoga For people who are on their heels - extract from health and yoga INTRODUCTION Yoga is a general name for the systems of spiritual and physical aspects practiced from the ancient times in India. The word Yoga has been applied not to the central aim of attaining the heightened consciousness, but also to the development of every human faculty - physical, emotional and ethical - which may conduce to that end. Modern medicine has made marvelous advanced in the diagnostic techniques, medical management and surgical treatments in some of the most difficult health problems of Man. The life expectancy of man has improved two fold compared to what it was four decades ago. But, the quality of health right from the age of 30 years has definitely deteriorated. It can be seen from the fact that there is a steep increase in the incidence of problems like Overweight, Hypercholesterolaemia, Diabetes Mellitus, Hypertension and Coronary artery disease in the people of younger age group. Similarly more and more people are suffering from respiratory allergies, autoimmune diseases, cervical and lumbar spondylosis, particularly the urban dwellers. Man has forgotten the importance of a regulated daily routine, proper dietary habits, the need of regular exercise and is indulging in excessive, indiscriminate medication for even minor health problems. Need for regular exercise in one's own daily routine is being realised by every one but one is confused as to what type of exercise one should take up, particularly in the stormy, nerve racking conditions of modern life. Physical activity on account of one's own domestic and professional reasons cannot be considered as sufficient exercise except in certain situations like hard labour, miners and peasants in the fields. How much we overeat and how less we exert can be seen by the following tables - The tables are given in the slide #25 of Part - II of preview slides on Health & Stress mangement. Please go to the home page. CONVENTIONAL EXERCISES AND GAMES Luxury is defined as the amount of lethargy one can afford. Any exercise which is not done for 5 to 6 days in a week has no positive effect on health. Walking, jogging, games, aerobics, attending health clubs, gyms and yoga institutions etc. are not possible on regular basis for today's Executives, Professionals and Businessmen. The reasons are time constraint, travels, requires preparation and a companion is needed invariably. Moreover, these exercises are not ideal for total fitness. CRITERIA FOR AN IDEAL EXERCISE REGIMEN: a) Should be of short duration. b) Should be feasible wherever you are at home, in a hotel, in a guest house or at friend's place (for frequently traveling people). c) Should not require any preparation like wearing track suits, shoes with long laces, and to reach a particular place etc. d) Should be easy to adopt (no one has time to go and learn or no one can come and make you do an exercise regimen). e) Should give enough exertion (to achieve target heart rate at the peak of exercise i.e. 220 minus age), movements to all joints, keep the spine flexible and should have beneficial effect on heart and lungs and other vital organs of the body - are the requirements of an ideal exercise regimen. A "25 minutes yoga for you", programme has been designed and prescribed in here from medical point of view. IMPORTANCE OF YOGIC EXERCISE Body building, figure shaping workouts, aerobics, and other heavy exercises, mostly taken up by young people these days, increase one's appetite enormously. The young man starts eating more and builds up a good shapely muscular body. After an year or two he discontinues due to professional constraints and continues to eat the same quantity of food which he was consuming earlier as he psychologically got used to it. Consequently, he puts on weight, develops high cholesterol and subsequent complications by the time he reaches the age of 35. Walking as an exercise is meant for elderly people above the age of sixty who can not take up any other form of exercise due to medical reasons and age. People young and old who go for regular walks hardly cover a minimum of 6 kms in an hour is the usual observation. Those who have been doing regular walks for years, majority of them develop osteoarthritis of knees by the time they cross 60 years, the condition requiring knee replacement. Hence, Yogic exercises, simple and practical for everyone, keeping in view the health of an individual have been worked out here. JUST "25 MINUTES YOGA FOR YOU" EVERY DAY There are hundreds of yogic postures (yogasanas) described in hathayoga, some are very difficult and some are frightening from layman's point of view. Hence, a simple "25 minutes yoga for you" regimen has been designed which can be adopted by everyone between the ages of 10 years to 60 years. This regimen can be attempted at home provided there are no specific contraindications medically. It may be borne in mind that though the postures in this regimen look very simple by way of technique, it takes atleast 8 to 12 weeks of constant effort to attain a reasonable perfection. Restrictions imposed on daily routine, diet, habits and addictions in advanced yogic pratices advocated by some exponents are not essential to be followed for this simple yogic exercise regimen. The attempt in this regimen has been made to give only a physical exercise regimen from medical aspect to the present day stressed man, taking into consideration his weaknesses and over indulgences. The philosophical and spiritual aspects have already been dealt with, in detail by many a great exponent of yoga. THE DETAILS OF THE REGIMEN It consists of V parts namely: I 12 posture cyclic exercise 5 minutes II 2 abdominal exercises 4 minutes III 6 yogasanas 8 minutes IV 6 breathing exercises 6 minutes V Shavasana 2 minutes

I. One has to begin with "12 posture cyclic exercise" (based on Suryanamaskara) to be done repeatedly in a regular rhythm. One has to spend only 4 mtsto complete 6 to 15 cycles depending on the age, followed by 1 minute rest. This solves the usual complaint that yoga does not give sufficient physical exertion to burn calories. II. Two abdominal exercises - one should do these exercises within 4 minutes with ˝ a minute relaxation in between and later. These exercises help in reducing the waist line (abdominal fat) and have beneficial effect on digestive, renal, genitourinary systems and other abdominal viscera. III. Six yogasanas(postures) have been selected in such a way that these give exercise to the whole body including all the vital internal organs. Each posture has to be done only once and holding of the posture in its final position, brings about the positive physiological effects. 8 minutes to do these yogic postures, is not a bad bargain in view of their benefits. IV. Six breathing exercises include a) three slow and deep breathing exercises, to improve the vital capacity and preserve one's respiratory reserve in various obstructive and restrictive lung disorders. The subsequent three brisk breathing exercises help in desensetising respiratory tract in all allergic respiratory diseases like Rhinitis, Sinusitis, Pharyngitis and Asthma. It takes only 6 minutes for these exercises. V. Last but not the least, Shavasana for 2 minutes to give complete relaxation to every inch of the physical body and the mind, is the concluding part of the regimen. One has to lie down on the back with arms a little apart from the body palms facing upwards and legs also stretched and kept slightly apart, leave the whole body lose allowing the head to any one side on its weight with eyes closed. Allow the mind to settle on its own, do not try to control it.