Ten ways to beat backache

Exercise: Go for a half-an-hour aerobic exercise morning and evening, at least five days a week. The type of exercise should be chosen depending on one’s age and general health condition. Walking and swimming help prevent backache.

Food: Eat food in moderation and in time. Calcium-rich food such as leafy vegetables, milk, butter and curd strengthen bone and prevent constipation. Drink sufficient water.

Sitting posture: While sitting keep the backbone erect and rest the feet on the floor. Keep a comfortable distance between chair and table. Don’t sit for more than half an hour at a stretch. Walk and relax for a while after every half an hour.

Sleeping posture: Lying on a wooden cot on a bedsheet or thin bed is best for the backbone. Avoid big pillow or cushion. First lie on the side of the body and then on the back with legs and hands stretched.

Lifting weight: Most backaches occur as a result of lifting the weight forcefully by leaning towards the side or front. Lift the weight by bending the knees and holding the weight close to the body.

Sleep: Don’t sleep during the day. Ensure 5-6 hours of sleep in the night. Have moderate sex. Practise regular toilet habits.

Sunlight: Expose body to the warm evening sun. Vitamin D obtained from sunlight is good for the growth of bone.

Obesity: Control body weight according to one’s height. When the feet become too weak to hold the body weight, it leads to backache.

Bad habits: Avoid bad habits like smoking and drinking. These invite diseases like BP and diabetics, which could aggravate your backache.

Mental health: Stress and tension cause backache. Practice mental relaxation and de-stressing techniques like yoga and music therapy.

(Courtesy:Mathrubhumi Arogya Masika. The writer is attached to Kottakkal Arya Vaidya Sala, Kottakkal )

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Youth Can Lose Weight With Yoga

Overweight teens shed an average six pounds over 12 weeks, researchers say

SATURDAY, March 4 (HealthDay News) -- Teens bent on losing weight may want to bend into the Half Moon Pose -- or any other yoga position, according to a new study.

Researchers at Hampton University in Virginia report that a program combining yoga and breathing exercises helped teens shed unwanted pounds.

The study included 60 overweight high school girls and boys who were divided into two groups. One group received 40 minutes of yoga and pranayama (quiet, deep and forced breathing) four times a week for 12 weeks, while those in the control group did their normal activities.

"Pranyama and yoga are two potential exercise solutions that concentrate on the abdominal region. They have been associated with changes in blood flow to different regions of the brain and changes in metabolic activities of the brain," study author Anand B. Shetty, an associate professor in the department of physical therapy, said in a prepared statement.

After 12 weeks, the average body mass index (BMI) in the yoga/pranayama group went from 22.8 to 21.5 (a 5.7 percent decrease), while the average BMI in the control group increased from 22.3 to 22.4.

"The average body weight reduction for the pranayama group was six pounds, with no restrictions on either group in daily caloric intake," Shetty said.

"The decrease in the pranayama group could be attributed to two factors: the pranayama and yoga exercises themselves, and a possible decrease in daily caloric intake by the participants in the pranayama group because of decreased stomach size."

The findings were presented Friday at the American Heart Association's annual conference on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention, in Phoenix.

Shetty said the results suggest that yoga and pranayama can help prevent obesity in teens, and should be introduced as part of physical activity programs in schools and other settings.

"I recommend 30 minutes of pranayama and yoga, three to four times a week. This also can easily be incorporated at home during leisure time with other family members," he said.

Heart ailments may become an epidemic by 2010: Expert

Patna, Mar 5: Renowned Cardiac surgeon Dr Naresh Trehan has warned that heart-related diseases may assume the proportion of an epidemic by 2010.
Speaking at the inaugural function of the open heart surgery unit in a nursing home last evening, Dr Trehan said nearly 12 per cent people in urban India and six per cent in rural areas had the risk of heart attack while it was only four per cent in the US.
He said lifestyle changes and genetic composition were few factors contributing largely to the growth of heart problems. He warned those having high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and obesity.
He said brisk walking for 45 minutes a day was also effective in dealing with the heart problem.
Dr Trehan has created a niche for himself by performing over 36,000 open heart surgeries. He is the executive director of Escorts Heart Institute and Research Centre in New Delhi.
He said that his institute was combining Ayurveda, homeopathy, Allopathy and modern therapies with scientific experimentation and documentation.
He said that physical exercise, yoga and meditation was helpful in checking heart problems but he cautioned against following any practice or therapy ‘blindly.’ (UNI)

Chronogram - The Wisdom of Ayurveda - Mar 2006Ayurveda is based on the premise that true health is a state of balance among the diverse energies of the universe within us.
Ayurveda, a Sanskrit term meaning knowledge (or science) of life, is one of the oldest healing traditions, dating back some 5,000 years. It is India's ........