Exercise Your Way to Health with Ayurveda by Shreelata Suresh

Ayurvedic healers recommend exercise on a daily basis for good health and longevity. The ayurvedic approach to exercise focuses not only on the physical benefits exercise imparts, but also on its positive influence on mind, heart, senses and spirit when customized to suit individual needs for balance.

The ayurvedic approach to exercise aims at the following physical benefits:

· Enhanced circulation · Enhanced energy, strength and vitality · Enhanced flexibility and coordination · Good posture · Increased ability to breathe deeper, infusing more prana into the system · A feeling of lightness in the body · Toned muscles and body · Increased efficiency of the digestive system and a balanced appetite and metabolism · Increased efficiency in eliminating toxins from the body

The ayurvedic approach to exercise also aims at the following benefits for mind, heart and spirit:

· Enhanced mental alertness and agility · Enhanced mental strength · Enhanced focus and ability to concentrate · Sense of emotional equilibrium · Enhanced self-esteem and respect for one's body · Self-awareness · Enhanced ability to manage stress · Freedom of spirit

General Ayurvedic Exercise Guidelines

Exercise done to the point of discomfort tends to be counterproductive. When you work out to the point where you are sore, exhausted and straining to breathe normally, your body is generating free radicals, which have been implicated in disease and premature aging. Excessive free radical build-up in the body tends to lower natural immunity. Also, when you work your body so hard that you have to take a day off to rest it after every three days of exercise, you are increasing wear and tear. Over-exercising can interfere with your metabolism as well, slowing it down.

To get the benefits from exercise without the side effects, exercise only as long as you can breathe normally through the nose. When you begin to feel yourself pushing beyond your zone of comfort, slow down and walk until you can resume again without straining. Over time, as your body acclimatizes itself to your new way of working out, you will be able to exercise longer in comfort. Pay heed to your body and it will guide you towards your optimum exercise type and level.

The ayurvedic texts describe the concept of balaardh-using half your strength or capacity-when you exercise. For example, if you can run a 4-minute mile, you would do it in 8 minutes using the concept of balaardh. As you maintain the exercise program, your capacity will increase, so that the 50% 3 months down the line will be greater than the 50% you do today.

When done this way, you will be able to enjoy exercise and you will stay with it longer, and you won't have the burnout or injuries that often come with working out till you drop. When exercise is done within your comfort zone, it is also nourishing to your heart and emotions and enhances your sense of overall well-being.

Exercise early in the morning. When you work out in the morning, exercise helps elevate energy levels for the day and promotes more restful sleep at night. If you exercise in the evening, you may have trouble settling down to sleep.

Do not exercise on a completely empty stomach or just after a full meal. Eat something light, such as a small portion of stewed fruit, about 15 minutes before you exercise. If you've eaten a full meal, wait at least three hours before you work out, to avoid diverting the body's focus from digesting the meal and assimilating the nutrients.

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BIO:

Shreelata Suresh is a yoga instructor who lives in the Bay Area. She writes for various publications on yoga, ayurveda and Indian culture. For more articles on ayurveda and premier ayurvedic products, please visit http://www.ayurbalance.com.

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