Exercise and diet: The only way to good health

dave: Are free weights better than those in circuit machines?

Samreedhi Sharma: Hi! I definitely prefer them. However, machines do have their advantages, so why not combine the two?

vinnie_desai: I use heart rate sensors on the cycle/stepper and the calculation you showed is exactly what I use to measure my target heart rate! Also, when I do weights, I try and keep my heart rate up as well. If I'm working on my legs and chest, I do a set of bench press and then immediately do a set of leg press. By alternating different muscle groups I'm able to keep a constant heart rate and rest the other muscle at the same time. Hope this makes sense. Is it the right approach? PS: Is it good to drink soya milk after a workout? Overall, my diet is well under control.

Samreedhi Sharma: Hi! You are very aware! But those sensors are a bit off the mark -- you should be sufficiently breathless, but not totally out of breath. If you are in your target zone, why not drink skimmed milk instead of soya milk after your workout?

vicku: Any remedy for stretch marks?

Samreedhi Sharma: Hi! Massaging with Vitamin E oil helps lighten them. That's it. If they are too obvious, use make-up to cover them.

gauravsharma_bunty: What kind of exercises would you suggest for thin (very thin) people?

Samreedhi Sharma: Hi! Weight training and a proper diet.

swathi: Hi. Is there an upper limit on the weights one should lift during weight training?

Samreedhi Sharma: Hi! It depends on your capacity. If you can lift a weight easily for 12 reps and your aim is heavy lifting, then increase the weight!

vinnie_desai: I think I better invest in a Polar watch then. But I tend to struggle a bit for breath, which means I am pushing myself. I thought soya milk was higher in protein?

Samreedhi Sharma: Yes Polar A5 is the model I use. Soya is an incomplete protein; milk is better.

kranti: Hi Sam, this is Kranti Limaye. I have been married last nine months. I saw those attractive ads on television, the ones that claim to reduce weight through some Ayurvedic medicine. Ayuslim, for example. I regularly exercise and have already lost five kgs in a month. What do you think about Ayuslim?

Samreedhi Sharma: Hi! You have already lost 5 kgs in one month, so you are already on the right track. Why try all these things when you are losing weight safely and easily?

ashu: Is it okay to mix cardio and weight lifting simultaneously OR should one first finish cardio and then start lifting weights?

Samreedhi Sharma: Please finish one and then start the other unless you are circuit training.

MBM: I have been living and working abroad for the last two year and I feel the dietary change is having an impact on me (slight exertion/stress). We have Indian dinners. Breakfast and lunch are non-Indian, but certainly not junk/ frozen/ ready food. I take care to eat proper food. What kind of ideal Western vegetarian diet would you suggest?

Samreedhi Sharma: Cereal and milk and one fruit for breakfast. Two to three cereal servings in the form of rice/ bread/ whole wheat pasta, with one and a half protein servings as pulses or legumes and two to three vegetable servings is good.

gauravsharma_bunty: Are the health drinks which promise weight gain good for health?

Samreedhi Sharma: NONONONO! Stick to natural food. Our Indian diet is very rich in nutrients.

amukho123: My wife 3'3" and weighs 48 kgs. She does lots of exercise but takes only juice and salad. Will it lead to sickness?

Samreedhi Sharma: Yes, it will!

ashu: How much of a time gap do you recommend between two sets of same exercise and between two different exercises?

Samreedhi Sharma: Twenty to 30 seconds.

bimla: Does working in night shifts upset our cycle? Is it advisable to run/ jog at odd hours?

Samreedhi Sharma: Yes, working in night shifts will upset your cycle. You cannot make up for night sleep, even if you sleep in the day. Run/ jog when you are fresh, no matter what the hour. Remember to keep a two hour gap between a meal and a jog.