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Ayurveda
Exercise, The Ayurvedic Way!
by Vaidya Rama Kant Mishra
 Marla prided herself on her rigorous routine, running five miles daily.
When she reached her early thirties she started to feel exhausted,
couldn't sleep at night, and discovered that her skin was showing signs of
aging. Marla was exercising too much for her health. After consulting an
Ayurvedic
physician, she started an exercise program that was more in line with her
Vata body type. Today she sleeps through the night and has
recovered her stamina, strength, and youthful skin.
Exercise has been an important part of the Ayurvedic routine for thousands
of years before it became a modern fad. Exercise gets rid of heaviness and
stiffness of the body because it burns ama (digestive impurities)
and creates more flexibility, lightness, smoothness and easiness.
Other benefits include enhanced firmness, endurance, and ability to do
work. It pacifies all three doshas and creates balance when
suitable for the body type and season. It enhances the digestion, and if
done properly, it dissolves impurities in the tissues. Exercise enhances
immunity and capacity
for food. It banishes fatigue, stops early aging, and retards weight gain.
Respect Your Limits
But too much exercise can be damaging. Fatigue, lack of glow in the skin
and face, Pitta and Vata aggravation, and strain on the
respiratory and cardiovascular systems result from too much exercise.
Modern research confirms that too much exercise can create free radicals
and damage the body.
Excess free radicals have been linked to over 80% of degenerative disease
as well as premature aging. According to Maharishi Ayurveda, you should
not use more than 50 percent of your total capacity. And that capacity
depends on daily fluctuations of energy, change of the seasons, age, and
body type. This is the Ayurvedic principle of balaardh - using half
your capacity and conserving the other half. Exercising beyond one's
capacity can create imbalance in mind and body, and do more harm than good
from the Ayurvedic perspective.
Vata types need less exercise, so lighter activities such as
walking are best. Pitta types need moderate amounts, swimming and
skiing, for example, and Kapha types need more intense exercise,
such as jogging and aerobics, in order to stay in balance. The seasons
follow another pattern: if you want to increase your exercise, winter and
spring are the best times. In hot weather, you need to decrease exertion
and stay out of the hot sun. As for age, children have more capacity for
exercise and older people need less, although daily exercise is essential
at any age.
How do you know if you're doing the right amount of exercise?
As long as you feel energized and blissful, you are not going beyond what
your physiology can sustain. If you feel strained and exhausted, you're
doing too much. You can continue to exercise until you notice one of the
following two signs of overexertion:
-
Difficulty breathing through the nose. If you have to open your mouth to
gulp in air, that's a sign that your heart is overexerted, the circulation
system is taxed, and the coordination of heart and lungs is disturbed.
Stop immediately.
-
Sweating on forehead or tip of nose. It's fine to sweat elsewhere in the
body, but when you notice sweat in these two places, it's a sign that you
are overexerted and should stop.
If you're not exerting enough, you can exercise for a longer period or
with more intensity. You could start with a walk, but each day you could
increase the intensity of exercise (by walking faster). Or you could walk
for a longer time (increasing the duration). Start out slowly and
gradually increase the
intensity and time. Stop when you note signs of overexertion.
Yoga asanas are the ideal form of exercise for all body types and
ages, because they balance the three doshas, tone the muscles, and
rejuvenate all the organs in the body. Pranayam, or breathing
exercises, are also good for restoring balance to mind and body. You can
take a course at a Maharishi Vedic Center to find out how to do them
properly.
Increase Your Stamina
To increase endurance, eat more sweet, juicy fruits, and more proteins
such as milk, paneer (a fresh cheese), soaked almonds and cashews.
Make sure your bowel movements are regular, and if not, incorporate more
cooked prunes, figs and raisins in your diet.
Exercise every day, as part of your regular daily routine. If possible,
exercise in the morning before 10:00, as your body has more strength,
stamina, and coordination during the Kapha time of day. Exercising
at this time also energizes you, preparing you for the day ahead.
Exercising in the late evening or towards bedtime is not recommended, as
it can elevate body temperatures and disrupt sleep rhythms. A light walk
in the evening is fine. Also avoid exercise from 10a.m. to 2p.m., the
Pitta time of day when the digestive fires are burning high and it is
time to eat the main meal of the day.
It's not a good idea to exercise on a full stomach, nor is it good to
exert yourself if your stomach is empty. Wait about two hours after a full
meal. Have a light snack of fruit juice, a cooked apple, or some kind of
soupy, warming food before exercising and eat your full breakfast
afterwards.
I also recommend an abhyanga (Ayurvedic oil massage) before
exercise, which is another reason why it works well to exercise in the
morning, after your morning massage. This will tone the muscles, get the
blood circulating and prevent injury or strain.
October 6, 2002
Disclaimer:
Information provided in this article is for the sole purpose of imparting education on
Ayurveda and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. If you have a medical condition, please consult your physician.
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Ayurveda
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