Hello everyone. Hope you all are fine and in the best of your health to fight Covid – 19. Today , I would like to highlight the importance of hydration to remain fit and healthy .We all know that 2/3 of our body consists of water. Our body uses water in all the cells, tissues and organs to help regulate the temperature and maintain other bodily functions. Because our body loses water through breathing, sweating and digestion, it is very important to rehydrate by drinking fluids and eating foods that contain water. Thus water is a very major constituent of our body and it plays a very vital role in keeping us healthy and active to perform vital functions of the body. Therefore it is very necessary to take care of our daily water intake. Today I would like to share 10 very important reasons to drink enough water everyday…

1. Regulation of body temperature..Staying hydrated is very crucial to maintain our body temperature. Our body loses water through sweat during physical activity and in hot environments. Our sweat keeps our body cool but our body temperature will rise if we do not replenish the water we have lost. That is because our body loses electrolytes and plasma when it is dehydrated.So if we are sweating more than usual,we should make sure to drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration.

2. Lubrication (protects tissues,spinal cord and joints)..Water consumption helps lubricate and cushion our joints,spinal cord and tissues. This will help us enjoy our physical activity and lessen discomfort caused by conditions like arthritis.

3. Excrete Toxins (through perspiration,urination and defecation)..Our body uses water to sweat , urinate and bowel movement. Sweat regulates body temperature when we are exercising or in warm temperature. We need water to replenish the lost fluid in the form of sweat. We also need enough water in our body for healthy stool formation and avoid constipation. Our kidneys also need adequate water to perform well and prevent formation of kidney stones.

4. Helps to create saliva..Water is the main component of saliva . Saliva also contains small amount of electrolytes,mucus and enzymes. Saliva is essential for breaking down solid food and keeping our mouth healthy. Our body produces enough saliva with regular fluid intake. In case our mouth is drier than usual and increasing water intake is not helping ,we must visit the doctor.

5. Helps in absorbing nutrients..Water also helps in absorbing vitamins, minerals and other nutrients from our food. It then delivers these vital components to the rest of the body to use for different purposes.

6. Improves blood circulation..Water carries helpful nutrients and oxygen to our entire body. Drinking adequate water daily will improve our blood circulation and have a positive impact on our overall health.

7.Helps maximise physical performance.. Drinking plenty of water during physical exercise is essential. Athletes may perspire upto 6-10 % of body water during physical activity. Proper hydration also affects our strength, power and endurance. Negative effects of exercise in the heat without enough water can include serious medical conditions like decreased blood pressure and hyperthermia. Extreme dehydration can cause seizures and even death. So one must drink adequate water especially during physical activity.

8. Helps improve mood..Dehydration results in fatigue and confusion as well as anxiety and irritability. Proper hydration helps in lifting our energy and mood to perform better in hot weather and condition.

9. Helps in cognitive function..Proper hydration helps in improving our focus, and alertness . Thus helps in performing better cognitive functions.

10. Helps fight illness..Drinking adequate water helps in preventing certain medical conditions such as ..Constipation , kidney stones , Exercise induced Asthma, urinary tract infections, Hypertension etc. Thus playing a very valuable role in keeping us healthy.

Now the big question is how much water we should drink everyday? …We get about 20% of our daily water intake from food we eat. Rest depends upon drinking water and water based beverages. Ideally men should consume about 3 litres of water and women around 2.5 litres everyday. We have to increase our hydration if we are exercising or living in a hotter region to avoid dehydration. We can assess our hydration including our thirst and colour of our urine. Feeling thirsty indicates our body is not receiving adequate hydration . If the colour of our urine is dark, it indicates dehydration.

Water is important to almost every part of our body and adequate water intake helps in improving our overall health. The best practice is to keep a water bottle with us wherever we go, keep track of our water intake and we can pace ourselves to approach half of our recommended dose of water by midday.

I hope this article is valuable to you and may help you in determining your intake of water and keep you in good mood and spirits. Please share your feedback and comments.

Hello everyone. I hope you all are in the best of your mental and physical health during this corona pandemic. I can feel the pain and suffering you all might be going through during this tough time of our life. But I think this the real test of our obedience, patience ,commitment and love towards our family ,society and nation. I strongly believe we all will be victorious in defeating this virus and will emerge as better human beings than ever. With this positive note I want to thank all of you for playing a valuable role in the lives of people who are going through the toughest time of their lives by providing ration , food packets , masks , sanitizers etc. Also I express my gratitude to all the Corona Warriors such as Police ,Traffic police, Doctors ,Nurses, Paramedic Staff and others for their exceptional commitment and dedication to save each and every citizen of our nation.

Now i would like to present 10 interesting ways to kill the boredom of lockdown…

1. Learn a Foreign Language …I would request you to remember your days of youth when you had a burning desire to learn a new language but couldn’t do so. There could be many reasons ..finance , lack of time , over burdened with academic curriculum etc. But now it is like a perfect time to fulfill your desire of learning a new language of your liking such as Russian, Spanish, German ,French etc. So without wasting a minute , get yourself registered online and start learning a language you love to learn. You can try the apps like Duolingo and Busuu to learn a foreign language of your choice.
2. Make Future Plans …Wanted to visit your Aunt’s home abroad or wished to travel Europe! You can very well use this lockdown period to plan your vacations for your favourite destinations. Search your options on Google and make a customised itenary of your choice of the places to visit and the food to enjoy. One can check the climate and weather of the preferred destination and can plan for the necessary things to be carried along.
3. Journal...This is one of the best activities to kill the boredom of lockdown . Since we are not allowed to step outside until and unless there is an emergency, we can very well utilise this time by writing our everyday activities done during this lockdown. We can pen down our feelings and the emotions we are going through. We can write down the most cherished moments of our life.We can mention the lessons life has taught us during this tough time.
4. Practice Yoga…We can do some yoga exercises every morning to achieve inner peace strength. We can easily overcome ours suspicions , doubts and uncertainties of life. Yoga helps in killing the anxiety and depression and plays a major role in making a fine balance between mind , body and soul. We can do few Surya namaskars daily for the flexibility and strength of our body. One can do Pranayam, kapalbhati, anulom-vilom to optimize the working of our lungs ,stomach and other vital organs.
5. Start A Blog...Best time to get the creative juices flowing.One can always write a blog and this is a golden oppurtunity to give wings to our thoughts and imagination by writing a blog on the current situation .Else we can choose our area of interests and the topics of our choice and can fulfill our desires of writing a blog and presenting it to the world.
6. Get Fit and Healthy…I am pretty sure most of us are missing their Gym routine and physical exercise workouts because of lockdown. We can do some gym exercises at home with the help of a chair and dumbbells. Otherwise we can do physical exercises without weights to keep ourselves fit and healthy. We can do squats, lunges, planks ,chair dips ,burpees, abdominal crunches to name a few which will keep us in perfect shape and strengthen our body.
7. Getting close to Nature…. I know we all are feeling bored and tired in this lockdown period.We can kill our boredom by spending some time in nature. We can soak the sun everyday for 10-15 min sitting in silence and solitude. This will refresh us and fulfill the daily dose of Vitamin D and help in keeping our bones healthy and strong. We can spend some time in our garden doing some gardening stuff daily. We can very well prune the plants. Manuring and watering the plants will definitely make us feel happy and lift our spirits.
8. Be Creative …One can do painting , skeching and other skillful activities of one’s interest and can explore the hidden talent to the maximum because there is no boundation of time in the lockdown period. This is going to help us to vent out our frustation and anger which got manifested as a result of feeling helpless during lockdown.
9. Play Indoor Games…This is one of the most interesting and coolest way of killing the boredom. Best part is that each and every person of the family can enjoy and take part in most of the indoor games such as playing Chess, Carrom, Snakes and ladders ,Ludo ,Table Tannis to name a few. This is more enjoyable when two or more teams are made and competition is there to be the best performer. We can add snacks as a reward for the winner to be made by the opponent to add fun to the game. I am sure these moments of togetherness will be cherished by each and every member of the family for the rest of their lives.
10. Household Chores…This activity may sound very boring to many of the readers but I am sure once you start delivering ..I mean taking part in household chores be it cleaning utensils, making chapatis, trying to make new dishes, moping the floor, arranging wardrobe etc. ,you will start enjoying these small chores . At the end of the day, it will give us a feeling of value and contribution towards our family.

I hope you liked my blog. I am waiting for your comments and feedback.

Hi everyone. This is my second blog during lockdown. I hope you all are in the best of your health. You must be thinking everyday how to remain in good health,shape ,fitness and spirit. Today I have come with a tried and tested solution for all your worries and concerns regarding this. Here is a ladder of 10 Exercises which can be performed easily in the comfort of your home or terrace during lockdown to keep you motivated in good spirits...

1.The Squat...this is a lower body exercise. Stand tall with your feet spread shoulder width apart. Bend your legs and lower your hips toward the floor, making sure to not let your knees collapse inward while you are doing so. Return to stand while squeezing your glutes(hips). Do atleast 40-50 reps initially .You can increase reps later as per your strength and liking.

2.Plank…This exercise is good for strengthning the whole body. Lie on your stomach and then prop your weight on your forearms and toes.Keep a straight line from head to toe.Initially you can do it for 30-60 seconds and later on can extend it to as much time you are comfortable with.

3.Air Cycling … A very good exercise for the muscles of legs. Lie on your back and hold one leg up in the air. Your thigh should be perpendicular to your body and your shin should be parallel to the ground. Hold your other leg 2-3 inches off the ground. Now start rotating both the legs in clockwise motion for atleast 30-40 sec then do it anticlockwise for same amount of time.Make sure while cycling your back lies flat on the ground.

4.Bridge…Very good exercise for the whole body. Lie on your back with your feet flat on the ground. Lift your hips so that there is a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. Hold yourself in this position for atleast 30-40 sec and then put your body down on the ground.Repeat for couple of times. Make sure your hips dont’ dip while doing this exercise.

5.Pushups…Very effective exercise for the complete body strength. Lie down on your stomach and then lift your body on your palms and toes. Now move your body up and down while maintaining it’s weight on palms and toes. Do atleast 40-50 reps in one set and gradually you can increase them .

6.Modified Bird Dog...One of the wonderful exercise to keep the body in perfect shape. In a table position lift your left arm so that it is parallel to the ground. At the same time lift your right leg so that your thigh is also parallel to the ground but your shin should be perpendicular to the ground. Your knee should be bent and your glute (Hip) muscles should be activated. Hold in this position for several seconds and then switch the side. Do it 8-10 times.

7.Supine leg lift .. This exercise is also good for increasing the overall strength of the body. Lie on your back with knees bend. Lift one leg high up to the height of the other knee off the ground . Hold for some time and then change the side. Do it 8-10 times.

8.Lateral leg raise… This exercise is particularly beneficial for I.T.Bend syndrome. Lie on your right side. Lift your left leg to about 45 degree in a controlled manner then lower down. Switch side .One must do it atleast 8-10 times to get the desired results.

9.Side steps/shuffle…One of the best exercises for knee strengthning. Take 10 steps laterally towards your left with knees slightly bend. Switch side. Do atleast 8-10 sets. This exercise looks like a slow motion version of a basketball defence drill.

10. Iron Cross…This dynamic stretch will help you feel loose after doing all the strengthing exercises. Lie on your back with your arms out at your sides and swing your right leg over your torso and up to your left hand. Repeat the exercise with your left leg. Do atleast 8- 10 times to feel loosened.

I hope I am able to satisfy my readers with my sincere attempt of sharing this info.

Please share your comment and feedback.

Dont’ you Wish to be Fit and Healthy amid the Covid 19 Pandemic?

Here are the 10 Rituals which can be followed easily by all of us …

1. Small Portion size.. My sincere request to all of you to please keep the size of your meals small enough to keep extra calories at bay. You can have small bowls and plates to serve your meals in order to avoid eating more at once.

2. Exercise Routine…You should have daily schedule of physical exercises to be performed everyday. You can download any of the exercise apps from Google playstore…like 7minute workout, and other training app as per your liking and requirement.

3. Incorporate Yoga… You can add some Yoga exercises in your daily routine . These can be easily downloaded from You tube.

4. Rope Skipping… It is a very good Cardio exercise . It also helps in shaping the whole body. Also you can do it all alone without requiring anyone’s help.

5. Brisk walk… One can do briskwalk on the terrace during Lockdown. Doing it for atleast 40-50 min can keep us in good shape and will keep our weight in check.

6. Core strengthning exercises… You can easily do some brilliant core strengthning exercises from the comfort of your home. These include Squats, burpees,pushups, chair dips,planks etc.

7. Stair climbing… If you dont’ have access to a terrace for workout then stair climbing is a perfect exercise to do.It is also a very good cardio exercise.

8. Audio books and Podcasts … We can listen to some great audio books of our favourite personalities from different walks of life such as Athletes ,Cricketers, film stars, business tycons, social reformers ,spiritual gurus etc. This can keep us motivated in this tough time of corona pandemic.

9. Gardening… It is a very good stressbusting activity one can do on daily basis. We will feel more close to nature and will calm us mentally in this tough time.

10. Sleep well …last but not the least one should have enough sleep of atleast 7-8 hrs in order to have good immunity to fight this highly infectious virus.

Remember… Any physical exercise or yoga etc should be avoided if one is suffering from High B.P , heart problem ,thyroid etc until and unless recommended by their Doctors and health care professionals.

Hope you like my blog . Please comment and share your feedback.

Author is a fitness enthusiast , a member of Skechers running club, Delhi. He is running marathons since 2013 and has got benefitted physically ,mentally and spiritually by running marathons and doing exercises regularly.

A big hello to everyone. This is my 3rd blog during lockdown. Hope you all are healthy and safe. I am sure you must be following the instructions of lockdown. Today I am suggesting some activities which one can enjoy doing at home while following all the norms of lockdown…

1. Keep yourself fit…During lockdown we all have to stay home, so we cannot do any outdoor physical activity. But we can always do lots of physical exercises at our home or at terrace. We can make a weekly planner for the same and perform various exercises daily. There are many exercise apps which can be downloaded from playstore like 7m workout, adidas training to name a few. One can keep a track record of the workout performed daily by writing in a journal and give grade to oneself for better performance.
2. Reading Books of your choice …We always regret for not having sufficient time for reading books of our choice and interest. But lockdown has given us a wonderful opportunity to fulfill our dreams of reading books of our passion. Now we have time to make our dreams of passionate reading come true be it fiction books , biographies, philosophical books or books of celebrities, successful entrepreneurs.
3. Add some skill to your list…You can always add some extra skill of your dream . You can learn any online like public speaking , digital marketing, photography course, finance managment which are readily available at very discounted prices online.Great opportunity to avail during lockdown period to add some skills to your tally.
4. Pamper yourself…You can do some self care therapies at home. You can apply home made face pack . One can get hair massage done by spouse and do the vice versa. This will further strengthen your bond with your spouse. Kids can also be taken special care by the parents collectively by teaching them some good hygiene practices.
5. Giving your home a makeover…We can make some temporary changes in seating arrangements day in day out to feel refreshed on daily basis during lockdown period.We can move sofas here and there ,change the the sleeping arrangements to feel a change.We can declutter our house by discarding items which are lying unused for years and can feel some sense of freshness in our sweet home.
6. Be Social on Phone…We can make phone calls to our loved ones, friends ,relatives , work colleagues and all those whom you care for. Ask about their health and safety. Do make them feel special and show the love and concern you have for their well being.
7. Listen to your heart…We have got this brilliant opportunity to fulfill our desire of learning something of our taste and passion through online. One can learn how to play guitar, casino, drum online. We can try singing with the help of Karaoke and can bring out our hidden Arijit Singh or Kishore Kumar. Even we can learn any new language online from the comfort of our home during lockdown.
8. Try your hand in Cooking…We can try to learn some cooking by making new dishes and help our spouse in kitchen. We can give pleasant surprise to our kids by making dishes of their choice.This will lead to healthy communication with our kids which is missing nowadays because of our busy schedules.
9. Quit bad habits…We can encash this opportunity of lockdown by quitting some of our bad habits such as drinking alcohol, smoking. We can reduce our consumption of junk foods, sweets and cookies etc. This will help us in reducing our weight and keeping ourselves healthy.
10. Become organised…We can become more organised during this pandemic lockdown by arranging all our necessary documents in a folder and keeping them in a safe place. We can arrange our wardrobes,shoe racks etc. thus can make our home a better place to live .

I hope you like my suggested activities which can be easily performed at home during lockdown. It will surely make our bond stronger with our family and can help in improving our communication with our loved ones, friends and relatives. Please share your valuable comments and feedback to make me improve and serve you better. Love you all.

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton