Take A Break Today

Thats me & my best buds taking an epic pano @the Great Wall of China, Beijing

I recently returned from an epic vacay. I can tell you while I grudgingly get back to my routine. The trip brought back the sparkle to my everyday life and things are not so boring anymore.  Also now my license to complain is suspended. It is not such a bad way to live!

Yes I did a handstand @ The Great Wall of China

We all carry about quite a bit of unwanted emotional luggage and stress every day. I like to question how important is it to stop, breath and rewind? Why is it a struggle to get time off? Why is it met with a guilt complex to be able to exhaust all the 22-25 days a company gives its employees?

Taking time off allows us to deal with both mental and emotional luggage which is when we suppress our feelings and just move on. The more you pack it all away the more likely a meltdown is around the corner.

Saw a bit of heaven @Yanghso Mountians Guilin with my besties

There is definite merit in turning off life mode and chilling. I believe to be happy we need to get out of our daily routine or we will end up feeling trapped. Time off could be anything from sitting at home, watching  movies, going for a hobby class, travelling or spending time with family.

Trekking in rice paddy fields with this mind numbing view & rain!

Pause life and do something radically off your schedule: to avoid getting burnt-out, miserable and disillusioned with life. Studies prove that taking a break every now and then increases productivity. Many western companies incentivise employees to take a vacation. Breaking away from the clutter we can gain a new perspective and open our mind to fresh ideas and creativity.

 

A break is required for you to remain physically healthy too. Mental stress results in poor quality of sleep, mood swings, fatigue, high blood pressure, risk of cardiovascular diseases, poor eating habits, obesity and malnutrition, panic attacks and tons of other stuff. Your immune system becomes suppressed and you are susceptible to infections. While exercising can release some of this stress it is not

Eating something awesome!

enough to help you combat all of life’s curve-balls. Doing a complete shutdown is  the only way to recharge.

The only way to grow is to evaluate and analyze. How do I want to live my life? Does this life make me happy? How can I make things better? Important questions that pop up, but are left unanswered. When we are most relaxed answers will flow. The healing will happen and you will be able to feel your place in this life.

Lastly while many of us love what we do and maybe happy with how things are going. Time off will push you out of your comfort zone. And, to quote a famous quote “Sometimes everything we want in life lies just beyond our comfort zone”

 

 

 

 

As the holiday season here take some time out to relax, celebrate your 2015 achievements and make a resolutions to chill more next year!

 

 

If you have a fitness story to share or a point of view to be discussed or just good information that has worked or not worked for you, send me an email on lunchboxlicense@gmail.com or a facebook message on the page and I will be happy to feature you. 

 

Have Fun With Home Work Outs

I recently tried a HIIT home workout since I missed my usual session at the gym. It was just as challenging and I felt great! While training at the gym maybe your style it is good to be able to workout on your own anywhere. It helps while travelling or days when you are stuck with commitments

A close buddy Rohini Debroy has gone the home work out way. She says it is most convenient and is now working best for her. I asked her to give us the low down:

My fitness routine and self goals have changed over time. Last year I worked out a lot more intensively than I do today. I was a zumba instructor. I used to do some strength training (crossfit) with cardio (zumba) and general walking(without specific goals).

Now I am very busy with my company and I lose time travelling to gyms and working out. This is when I started my tryst with home workouts as an alternative. I had also developed swollen ankles from the excessive jumping and cardio in zumba primarily. The doctor cautioned me to reduce intensive training like jumping, squatting etc due to impact caused on my feet and knees. 

Walking and home body workouts

 I was low about this not-allowed-to-train advice and for 3 months I could only walk as an exercise. This is when I gave it a positive spin and started to enjoy walking with my dogs. I downloaded the Pacer App on my phone and began to count my steps everyday. This motivated me to walk more. It is addictive and now I do it while travelling too! I love this app because it gave me a checklist for my daily goals.

As my ankles healed, I slowly got back to low intensity body weight exercises at home, at my convenient time. I follow youtube videos/exercises, try http://darebee.com/ (also check out Tabata & Insanity).  I did yoga and added ab workouts with few reps throughout my day. All I need is my mat, a bottle of water, my laptop to follow the workouts and music

 

Goals need to be wholesome: 

 

Eating right,  being positive and meditating are fitness goals for me. Being mean to yourself and your body for not performing as much as you want it too, creates negativity inside. But accepting cheat days once in a while should be tolerated. If 80% of your diet is healthy, that is a good start for most of us. Detoxing is a great way to get a cleanse. I go through periods of no alcohol, no meat etc on my own for 3-4 weeks. Following it through and saying no to friends who call you out during those days helps to build will power. 

 I added ‘eat a salad’ and ‘drink soup everyday’ as a goal. The idea is to not scold myself if I don’t achieve it everyday, as I may want soup tomorrow and not today. They say ‘you are what you eat’ and this is very true with respect to fitness/ health. In the picture I cooked – ratatouille. I try different super foods and veggies and keep my protein intake balanced. 

 

Overall  I would say start to love and appreciate your body first, but after that it is about a wholesome approach for me – workout in nature (walk for 30 mins outdoors with my dogs), healthy eating and complete focus on self workouts(no distractions) – 30 mins of body workouts.

 

I hope this inspires one and all to workout on your own and with apps and youtube videos nowadays, all you just need some self-motivation.

Thanks a lot Rohini for this valuable and insightful post. Rohini Debroy is Partner & Interior Designer at Debroys, Ex- Advertising Professional, Zumba Instructor, ardent Fitness Enthusiast, Dog Lover, Part-time chef and Wanderlust Fan. 

If you would like to contribute or share your stories please mail me on lunchboxlicense@gmail.com

#Girlswholift

Weight-training and women is a topic that I relate to quite closely, I am FED UP of guys at the gym, my peers and other random ignorant humans commenting about women and weights.

I understand that not everyone is well-informed about weight-training, but I DO NOT get why people comment on the “bulking/ muscling up” of women. To each their own, somehow no one comments about anorexic looking women, but a girl lifting weights gets plenty of “don’t become too bulky” (whatever the hell that means!)

Why are carrying heavy weights perfectly fine for women as they are for men?

Nimisha my lifting buddy!

Women, lifting weights will NOT turn you into THE HULK. The opposite happens you finally get the body you dream of which has no jiggly fat, a faster metabolic rate and you get “toned” ( toned = muscular, you know that right?) Weight training can address problem areas and redefine the shape of it unlike cardio.

Keep in mind that there are hormonal differences between men and women that causes us to react in slightly different ways to exercise. The fact is that most women are just not going to grow that big. We do not have testosterone present, so unless you are supplementing with additional testosterone (which 99% of you aren’t), building massive muscles should be the least of your concerns. Sadly women will struggle with that last little bit of stubborn body fat. So, that means, lifting heavier weights does not = a large degree of muscle mass for you.

Deadlifting 70kgs! 1 rep best!

In addition females develop muscle at about half the rate of men, thus, again, this even further proves that you should not concern yourself with the thought that you’ll spout gigantic muscles overnight if you so much as pick up something heavier than 5kgs.

Weight training can help you achieve activities you thought only men can do! Lifting heavy boxes at home, carrying your own groceries (no more damsel in distress) carrying your own luggage, self-defense, etc. you will finally be a strong and independent women.

Ass to grass with 40kgs

Lastly not all of us are cardio people, weight-training maybe your calling and due to crazy myths you are shying away from a format of exercise which you may love! There is a great level of confidence and satisfaction obtained when you can carry 40kgs and do a front squat!

I was under a similar mindset of weights = bulky when I first started off. I did low weights into a zillion reps, but not much happened and most of all I stagnated. With the right education and encouragement I stopped shying away from heavy weights and I really started enjoying myself.

Do I look like HULK?

Weight training helped me accomplish many goals. I wanted to share that I dead-lift and back squat more than my bodyweight and in my class I sometimes lift more weights than the boys and for once it feels great to be EQUAL if not better.

So force your trainer to incorporate 3-4 times a week of weight training into your schedule = awesome toned abs and muscles. Along with a stronger, better you! Make sure the buildup is progressive and not lifting heavy all of a sudden. Like all types of exercise make sure FORM is KING before you start loading up the plates! The heavier you go the repetitions should decrease with increased recovery time. In the initial phase have a trainer supervise you to make sure the form stays good. Warm up and cool down with a good amount of stretching.

Most of all push and challenge yourself, if 5kgs is light then move to 7 or 9 or 12 ….. remember there is no side-effect or negative result from lifting heavier! And if you get one of those chauvinistic “don’t get bulky” remarks you will now be strong and informed enough to give a good punch! ( or you can share my post and educate them)

I request all my readers to also read this enlightening & amazing post

Note to readers: This is not a feminist post for man haters, but a post for men and women on a topic that exists and no one talks about. Spread the word, & the next time your girl gym buddy wants to lift heavy be her spotter!

Anytime Granola Bars

Snacking is a real pet peeve and I am on a constant look out for yummy healthy snacks. It was during this treasure hunt that I stumbled upon granola bars. Considered a healthy on-the-go breakfast and snack option, the ones available in the store like all things processed are not as good as they sound or taste. Lucky for me a dear friend who is an A grade baker gifted me a box of the yummiest and very filling homemade healthy granola bars. Ten days later when I had steadily finished all of it, I realized it’s time I gave the recipes a try.

Major ingredients are oats, peanut butter and almonds. Here are some quick facts about their benefits
Peanut butter (stop the alarm bells ringing in your head) is a super source of protein. It is great for building and repairing muscles, which is especially important if you work out. Now for the big one, it is heart friendly! Yup it is filled with monosaturated fats (it falls in the healthy fats category like olive oil and avocado) that prevents heart diseases and it does not get stored as FAT! (read on monosaturated fats) . For the calorie counting fanatics here goes: Two tablespoons of creamy peanut butter contain 188 calories, 8 grams of protein, 6 grams of carbs and 16 grams of fat.

Oats is THE grain of this century, it lowers your cholesterol levels and has plenty of good dietary fiber. It has a unique property called beta glucan which help to control your blood sugar levels. Oats is low in calorie count, but gives you good energy and you stay full for longer. Plus it’s full of B vitamins, which support healthy metabolism; calcium, magnesium and phosphorus, to keep your bones strong. I sometimes have a quarter cup of cooked oats as a 4pm snack mixed with a few almonds -keeps me going until the workday is done!

Almonds just like peanut butter and oats gives high energy and you feel full longer. Secondly, it also controls cholesterol and blood sugar levels. They are packed with high quality protein, vitamin E, magnesium, fiber and many essential amino acids. You can also get copper, B vitamins, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, iron and healthy fats from almonds.

Now that we know the three major ingredients are all healthy and extremely good for us, but a word of caution this does not mean you can consume vast quantities a day. 1/2 cup of oats, 2 tablespoons of peanut butter and a handful of almonds is recommended.

Finally the granola bars and the recipe: Both of them have all healthy, tasty ingredients with NO added sugar, but honey and some dark chocolate for the sweetness instead.

photo taken from Cookie + Kate

Honey-Sweetened Almond Chocolate Chip Granola Bars ( recipe taken from Cookie + Kate read here for details, below is the edited version)Chewy, no-bake, gluten-free granola bars is so delicious and takes around 15 minutes to make ( even for a newbie like me)

INGREDIENTS ( for 14-16 bars)

• 1¾ cups oats
• 1⅓ cup sliced almonds
• ⅔ cup dark chocolate chips
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• ½ cup honey
• ½ teaspoon vanilla essence

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Line an 8 inch square baking pan with two strips of criss-crossed butter paper, cut to size. In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, almonds, and chocolate chips Whisk to combine.
2. Put the peanut butter in a bowl. Top with honey and the vanilla essence. Whisk until well blended.
3. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients. Use a big spoon to mix them together until the two are evenly combined and no dry oats remain.

   

   snapshots from my kitchen

   The drier the mixture, the more firm the bars will be, so stir in extra oats if the mixture seems wet.

4. Transfer the mixture to the prepared square baker. Use your spoon to arrange the mixture fairly evenly in the baker, then use the bottom of a flat, round surface (like a short, sturdy drinking glass), covered in a small piece of parchment paper to pack the mixture down as firmly and evenly as possible.
5. Cover the pan and refrigerate for at least one hour, or overnight. Use a sharp knife to slice the bars.

HEALTHY 5-INGREDIENT GRANOLA BARS ( for those of you who like the fruity ones, recipe taken from Minimalistic Baker read for details) 

INGREDIENTS

• 

  photocredit: minimalist Baker

  1 cup packed pitted dates

• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 cup roasted almonds, loosely chopped (look online to see how to roast almonds or otherwise just leave them raw)
• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Process dates in the mixie until small bits remain (about 1 minute). It should form a “dough” like consistency. (mine rolled into a ball)
2. Place oats, almonds and dates in a bowl – set aside.
3. Warm honey and peanut butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir and pour over oat mixture and then mix, breaking up the dates to disperse throughout.
4. Once thoroughly mixed, transfer to an 8×8 square dish baking pan lined with plastic wrap or parchment paper so they lift out easily.
5. Press down until uniformly flattened. Cover with parchment or plastic wrap, and let set in fridge or freezer for 15-20 minutes to harden.
6. Remove bars from pan and chop into 10 even bars. Store in an airtight container for up to a few days.

Whether you are an expert in the kitchen or not these recipes are quick, easy to make and totally kitchen disaster free (I tried them). Remember anything homemade is always better and healthier so avoid the packaged stuff and try this one at home. Granola bars are a super grab and go snack and the homemade ones leave you feeling full and satisfied.

Thanks Aneesha for introducing me to the yummy stuff and helping me make these. Thanks http://www.minimalistbaker.com and http://www.cookieandkate.com for the wonderful recipes and pictures.

Running a 10km Better

My earlier post on running a 10km was in May, which is the first step to long distance endurance runs. Since then I have been training a little to improve my own speed and stamina over June and a bit of July. All of this led to a drop in my timing in a recent 10km run that was held in my city. I still haven’t reached my 10km goal time and the journey ahead seems long and tough to get there, I did feel quite exhilarated that the run was better than the one in May.

While step one for long distance running is “finishing it” one must try to go beyond this to continually feel challenged. So if you have finished your first 10km run now start to focus on ways to make it better. There are two goals that you can work on for your next 10km.

1. Speed-can I reduce the time taken to complete this?

2. Consistent running with no stops-timing is not the key but to ensure that even in the tough bits you keep running at a consistent pace

PRE RUN SELFIE

When I trained from May to the run on 12th July my main focus was to increase my speed (therefore timing) and to not feel completely winded by the end of the race (AKA stamina improvement). To accomplish this a mixed training schedule of sprints and long distance runs is required

If you want to work towards the similar goals here are a few tips that helped me.

Try to train at least 3 days a week. ( 4 would be perfect, at least get 2 if not 3)

MY TRAINING CREW!

Find a few friends or a friend to push you or help you along. Ideally a person with better timing and speed. I have said this before too a running group really helps when you are a beginner. Finding the right running partners does not come easy I agree, but by joining a group it is a good way to stay motivated and make new friends.

Sprinting: Try to do each type once a week

Short Sprints for Speed Endurance: the goal here is to build muscle memory on how to move your legs quickly, and to make your race pace seem slow in comparison. You can do 400m x 4 rounds with a rest period of 2/3 minutes in between rounds

Shorter Sprints for Efficiency: When you speed up, your body adjusts to sprint more efficiently: You will push off more powerfully with each stride, and reduce up-and-down and side-to-side oscillation. With practice, these habits will become ingrained even at slower paces. Once a week do 100m x 6. Walk back to recover. You shouldn’t be out of breath when you begin the next one.

Shortest Sprints for Power:  Full-on sprinting teaches your brain to recruit and use a full range of muscle fibers. Do a thorough warm up before your start. You could do 50m x 6 with a 3 minute break between rounds.

Most IMPORTANT is to TIME yourself and record your weekly improvements. If week 1 you take 1.8mins for a 400m the next week you may see a drop to 1.5/6mins. The world record for 400m is around 45sec so you have a benchmark to work toward!

Long Runs: try to get in one long distance run per week ( anything above 5km) this will build stamina and endurance. So on race day you can breeze through your 10km without feeling like your having a minor heart attack at the end of it.

Finally and most of all get off your couch and just run! Speed, strength, stamina, endurance are important and will be learnt and experienced along the way. Enjoy the wind in your face and sense of achievement after each run. Don’t give up easy or feel demotivated always remember 50% of the battle is won by the fact that you got up, got dressed and showed up! Hope your next 10km is far better than the first one, in the meantime I am working towards getting my timing down too.

#Be Supreme

One of my favourite parts of the Alpha League Obstacle Race was the #Besupreme battle cry. It automatically made you feel like you have achieved the impossible. To me the Alpha League was just that, the kind of event I would never have been capable to participate in.

But luckily with a little encouragement I got the opportunity to take part in this challenging and exciting event. Before I knew it, I was signed up and had received my confirmation email with my time slot. There was no turning back now!

The Alpha League is a 5km run with 21 obstacles along the way – the obstacles are all tough, dirty, muddy, slushy and super challenging. From 20 feet high rope climbs, to crawling under barbwire they had it all! There were about 1800 registrations and tons of people who came to watch the fun. I hear the best timing was 35 minutes, but for many of us I think it wasn’t so much as a race but to finish every obstacle and see it through.

So how do you know that you are ready for an event like this?

I have said this before an event is always a good time to take stock of your fitness levels and figure out areas you need to work on. Upper body strength, stamina, legs, breathing etc. we all have our trouble areas and when you compete your weakness gets thrown up.

Secondly if you are fairly regular with exercise and have been monitoring your health standards then signing up for an Alpha League will definitely give you an additional push. You will have to go for all the training classes which were held prior to the events. They held classes for nearly four weeks across the entire city which helped participants get a good understanding of what to expect.

If you train at a fitness center that focuses on functional training (e.g. crossfit, boot camps etc.) along with endurance and strength then the event is a breeze… well okay not really! But you will be able to do almost all obstacles and not feel like you went through minor surgery the next day! You are used to many of the movements and obstacles as you would have experienced it during training sessions. e.g. rope climbs, jumping over boxes, bear walks, pull ups and other such movements.
Although I am a strong believer of mind over body and if you genuinely believe you can accomplish an obstacle course you can! BUT it would be a good idea to read up and watch videos that discuss mud races and how to handle them. Arm yourself with the right information and don’t forget to dress the part. Wearing the right clothes will help you avoid injuries and if you get soaked wearing cotton it will weigh you down when you are trying to climb a wall made of tyres.

As feedback for the organizers I think safety norms were not followed for all obstacles especially considering it was an open to all race. Maybe fitness parameters could be checked before signing up. There were no hydration station’s which was quite terrible for the participants who had enough to deal with. I do hope for a safer and better event next year!

I genuinely enjoyed participating in the Alpha League. It was a wonderful combination of challenging and fun. And I feel I am a stronger person to be part of the “be supreme” clan! I am sure they will have one more next year so gear up for it. It is a worthy life experience.

Special Thanks to my friends Karan, Karthik and Rakesh you paced me on the race and made sure I didn’t give up at any point. And Namma Crossfit where I train!

photo credits: flashbulbzzphotography

3 All Star Full Body Movements for All Exercise Routines

Three movements which have the power to work your entire body, which are done by pro athletes and beginners that yield amazing results are Skipping (yes! jump rope from school), the Burpee (I can almost hear regular gym goers cringing) and the Thruster. They have multiple benefits and can be done almost anywhere and any time.

Skipping

Skipping is an important part of pro athlete workouts, it is prescribed to increase cardio endurance levels. It works on a large number of muscles like your calves, thighs, glutes/ butt, you also use your shoulders and arms to swing the rope and your abs, back and core to give you that stability and balance to jump and land comfortably.

While skipping cannot build muscle mass it is great for toning, building stamina and helps burn calories. It is good to shed the fat (especially on the belly) and get lean. Skipping also helps you with building agility and mobility. Include skipping into your daily schedule along with your other strength training workouts is a total plus. Try to do about 25-30 minutes a day.

The Thruster

The Thruster is the perfect all in one exercise. It is known to be the one exercise you would take away to a deserted island. It combines a front squat, with an overhead press, giving new dimensions to the concept of compound, multi-joint exercise. You can work this movement with heavy or light weights, load up the repetitions and you get a great High Intensity workout.

It benefits your lower body with the squat: calves, thighs, butt; with the transfer of power to your upper body your abs and lower back gets tightened and finally the press, you’re working: shoulders, upper back and triceps. Whew! AND, it strengthens your core too

The Thruster is metabolically demanding and elevates your heart rate giving cardio vascular effects. Unlike skipping and the burpee you can pile on weights for the Thruster which helps develop muscular mass. You can do the movement with or without weights (that is barbell, dumbell, kettle bells etc.)

Do as many reps as you can for 8 minutes a day and see the difference in a few days.

The Burpee

All I can say is make it part of your vocabulary if you want to join the fitness revolution. It is the ultimate full body movement and every sportsman/woman have burpess is their workouts. One “simple looking” movement tests your strength and aerobic capacities.

The burpee requires you to begin standing, drop to a squat with your hands on the ground and feet back, do a push-up, jump back to squat position and then execute a vertical jump! It is powerful and explosive since you’re doing 3 jumps in a single burpee.

The burpee has become the movement of the 21st century because the benefits are immense. Your strength increases considering you use multiple muscles, you work your chest, arms, shoulders, thighs, hamstrings and abs. It is a real fat burner due to the high intensity use of all muscles, it burns upto 50% more fat than conventional training exercises. It tends to speed up your metabolic rate so jump off that elliptical and do a set of burpees instead.

The burpee develops conditioning and endurance to tackle every day rigor, example like when you’re late for the train and you make a dash for it with a 10kg bag! If you’re training for a match or a race burpees are used to increase stamina and is a great top up to any workout routine.

It can be done anywhere (even in prison), you don’t require a lot of space or equipment. You can do a 100 burpees in your hotel room while travelling and probably burn more than if you went to the gym that day.

Try to do at least 25 burpees a day and notice overall increase in fitness.

Add these 3 All Star movements into your fitness routines and you will see significant improvement in your strength, conditioning and endurance levels. All of them have complex variants too that will ensure you’re challenged constantly. So happy Burpee to you