Dr. Rukamani Nair

To keep up good health, it is absolutely necessary for one to indulge in physical exercise or activities. Physical activities, in general, are linked to a host of good benefits such as reduced stress and a healthier and better outlook, besides increasing the body's resistance against complications like heart problems, high blood pressure, diabetes and muscle pain among others problems.

Similarly, the practice of yoga is an ancient tradition well-known for its health benefits. In addition, walking can further complement the practice of yoga and they can together prove to be highly advantageous, to the extent where they can be possibly regarded a better alternative to the act of gyming.

Benefits
Here are a few benefits of gym workouts followed by the benefits of yoga plus walking:-

Benefits of gym and other exercises:

1. Keep muscles fit
2. Enhance respiration and perspiration
3. Help in weight loss
4. Relieve stress
5. Increase appetite and food consumption

Benefits of yoga and walking:

1. Keep you active throughout the day
2. Help bowel movement
3. Increase mind control over the body
4. Improve blood circulation
5. Relieve anxiety and keeps one stress free
6. Can be practiced anywhere and everywhere

Differences

Although it can be argued that gym work outs are better than yoga and vice-versa, the subject matter is highly ambiguous and debatable. Since both activities are good for your health, physically as well as mentally, it is very difficult to say which one is better; perhaps a detailed comparison of the differences between the two may be more helpful:

1. While gymming and other exercises focus on building the body and helping you attain the desired body figure, yoga and walking aims at regulating the entire body mechanism, with more emphasis on mental control.
2. While gym workouts may be more expensive, yoga requires minimal accessories and is therefore more economically convenient.
3. Yoga is suitable for people of all ages whereas gymming and other intense physical activities are not advisable for old people or those with specific medical ailments like hypertension and heart problems.
4. There are minimal withdrawal effects with yoga, in contrast to gym workouts.
5. Gymming requires you to go to the gym, whereas yoga and walking can be done anywhere and everywhere. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can ask a free question.

This is a commomn problem faced elderly males which results in frequent urination, specially during nights. It disturbs sleep and make the following day difficult. Sleep deprivation reslts in lithargy and drowseyness for the whole day.

Yoga and Naturopathy bring a new ray of hope for such patients.

Lie down on a mat or on the bed. Do Kapal Bhathi for 15 Minutes. But the patient has to ensure that the stroke of Kapal Bhathi is felt on the lower abdomen. This can be achieved by a little effort or training. Repeat the process a second time in the evening.

Apply hot and cold water on the point where prostrate is situated. Take a hand shower attached to Geyser and sprinkle hot water shower for 4 minutes followed by cold water shower for 2 minutes. Repeat 4 times. Start with Hot and end also with hot. Follow this twice a day.

Eat lots of Salad and fruits. Drink less water after 7 pm. Donot drink water during night time unless very thirsty. Keep your weight under control.

The entire humanity is now used to a fast paced, stressful life without time to think about their physical and mental health. Your body can adapt to this kind of lifestyle for a while. After which, one fine day, it might breakdown, with or without warning. Emotional stability is lost, and physical trauma is felt, and everyday activities may seem to be scary. Yoga comes to the rescue for all your problems. Be they physical or mental.

The real essence of Yoga lies around improving the life force at the base of the backbone. It attempts to achieve holistic goodness through various physical and mental workouts. Coming to the physical level, the procedures comprise of several postures or yogic asanas which can keep the body healthy, while on the mental level, there are some breathing techniques which helps in disciplining the mind. The benefits of Yoga are almost endless, and this is the reason why it has received international acclamation even when it had originated in India centuries ago.

How can Yoga aid you to live a better life?
No matter whether you are from the West or East, regular practice of Yoga can will offer tons of benefits which include:

1. Improvement of flexibility: This is the most significant benefit of Yoga where you can improve your posture with each practice sessions. Inflexibility can bring about a lot of movement issues; tight hamstrings can flatten the lumbar spine while tight hips can cause strain to the knee. Daily Yoga can relieve the connective tissues while improving posture.
2. Builds muscle strength: Strong muscles are not just meant for making you look good; it can protect you from conditions such as back pain, arthritis and falls among aged people. With regular practice of Yoga, you can see your muscles becoming stronger and flexible within a short span.
3. Prevention of joint and cartilage breakdown: While practicing Yoga, all the major joints of the body runs through a roller coaster of motion. This can prevent degenerative arthritis and squeeze the parts of the cartilage which are not usually used.
4. Improve the health of the bone: Several postures of Yoga demand you to bear your own weight such as the downward and the upward facing dog which also helps in making the bones in the arms stronger. Plus, Yoga is known to lower the cortisol levels which can boost the level of calcium in the bones.
5. Protection of the spine: The spinal disks which help in absorbing shock crave for movement through which they get the nutrition. Yoga can get you optimum backbends, twists and forward bends to keep the disks in a supple condition.

How has Yoga helped in improving health condition?
Timothy McCall, MD, wanted to come to India to research and investigate on the benefits of Yoga in 2002. Weeks before that he developed tingling sensation along with numbness in his right hand. He was scared and thought that it was something serious like multiple sclerosis or a brain disease but found that he had a nerve blockage in the neck and chest.

Even though it was incapacitating to some extent, this ailment was a blessing in disguise as he could allow Yoga experts to evaluate the cause of the problem and treat it and his experiment reaped benefits. He practiced Pranayama which is a breathing exercise, different moves and chanting to restore vital energy to the affected parts. This had not only helped him to get rid of these problems but also made his body even more flexible, improved his postures and relieved him of various symptoms.

Basic Yoga asanas that can help maintain health 

1. Sukhasana
2. Shavasana
3. Balasana
4. Vajrasana
5. Bhujangasana
6. Trikonasana
7. Uttanasana
8. Pashcimottanasana
9. Eka Pada Rajakapotasana
10. Ushtrasana

More real life examples can be cited where people suffering from chronic illness have gotten a complete relief by practicing Yoga. Across the world, this ancient Indian therapy has been acknowledged as an effective alternative therapy. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a doctor.