Skipping

First on our list is the well-known skipping.This exercise which can be done without a rope also, when it looks like short hops, is a good leg exercise ; but it is more an exercise for the heart and lungs than muscles of the legs. Slow deep breathing is important while skipping. Feet can be moved in a number of different ways to work different muscle groups of thighs and legs and hips ; this will also prevent monotony. Stationary running can also be practised instead of the regular hops of Skipping. This exercise should be done for two minutes, but if breathlessness occurs before that period, a pause may be taken for a few seconds.

Leg-raise

The second exercise is the well -known leg-raise lying on the back. It is a good exercise for the abdominals ; good for reducing fat from lower tummy, getting rid of the paunch, correcting the fall of viscera, and moving the bowels more efficiently. Here, one lies on the back on a firm horizontal surface arms by sides, legs, together and knees straight.

Then, without bending the knees, legs are lifted straight up to a right angle position ( Fig. 2a). Both the raising and the lowering of the legs are done slowly . Breath is taken in while in the relaxed lying position; it is expelled while lifting the legs ; while lowering the legs neither inhalation nor exhalation is done. This breathing principle is important and should be learnt well. You may start with 3 to 5 reps and gradually increase to 15 or more. 15 repetitions should not take more than two minutes.

Sit-Ups

Another important abdominal exercise is sit-ups. Starting position is as the leg-raise ( From this lying position, you gradually curl up to the sitting position. Inhalation, as in the previous exercise, is done in the lying position, exhalation while sitting up. This exercise works more the upper abdomen and helps overcome gastric, pancreatic and liver troubles. Fot flatulence and indigestion it is excellent. 15 repetitions requires only one and a half minutes. Feet may be held down by somebody if the exercise cannot be done without pinning the feet under a heavy object. The benefit is more, however, if the exercise is done without such help.

Dund

The next exercise in our programme is for the upper body. A good composite exercise which works the muscles of the arms, chest, back and abdomen is the well known Indian exercise, ‘dund’. It is derived from the oldest exercise known to mankind, viz., the Surya Namaskar; but unlike the namaskar, in ‘dund’ one remains all the time on ‘all fours’. The body is drawn backwards initially, till the hips reach the highest point ; this is the starting position. Then the head travels slowly down in the direction of the arms, and after the nose has reached floor level, in a smooth continuous movement, gradually the chin and the chest are also brought to the same low level ; then the upward journey of the head and trunk continued in an arch till the final position of the exercise which resembles bhujangasan. Inhahalation is done in the starting position, and exhalation during the movement. This is a difficult exercise for the uninitiated. One should start with 3 to 5 repetitions only, and to make it easy, the exercise can be done with hands placed on a higher level than feet. Once mastered, however, the normal version of it should be done for 12 repetitions ; time required is two minutes only.

Squats

The last on our programme is the squats - the knee-bending exercise in which the heels are not raised. Standing with feet slightly apart and toes pointing forward, sit down to the lowest position while exhaling ; inhalation is done while coming up. The spine is kept as straight as possible and even the forward bending from hips is restricted, both while doing down and rising up. In the final position, the hips are very near the floor. In just one minute, you can do 20 repetitions of the squats.

Like skipping, squats will induce deeper and quicker breathing ; this is the time deep breathing exercise will do the most good . Lie or sit comfortably and inhale slowly to the full capacity of the lungs, and then exhale equally completely till it seems no more air can be forced out of the lungs. This may be done for 15 to 20 times while relaxing.

For the whole schedule of five exercises, time taken is only 8 minutes 30 seconds. Another minute or so will be needed for ‘breather’ between exercises ; hence the whole programme will not require more than ten minutes. Of course, it is to be reiterated that if these exercises can be done more repetitions, so that the programme requires 20 instead of 10 minutes, the benefit will be greater.

"Count that day as lost,
Whose low descending sun,
Sees your exercise still not done."