If you’re a sportsperson or a fitness enthusiast, then no one knows better than you about how important it is to stay fit and recover quickly from any injuries. While there are plenty of protein shakes, whey drinks, and many more modern methods to make you stronger and help you perform better, what you really need is getting stronger from within.
Know that your mind and body can reach the highest peak of performance when it remains stress-free, balanced, responsive, energetic, and flexible. While you may focus on muscle toning, weight training, or aerobics to improve your performance, these are just isolated approaches.
For a more holistic approach, you need to embrace the Ayurveda lifestyle. Incorporating an Ayurvedic lifestyle can help you build up muscle strength, get strong bones, boost your immunity and contribute to overall wellness. Given below are a few tips for your overall wellness.
Ayurveda tips for overall wellness
1) Exercising Right
When to exercise?: According to Ayurveda, the Kapha time of the day is best suited for exercise. It lies between 6 am – 10 am and 6 pm – 10 pm.
What kind of exercise?: The right kind of exercise to perform is an important factor too. From an Ayurvedic perspective, sports and fitness help maintain balance in the body. You can choose a sports type depending on your body structure.
According to Ayurveda, slim people, also known as the Vata type, can benefit from slow and light sports. Cycling, dancing, swimming and walking are some of the recommended sports. Vata people are strongly advised not to overdo sports and choose indoor sports during winter because their bodies are not suited to bear the cold.
Those with a moderate physique, also known as the Pitta type, have good body temperature regulation. Their body heat production is more balanced and can tolerate more exercise. All water sports and open-air sports are recommended for this group.
Finally, the Kapha types, who have a strong physique, can benefit from intense and more prolonged sports sessions like running and rowing.
How much exercise is too much?: While overexertion or over-exercising is not recommended, too little exercise will not do you any good either. It is important to strike a balance between the two. Classical Ayurveda texts suggest that we shouldn't be stretched beyond 50% of our physical capacity. Practicing and inculcating an Ayurvedic lifestyle can teach one to practice sports more diligently.
2) Abide By The Three pillars Of Fitness
According to Ayurveda, sports and physical fitness are based on strength training, flexibility, and endurance. You can build on these in the following manner.
Strength training: Sun salutation and weight training are good to build strength.
Flexibility: Yoga and daily stretching impart flexibility.
Endurance: To build your stamina, jogging, cycling, and fast walking are recommended.
3) Eating & Exercise
While it is important to eat a healthy and balanced diet, remember to give a gap of two to three hours after a meal before you exercise. But that doesn't mean you need to start with zero fuel! A piece of fruit like a banana or apple is just fine.
4) Ayurveda & Mental Health
Asanas and yoga can help you improve mind-body coordination. You may practice transcendental meditation, an ancient Vedic consciousness technique to help relax your mind. However, you should never attempt to do it on your own. Practice only with an experienced teacher. After every sport, you need sufficient time for relaxation and regeneration. This is crucial as the body recovers and regains energy during this time. A soothing massage with Ayurvedic oils can remove the stress from limbs and joints. A warm bath with Ayurvedic aroma oils is also refreshing.
5) Maintaining Gut Health Is Key
Ayurveda has always prioritized the importance of gut health. This is a key factor that helps in enhancing strength and endurance. Proper gut health can help you absorb maximum nutrition and help the body to heal from within. An Ayurveda lifestyle can help improve gut health and support a sportsperson to perform better.
For example, include more freshly prepared food in your diet and say no to junk. Different spices like turmeric, cumin, ginger, garlic, etc., used in Indian cooking help in improving digestion and maintaining a healthy pH level. Fresh, seasonal, and locally available fruits and vegetables are always recommended as they have loads of antioxidants and nutrients. Also, include a lot of high fiber food like whole grains, bananas, broccoli, apples, green peas, etc. Fermented food like kimchi and yogurt are also good for improving gut health.
When your gut health is balanced, your digestion functions at its optimum level, and you are in a better position to improve your performance.
Conclusion
Ayurveda can significantly impact how the body works and help fitness enthusiasts and sportspersons detox, decrease their recovery time, improve their performance and take to a greater height. While there are different ways to incorporate Ayurveda in your life, Vedix offers customized Ayurvedic products that are rightly suitable for you.
About the Author:
Dr Zeel Gandhi, Formulator @Vedix
Dr Zeel Gandhi is an Ayurvedic doctor and is a formulator for Vedix- India’s 1st customized Ayurveda based beauty brand. An expert at providing holistic solutions for health problems encompassing internal medicine, Panchakarma, Yoga, Ayurvedic nutrition, and formulations, she graduated as a top ranker from Dr. D.Y. Patil College of Ayurveda and Research Centre, Navi Mumbai, and is a specialist in Panchakarma therapies. She believes that Ayurveda consciousness is an excellent way to maintain good health, cure and prevent diseases.
