Jitu: exercise means..weights only or even cardio is necessary?

namitajain: Strength training exercises, with body weight, bands, weights or machines are great for toning muscles. Cardio exercises build overall stamina

fitme: hi namita, i really need to put on weight. I hate going to the gym because of the competitive 'fat' women who make comments there. Is brisk walking good enough to help me gain about 4 kgs? I can do it everyday, but I need to know if it will help.

namitajain: Walking is fine - but more importantly you need to eat regular meals and increase calorie intake

Jitu: and what about diet especially for veggies like me

namitajain: Include dals, sprouts, fruits, veggies, whole grain cereals in your diet

gomes: hi. i'm interested in keeping fit but i don't want to go to gyms etc. is walking or cycling enough to stay fit? how many times a week is enough and for how long?

namitajain: Yes - walking and cycling is fine. Aim to exercise atleats 5 days a week for 30 to 60minutes

fitme: what do u mean by calorie intake?

namitajain: Food that you consume (calories) should be enough - exercise alone will not help you gain weight

gomes: i can walk for quite some distance and time with getting tired, but if i jog for even a short distance or climb up a flight of stairs fast, i get out of breath. is that a sign of bad health ?

namitajain: No, when you increase intensity of workouts like jogging or stair climbing - it is natural to feel tired. But with practice your stamina will improve

eisha: i play squash everyday but i need to build up my stamina so that i can play longer games... what kind of fitness training should i undergo to bring in more flexibility to my spine and build stamina? should i do weight-training?

namitajain: Yes, supplement your workouts with weight training and stretching. Some yoga asanas like the cobra pose - are excellent to strengthen the spine.

gomes: so walking stamina has nothing to do with jogging or running stamina?

namitajain: It is known as the law of specificity - walking improves walking stamina, regular jogging improves jogging stamina - but for instance if you swim - only regular practice will improve your swimming stamina

kumar: hi, how important is it to get a trainer at the gym? my gym charges extra for a personal trainer, but there's always a trainer on the floor so is paying more worth it ?

namitajain: It is important to get correct training giudelines from a qualified trainer - doesn't matter if you get a personal trainer or from the trainer in the gym

kumar: how good is the cross trainer for fitness ? it seems more strenous than the treadmill or the cycle and i'm worried about over-doing it and injuring myself

namitajain: A cross trainer is good - progress gradually (increase duration and intensity slowly) and focus on correct technique

kiran: hi i am 59 years old and retired. i am worried about osteoporosis and i don't know what exercises to do. are stretching exercises enough? i've heard that weight traning hellps biut i don't think i can do weights

namitajain: Weight bearing exercises such as walking is good, resistance exercises such as traing on machines, using weights - is good to strengthen bones; in addition your diet should include sufficient calcium and vitamin D

Suprateek: Hi, I'm 23 years old. When I work out on the chest press and pec fly at the gym, I invariably end up getting chest muscle pain which takes a long time to go. How can I rectify this? I was told that I need to stretch more.. could you tell me exactly what I need to do?

namitajain: Make sure your movements are slow and controlled - if you perform the exercise with speed or your movements are jerky - your could hurt yourself. Yes, and always stretch after your exercise

Elroy: What is a better way of jogging? On a treadmill or actually running at a park or a promenade? Doesn't the concrete cause damage to the heels?

namitajain: cushioned surfaces such as grass, wood, sand are safer on the knee joints.

Suprateek: What is the best way to run on the treadmill? Start slow and gradually build up, run continuously at high speeds or run and walk in intervals?

namitajain: Always start slow - your body needs to warm up - then vary your workouts run consistantly - sometimes interval train - so that your body is challenged - and end by slowly decreasing intensity and strwetching after your workout

fitme: is it true that if you have a cold, you shouldn't work out?

namitajain: It depends how you feel - if you feel okay to workout - do workout - the important thing is to be considerate to people around you - so that they don't catch a cold from aswell

alam: how good is tai chi and yoga when it comes to fitness? are they as good as going to a gym ?

namitajain: Different exercise forms have different benefits - taich-yoga - are mind-body exercise forms improving flexibility and body awareness; gymming - working out on cardio abd strngth machines are great to improve stamina and strength

alam: are there any benefits of choosing one over the other ? the papers talk about every one needs to have a fitness regime to avoid lifestyle diseases so does gyms score over taichi and yoga?

namitajain: The best way to keep fit is to include the 'exercise trininty' cardio (walking, cardio machines; strength(weights/ machines) and flexibilty (yoga/ stretch/ tai chi).