Fitmag October 17

1 

Real People, Real Stories. 

VOL 1. ISSUE XX. OCT 2017 

STRONGMAN 

TRAINING 

CARDIO: 

BOTH SIDES OF 

THE COIN 

COVER STORY 

AARATHY 

IS CAFFEINE A 

FAT BURNER? 

KITCHEN 

SECRETS 

KETTLEBELL 

TECHNIQUES 

AND USES 

Hyperuricemia 

FITMAG | OCTOBER 2017

contents 

2 

Volume 1. Issue XIX. SEP 2017 

TEAM 

04 

Letter from 

the editor 

GUEST COLUMN 

05 

Tabata Training 

4 Minutes to an Amazing 

Body Guaranteed 

31 

Shield your Skin 

against the Sun 

The Importance of 

Sunscreen Use 

54 

What is 

PeriMenopause? 

FEATURE OF 

THE MONTH 

42 

The Pilates Journey with 

Rucha Mulay 

11 

Hyperuricemia 

FEATURE 

28 

Menstrual Cycle 

Periodisation 

30 

Recipe of the month 

Dieter Special 

Cabbage Momos! 

36 38 

Valsalva Maneuver 

Kitchen secrets 

Ragi Ladoo 

52 

Cardio 

The Other Side of the Coin 


3 

COVER STORY 

16 

Wheels on Fire 

Redefining the Indian Skating scene 

with Aarathy Kasturi Raj 

08 

Friends or foes: 

Fitness and health? 

EXCLUSIVE 

09 

Glucosamine sulphate 

Miracle or just 

a placebo effect? 

21 

Kettlebell Usage 

Techniques 

25 40 

47 

Is Caffeine a natural 

Fat Burner? 

NEAT 

Way to 

Start Losing Weight 

The Three Contenders 

for Fat Loss 

51 

Weight Fluctuations 

and Variances 

58 

Strongman Training 


4 

LETTER from the editor 

Do give us your feedback. I’ll be waiting to hear 

from you. 

You can reach out to me at dev@squats.in 

Stay Healthy, Alive, and 

And our entire Fitmag team wishes you a 

Happy Diwali! 

Stay Safe. 

Love, 

Dev Biswas 

Editor-in-Chief, FITMAG 

Welcome to the October issue of your favorite 

fitness magazine. This month we have covered 

inspiring stories from the country to make you 

rethink about what dreams are made of: that of 

a young girl who has gone to become the skating 

sensation of the country, contributing to taking 

lesser valued sports in India to an unprecedented 

place, thereby restoring the much needed balance 

in the sports fraternity of India. Read about 

Aarathy as we talk about her achievements. 

As always, there are of course our best articles 

curated for your learning to help you in your fitness 

journey. From menstrual cycle periodization to why 

cardio could benefit you if use it properly, and from 

menopause to brilliant Diwali recipes, we have it all 

covered for you in this Diwali special issue. 


5 

• GUEST COLUMN • 

Tabata Training 

4 Minutes to an Amazing Body Guaranteed 

By Priyadarshini Das 

If you think 20 seconds go by too fast 

then you haven’t done TABATA… 

Your body will beg for mercy as your workout 

starts with Tabata style “20 seconds on, 10 

seconds off” circuits! 

So what is this TABATA training? 

Tabata is one of the most popular forms of highintensity 

interval training (HIIT) protocol. It 

consists of eight rounds of super-high-intensity 

exercise, each done in a specific 20 second 

duration of MAXIMUM effort with 10 seconds 

of rest interval. 

It takes four minutes to complete each Tabata 

circuit/round but it’s likely to be one of the 

longest four minutes you’ve ever endured. 

Simply put, Tabata is perhaps 

the most extreme hardcore 4 

mins of your life — in a GOOD 

way! 

History of Tabata: 

The name Tabata comes from the man who 

invented it — Dr. Izumi Tabata, a Japanese 

scientist and a researcher. He conducted a 

study on 2 groups of athletes. The first group 

trained on moderate intensity (70% of their 

VO2 max) for one hour, five days per week, 

for a total of six weeks. The second group of 

athletes trained for four minutes, high-intensity 

workouts four days a week for six weeks, doing 

eight intervals of training (with 10 seconds of 

rest in between each set). 

In conclusion, it was found that the group of 

athletes who performed high intensity training 

showed much greater increase in aerobic and 

anaerobic system capacities; whereas the 

moderate-intensity group did not improve 

anaerobic performance. 

The Tabata workout: 

Each exercises lasts for four minutes. The 

program is easy to remember. 

Workout for 20 secs 

Rest for 10 secs 

And repeat… 

Total 8 times 

You push your body to its maximum limit for 

20 seconds and then rest for 10 seconds. You 

repeat this protocol 8 times for four minutes 

total. 

The short rest intervals ensure that the body 

starts moving (into the next set) before it 


6 • GUEST COLUMN • 

actually recovers from a previous set. That’s the 

reason why Tabata leads to significant gain in 

aerobic and anaerobic performance. 

Sample Tabata workout: 

• Push-ups 

• Jumping jacks 

• Air squats 

• Sit-ups 

Start with push-ups. Do 20 seconds at a 

maximum intensity, as many reps as you can and 

rest for 10 seconds. Repeat till you finish total 

of eight sets. Rest for one minute. 

Next move to jumping jacks and repeat the 

sequence of 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off. 

Once you finish eight sets of jumping jacks, 

move to air squats. After air squats, finish the 

workout with sit-ups. It will take a total time of 

nineteen minutes. 

If you really want an insane full-body workout, 

try 3-4 rounds of Tabata! 

Here is a list of exercises to 

incorporate in your Tabata circuit: 

• Mountain climbers 

• Burpees 

• High knees 

• Pull-ups 

• Jump rope 

• Crunches 



• Plank 

• Treadmill sprints 

• Any type of body weight exercises 

• Any type of exercise with weights 

Whichever exercise you choose, you should try 

to push your limit in that four minute circuit. 

Make sure you are thoroughly warmed up (for 

at least 5-10 minutes) before trying this type 

of workout. But if you are a beginner, you can 

always scale down as per your fitness level. 

of calories in a very short amount of time 

and provides a full-body anaerobic and 

aerobic workout. 

• It increases metabolism, improves stamina, 

and is an excellent way to burn fat. 

• HIIT like Tabata has great after burn effect. 

That means, you keep burning calories for 

hours after your quick workout has ended 

because of the Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen 

Consumption (EPOC) effect. 

Benefits of Tabata: 

• Tabata is a great workout to do if you are 

short of time. You can take some time out of 

your busy schedule and do it at home. You 

don’t really need any equipment or even to 

go to gym to do Tabata. 

• Tabata is a super efficient way to burn a lot 

So, with so many benefits, the Tabata can be a 

wonderful way of challenging yourself to test 

your endurance limits. You may incorporate 

Tabata into your exercise program to break 

monotony, give yourself an adrenaline rush, and 

to get that chiseled and toned physique of your 

dreams! 


8 

FRIENDS OR FOES: 

FITNESS AND HEALTH? 

by Nida Aziz 

Every fitness enthusiast has this dream 

scenario: to wake up to see a day when their 

bodies would become the ultimate piece of 

machinery that is designed to miraculously 

reciprocate every ounce of protein they put 

into their system, and pump up after every 

extra hour they put in at the gym. Well, sorry to 

burst your magical bubble, but your body has 

many more functions to perform too, and way 

more systems to take care of! Fitness is just one 

component of your health, whereas health in 

general is what defines your overall well-being 

and functioning. 

While exercise and clean eating has been shown 

to do wonders for immunity, does it make 

sense to get aggressive with 

your fitness goals when you are 

not quite in the pink of health? 

As claimed in a 2011 study published in the 

British Journal of Sports Medicine, fit people 

have shown quicker recovery from illnesses and 

are known to experience milder symptoms than 

couch potatoes. But what about the days when 

you are down with the flu, stomach bug, or are 

fighting a more taxing battle with your health, 

such as an autoimmune disease? Does it make 

sense to go all out when your body is already 

fatigued enough, and your energy levels are 

fighting a battle of their own? 

A number of experts have concluded that the 

root cause of sickness is stress. Stress elevates 

the production of cortisol, a hormone that 

consequently eliminates the production of 

cytokines, the molecules that control immune 

patrol in your body, aka the immunity police. 

This is when your body is in a vulnerable state, 

and a deficit diet most probably will put you 

at a risk of hampered recovery, while muscle 

breakdown in the gym adds more to your body’s 

repair work tasks. 

Yes, fitness is most definitely a friend of health 

because it only does a world of good for your 

body. However, if you don’t listen to your body 

and take a step back when it asks you to, fitness 

can become your health’s worst enemy too. 

The key to balance out this scale of friendship 

lies solely in your hands. When you take up 

extremes, you are setting up your health to play 

with fire. Listen to your body for a harmonious 

alliance between your fitness and your health. 


9 

GLUCOSAMINE SULPHATE 

Miracle or just a placebo effect? 

by Shanu Shashank 

Sports and injuries have always gone hand in 

hand. Whether it is on-field games or lifting 

weights, one has to abide by the injuries that 

happen along the course, be it during training 

or during the actual performance. Luckily, 

every problem has a solution, and when it 

comes to injuries affecting the 

back or the knee, the one word 

that really comes to our mind is 

- Glucosamine Sulfate! 

Going by the trends so far, yes, it is a good 

supplement, but then a niggling question does 

pop up at the end of the day – Is glucosamine 

sulfate really magical, or just a hype that is 

being propagated by few enthusiastic minds? 

Why is it that every other person suffering 

from osteoarthritis wants to try it? Why should 

a person with back pain go for it? Well, before 

going into the ‘why’s and ‘how’s, let’s first try 

finding out the ‘what’s of this much-touted 

remedy. 

What is Glucosamine Sulfate? 

Glucosamine sulfate is an amino sugar found in 

and around the fluid and tissues that cushion our 

joints. 

Glucosamine sulfate supplements are 

often made of shellfish. Now, there lies the 

supposed logic behind the exaggeration of this 

supplement’s capacity to speed up the injury 

healing and curing process. As a matter of fact, 

it has been shown to lessen the symptoms 

caused by an injury to the affected joints 

or tissue during arthritis. However, the fact 

remains that there are no clinical evidences of 

glucosamine sulphate successfully reversing 

such conditions. 


10 

Glucosamine Sulfate – Is this a placebo, 

or is this for real? 

Now we can quickly move onto the next point 

that excites our curiosity – the ‘placebo effect’ 

theory of glucosamine sulfate. Just like every 

other person would advise you to get onto the 

treadmill and reduce the quantity of ghee/ 

butter if you wanted to burn those stubborn 

fats around your midsection, the general public 

opinion has been overwhelmingly similar when 

it comes to the curing effects of glucosamine 

for arthritis or back pain or any related injury! 

Sadly, it is true that most of us have a tendency 

of getting blindly influenced by public opinion 

and end up using substances with no tangible 

medical proof or backing to their claims. And 

yet, the use of these substances oftentimes 

leads to an improvement in our conditions! That 

is what is called a ‘placebo effect.’ 

We may not know the exact reason why a 

complete ‘powerless’ remedy (the placebo) 

sometimes has the most powerful positive 

effects, yet experts attribute it to the mindbody 

interaction. (Recall the time when you 

bought whey protein powder to get those giant 

biceps!) 

The Final Verdict 

The verdict, therefore, is that it is undeniably 

true that there are several benefits of 

glucosamine sulfate, but it’s important to 

understand the physiological conditions and 

factors that act as a support environment to it 

(therefore bringing about its success,) before 

we draw a final conclusion. 

Lastly, since we cannot completely disregard 

the benefits of glucosamine sulphate as a 

supplement, let us note down a few pointers 

related to its usage – 

• Glucosamine sulphate is no magic wand to 

heal injuries. 

• It can be used to reduce the symptoms 

caused by arthritis. 

• It’s not a foolproof, research-backed solution 

to completely eliminate arthritis. 

• It is not a standalone remedy for chronic 

back or joint pain. 

• With strong support of correct nutrition, 

rest, and good hydration levels, it can be 

helpful in reducing the pain caused due to 

mild injuries like lower back spasm, or joint 

pain – provided that other medications 

needed are at point. 


11 

Hyperuricemia 

- Bhavani Rajesh 

With advancing age, joint pains and 

musculoskeletal degeneration become 

increasingly common. It does not come as a 

surprise that most elderly people on the wrong 

side of 70 need to take support while walking, 

and the walking stick becomes a common 

symbol of this phase of life. However, while 

issues like ‘gout’ and ‘arthritis’ may seem very 

distant while you’re in your 30s or 40s, the 

fact is that the real problem begins in mid life 

or even earlier – with the increase in Uric Acid 

deposition in the different joints in our body – a 

condition that is also known as Hyperuricemia. 

This article attempts to address the following 

questions to help you combat the negative 

effects of Hyperuricemia: 

1. What is Hyperuricemia? 

2. What causes Hyperuricemia? – How is Uric 

Acid processed in an otherwise normal body, 

and how is it different in people suffering 

from hyperuricemia? 

3. Hyperuricemia – stages and progression? 

4. Symptoms 

5. Hyperuricemia and its far reaching 

consequences on health 

6. Who is at risk? 

7. Treatment through Dietary intervention and 

Medication 

8. Living with Hyperuricemia 

What is Hyperuricemia? 

Very simply put, Hyperuricemia is a condition 

when there is excess of Uric Acid present in 

the blood. This condition is usually 

caused by ineffective uric acid 

metabolism in the body, and/ 

or from having excess ‘Purines’ 

(Purines are nitrogenous compounds that 

release uric acid when they breakdown – excess 

consumption of purine-containing foods, or 

excess production of purines inside the body 

will naturally cause the uric acid levels in the 

body to increase.) 

The normal Uric Acid levels for women are 

in the range 2.4-6.0 mg/dL, while it is 3.4- 

7.0 mg/dL for men. Anything in excess of the 

reference ranges given above would constitute 

increased uric acid levels. 

What causes Hyperuricemia? 

Uric Acid is produced in the human body as 

an end product of the metabolism of Purines. 

Purines, as mentioned above, are nitrogenous 

compounds that are produced by the body itself 

(endogenous sources), as much as they are 

present in many of the foods that we consume 

(exogenous sources). 


12 

Uric acid is present in the 

blood and urine in the ionized 

form of ‘urates,’ which are 

poorly soluble products 

(therefore very likely to 

form crystals). Normally, 

about 2/3rds of the uric acid 

is excreted by the kidneys, 

while the remaining 1/3rd 

is excreted by the intestine 

(passes in stool). The action of 

these two eliminations keeps 

the balance of uric acid in the 

body. 

Now, since urates tend to 

crystallize, that makes it 

important for them to get 

excreted from the body. 

However, there are three main 

reasons why uric acid crystals 

may end up getting deposited 

instead of leaving the body: 

1. The human body does not 

adequately produce the 

enzyme ‘uricase,’ which is 

responsible for oxidizing 

and breaking down urates 

into soluble forms. 

2. If the person is suffering 

from renal conditions, 

that will cause the kidneys 

to function suboptimally, 

leading to insufficient uric 

acid elimination. 

3. Over production of urates, 

caused by excess purine 

intake (exogenous source) 

or rapid breakdown of 

purine nucleotides in the 

body (endogenous source). 

Regarding the last point about 

endogenously produced 

urates, an important 

observation that has been 

backed by several researches, 

is that high intensity exercise 

is a critical factor that causes 

elevation of serum uric acid 

levels in our blood. The reason 

for this is that high intensity 

exercise (and especially 

training of fast-twitch muscle 

fibers) causes rapid breakdown 

of purine nucleotides (which 

are the bases in our DNA 

and RNA) and lead to higher 

uric acid formation and 

concentration. 

Hyperuricemia – stages 

and progression 

Hyperuricemia can be 

‘Asymptomatic’ – meaning 

not displaying the commonly 

associated symptoms like joint 

inflammation or pain. This is 

usually the primary stage for 

all patients suffering from this 

condition, and though there 

is some formation of uric 

acid crystals in the body, no 

significant deposition takes 

place in the joints. For many, 

the asymptomatic stage lasts 

for several years without 

progressing (sometimes 

never) into the subsequent 

stages of Gout. Asymptomatic 

hyperuricemia may not 

require medication, and can be 

controlled and treated with a 

remedial diet. 

For those whose uric acid 

profile shows a systematic 

progression of crystal 

deposition (chronic 

hyperuricemic condition), the 

accumulation of crystals in 

joints will invariably cause joint 

degeneration and erosion, 

and will lead to the condition 

of ‘Gout’ or ‘Gouty Arthritis.’ 

About 20% of hyperuricemic 

people progress from the intial 

stages to the manifestation of 

gout. Acute gout usually begins 


13 

with affecting the large toe 

joint in the foot, a condition 

that is also known as ‘podagra.’ 

It may then progress to the 

other metatarsophalangeal 

joints, the ankle, knees, and 

also the joints in the fingers. 

During gout attacks, the 

presence of uric acid crystals 

causes acute pain and swelling 

in the affected joints that can 

effectively immobilize the 

patient. 

joints, and hampered joint 

movement. Another important 

manifestation of high uric 

acid levels is the formation of 

kidney stones. 

though these can be very 

debilitating in nature. Recent 

studies in hyperuricemia have 

shown that chronically high 

uric acid levels have many 

Further advanced stages 

include clumping of these 

crystals into ‘tophi,’ causing 

the name ‘Tophaceous gout.’ 

This is characterized by 

presence of hard lumps usually 

under the skin and around 

joints. Extremely painful, the 

advanced stage of gout can 

cause chronic stiffness and 

complete immobility. 

Symptoms 

Having chronically high uric 

acid levels tips the scale 

from ‘asymptomatic’ to 

‘gout’. Gout is characterized 

by joint pains, stiffness, 

swelling, disfiguration of 

Consequences on health 

While asymptomatic 

hyperuricemia need not be 

treated as a disease in itself, 

this is a deceptive period 

where the urate deposition 

continues to occur silently, 

and therefore needs to be 

identified and controlled to 

prevent adverse health effects 

in the future. 

The impact of elevated levels 

of uric acid doesn’t stop 

at gout and kidney stones, 

life-threatening diseases like 

hypertension, cardiovascular 

diseases, and the metabolic 

syndrome. Hence, the 

increased risk of heart disease, 

stroke, and renal (kidney) 

failure. Chronic hyperuricemia 

has also been associated with 

diabetes. 

Who is at risk? 

The following are the high risk 

group of individuals: 

• Men, especially over the 


14 

age of 50 

• Post-menopausal women 

• Obese individuals 

• Individuals with borderline 

hypertension 

• Individuals with diabetes/ 

high blood glucose levels 

• Individuals with renal 

impairment (kidney disease 

is seen to be both a cause 

and consequence of 

hyperuricemia) 

• Individuals taking specific 

medications for certain 

cardiovascular diseases 

Other than these, several 

other lifestyle factors can 

contribute to hyperuricemia: 

• Excess alcohol intake 

• Excess sugar intake 

• Excess purine intake (see 

below for high purine 

foods) 

• Excess physical activity, 

which leads to greater DNA 

catabolism and consequent 

release of purines. 

These risk factors need to be 

addressed as the first step 

towards control and treatment 

of hyperuricemia. 

Treatment 

The treatment of high uric 

acid concentration in the 

body will first depend on the 

identification of the condition. 

This usually happens when a 

blood test is performed, which 

reveals uric acid levels that 

may be well above the normal 

range. 

When the uric acid levels 

are seen to be higher than 

normal, but the condition 

has not caused any physical 

manifestation in the form of 

joint pain or gout, the doctor 

may refrain from prescribing 

any hypouricemic medications, 

and simply advice lifestyle and 

dietary changes. 

Remedial Dietary 

Measures 

The key factor is to cut down 

on – 

1. Purine rich foods 

2. Alcohol (which has a double 

whammy of both increasing 

purine production in the 

body as well as decreasing 

the renal capacity to 

eliminate uric acid) 

3. Foods with high sugar 

content 

And concurrently to increase 

water intake, which reduces 

the chances of uric acid crystal 

formation to a large extent. 

Purine-rich foods: Examples 

of purine-rich foods are 

liver, kidney, bacon, red meat 

(veal, venison), turkey, and a 

variety of fish and shellfish 

like anchovies, sardines, clams, 

and scallops. Alcohol also falls 

in this category. These foods 

should be avoided entirely, 

or atleast consumed very 

sparingly. 

Medium purine foods: This 

category includes some of the 

common culprits like lentils, 

kidney beans and other beans 

varieties, mushrooms, spinach, 

beef, chicken, pork, crab. 

These foods should be had 

moderately in order to control 

purine levels. 

Low purine foods: This 

includes all fruits, bread, 

grains, cheese, milk and milk 

products, eggs, tomatoes and 


15 

green vegetables excluding 

spinach and asparagus. This 

list also includes beverages like 

coffee. All these foods can be 

had regularly without causing 

increase in purine levels in the 

body. 

Hypouricemic medication: 

Depending upon the stage 

and clinical manifestation of 

hyperuricemia, the physician 

may also put the patient on 

medication that effectively 

reduces the formation 

of uric acid from purine 

breakdown. Instead, purines 

are metabolized into more 

soluble and non urate products 

that are eliminated more easily 

from the body. 

For combating gout related 

pain and inflammation, many 

NSAIDs like Ibuprofen are 

prescribed. 

Living with hyperuricemia 

Hyperuricemia is largely a 

lifestyle related condition – 

reversing the contributory 

factors such as alcohol intake, 

high fructose intake, obesity, 

improper diet and so on, 

can be most instrumental in 

controlling the uric acid levels 

in the body. 

Though in itself it may not 

be a high-risk ‘disease,’ it 

is associated with several 

comorbidities that contribute 

to much greater risk factors 

in the long run. The crucial 

thing to know is that uric acid 

crystallization and build up 

in (and outside) joints is a 

silent process that may take 

several years to show actual 

symptoms. And the damage 

done over all those years may 

very well lead to diseases 

like kidney failure, severe 

gouty arthritis, and a host of 

coronary diseases. Hence it is 

absolutely vital to keep a tab 

on uric acid levels in the body, 

and take necessary measures 

to prevent it from increasing. 

So, don’t let hyperuricemia 

become a precursor to disease. 

Take charge of your lifestyle, 

eliminate the risks factors, and 

enjoy the health benefits of 

your right choices! 


• 

16 

COVER STORY • 

WHEELS 

ON FIRE 

Redefining the Indian 

Skating scene with 

Aarathy Kasturi Raj 


• 

17 


Aarathy Kasturi Raj could have been just 

another ordinary 7 year-old city kid from 

Chennai who pursued a few hobbies here and 

there, and eventually concentrated only on her 

studies and her career in medicine. She could 

have been just another girl-next-door who hung 

around with her friends after school exchanging 

notes or catching up for coffee and chit-chat. 

But instead, she chose to be something far 

better. She chose to become India’s face in 

Roller Skating, representing her country in 

many international events and winning over 

120 medals and massive accolades in just 22 

years of her young life! 

When she was a mere 7 years old, Aarathy 

convinced her parents to allow her to learn 

skating, after watching a local skating class 

in progress in the neighbourhood park. At an 

age when other little children enjoy socialising 

or stick to the television, Aarathy took to this 

sport with a passion she did not know she had. 

Guided by her coach, she took the skating 

arenas by storm, winning the local club event 

with just a year of skating experience, and then 

going on to win a district level championship 

the same year (2002). Her first major taste of 

success was at the 5th CBSE National Roller 

Skating Championship held at Nagpur in 2004 

- Aarathy made her parents and her coach 

proud by bagging the gold medal. Quick on the 

heels of this national level achievement was 

something much larger - in 2005, she bagged 

the gold for India in the Swiss Inline Cup (Inline 

Roller Skating championship) in the 2 km road 

race in the Under 12 category. And this victory 

spurred her onwards to greater heights, which 

she scaled with the dint of her hard work and 

determination. 

Very soon, she added Ice Skating to her growing 

list of achievements, and went on to win 2 

prestigious gold medals for India at the “2007 

Short Track Speed Skating (Ice Skating) - Fall 

Winter Ranking Competition” organized by 

the Taipei Skating Union. It was no wonder, 

therefore, that Aarathy soon came to be known 

as the ‘Ice Princess’ from Tamil Nadu! 


• 

18 


One of the defining moments of her 

career was when she represented her 

country at The European Cup Inline 

Speed Skating Championship (2017) 

in Belgium, where she stood 2nd in the 

500 metre inline race. It was the first 

ever victory of such magnitude by an 

Indian skater, and a very proud moment 

for India and Indian skating in general. 

And then shortly later, in the same year, 

she made her mark in the European 

Cup Championship in Holland, where 

she placed 8th out of 39 skaters. There 

was no doubt that Aarathy had etched 

her name in large, indelible letters on 

the horizon of the Indian skating arena, 

and had become a name to be reckoned 

with on an international level! 

At the national level too, young Aarathy 

left no stone unturned to enter her 

name in the skating hall of fame. In 

the 51st National Roller Skating 

Championship held in Mumbai in 2013, 

she won not one, but four gold medals, 

setting a new national record in the 

300 meter Time Trial - her track time 

was 28.83 seconds! 

With these and many more laurels 

under her belt, Aarathy Kasturi Raj 

soon became more than the average 

Chennai city girl who had aced her local 


• 

19 


club’s skating competition. Her meteoric rise 

was complemented by the innumerable awards 

and prestigious mentions that she received, not 

only at home but also abroad. In 2006, she was 

felicitated by the then governor of Tamil Nadu, 

Shri. Surjit Singh Barnala, who praised her 

achievements at the national and international 

level, and encouraged her to set her sights 

on winning the gold at the World Skating 

Championships. She was also called upon by the 

President of Singapore, Mr. S. R. Nathan, who 

congratulated her on her achievements at the 

Swiss Inline World Cup and for her considerable 

accomplishments in Ice Skating too. In 2009, 

she received the prestigious ‘National Child 

Award for Exceptional Performance’ from the 

Ministry of Women and Child Development, 

Government of India. In addition, she has won 

scores of ‘Young Achiever’ awards from several 

state and national institutions of note. 

Aarathy isn’t just a professional skater. She 

is young doctor-to-be, pursuing her MBBS 

with as much assiduity and discipline as her 

skating. What her journey so far has taught 

is that juggling between career and passion 

doesn’t come easy. Balancing her skating with 

her studies required her to give up on many 

things including socializing with friends and 

many other indulgences common to young girls 

and boys her age. It also required her to invest 

herself a 100% in her chosen fields without any 

compromises. But again, Aarathy is aware that 

such is the high price that success and stardom 


• 

20 


comes at. And despite the success, Aarathy is 

a firmly grounded young woman with her feet 

planted solidly on the ground. 

What is truly spectacular is how Aarathy’s 

skating career is set to impact the future of 

roller skating in our country. In a sport that is 

largely dominated by European countries and 

countries like China and Korea, Aarathy’s fierce 

zeal has earned her and her country a coveted 

place, a foothold that she is determined to 

expand in the coming years. And on a personal 

level, Aarathy has become an inspiration to 

thousands of little girls and boys who dream of 

strapping on those wheels and zipping around 

their neighbourhood park. Her story will 

never cease to inspire confidence in all those 

parents who are stressed about the academic 

performance of their children over all other 

activities. 

Her dream is to win the gold for India at the 

World Skating Championships, and it is this 

dream that she is currently working towards. 

“It’s just the beginning,” believe Aarathy and 

her family. And truly so, it is just the start of her 

amazing journey. We wish her all the best for 

her future endeavours and hope that she will 

very soon transform her most cherished dream 

into reality. 


21 

KETTLEBELL USAGE 

TECHNIQUES 

- Dr. Namrata Ghusar 

When you say ‘kettlebell,’ you are quite likely to encounter blank stares, even from avid gym 

enthusiasts. In fact, there are a lot of questions that come to mind when we mention this 

particular (and rather ignored) fitness equipment - 

• How often you see people using kettlebells at the gym? 

• How much is awareness does exist when it comes to exercising with the kettlebell? 

• What is the usage of the kettlebell? 

• What to do and what to avoid doing while using the kettlebell? 

So here is an article which sheds light on this tiny ‘bomb’ of an equipment called the ‘kettlebell’ 

(KB), and answers the questions above. 

The kettlebell is one of my favourite equipments to use at the gym and at home. Simply 

because you can do a variety of exercises with the kettlebell, like swings, squats, goblets, clean 

and jerk, push, push-press, snatch, and so on. You could also use the kettlebell to perform 

compound exercises combining different muscle groups. 


22 

Kettlebell benefits - It works 

on building endurance, grip, 

strength, and focus. It is lamentable 

that people are not much aware about kettlebell 

exercises and their benefits – in fact, many gyms 

don’t even stock up on this amazing piece of 

equipment! 

First off, what are kettlebells? 

Kettlebells are small kettle-shaped equipment 

with a handle on the top for grip. They are 

made of iron, and come in different weights. 

Beginners can start with 2kg – 4kg kettlebells, 

and keep on increasing the weight every week. 

You can buy kettlebells for home workouts as 

well. This is actually a great way of keeping your 

routine on point. 

Few things to note while buying kettlebells – 

you should be buy those that come in kilogram 

(kg) measures, and not pounds (lbs), and you 

have to keep in mind that you can easily lift 

heavier weights with kettlebells as compared to 

dumbbells. 

Who all can use kettlebells? 

Everyone can use the kettlebell. Whether your 

goal is to shred, or to gain muscles, or increase 

strength, or for overall body conditioning, you 

can perform kettlebell exercises that can help 

you achieve any of these goals. The KB is highly 

useful when it comes to improving muscular 

endurance, joint mobility, and cardiorespiratory 

conditioning. 

From glutes, hams, quads, arms, core, and back, 

to total body workouts – the kettlebell has 

numerous benefits across all muscle groups. 

Your muscle contraction is forced faster when 

doing kettlebell workouts, which actually 

helps in burning more calories. Because of the 

weighted down centre, your body has to work 

harder to stabilize KB as compared to a barbell 

or dumbbells. That will also help in building 

endurance, and working the core. 

What are uses of KB? 

Here are the uses in a list: 

• To improve endurance, focus, and to 

condition the body. 

• Combine KB workouts after or before your 

weight training, it will work wonderfully 

when combined with resistance training. 

• You can use the kettlebell for doing typically 

non-weighted exercises too, for example, 

circuit training, abs, or even HIIT. All you 

have to do is make a good routine and 

perform it with correct form. 

• Kettlebells are different from dumbbells 

– unlike dumbbells, the total weight is not 

evenly distributed between both sides, but 

it is rather like one huge chunk of mass held 

by both hands. This is what makes kettlebell 

ideal for dynamic swinging exercises. 

• With kettlebells, there are countless multijoint 

exercises you can perform. 


23 

Some Exercises you can do with KB 

• Swinging (single arm, Russian, two arm) 

• Clean-jerk 

• Push-press 

• Squats 

• Goblets 

• Twists 

• Snatching 

• Push-ups 

• Deadlifts 

• Russian deadlifts 

• KB lunge press 

Swinging of kettlebells will help you 

strengthening your lower back, legs (hams, 

glutes, quads,) and arms. Swinging is the 

essential kettlebell technique, and the most 

important one of all in kettlebell exercises. You 

can combine and work various muscles groups 

simultaneously with the swinging technique. 

While performing the swing, take care to 

maintain correct form or it may lead to injury. 

You can perform squats with kettle bell 

especially if you have APT (anterior pelvic tilt, 

disc bulge, disc herniation, etc. – conditions 

which may prevent you from doing barbell 

squats) or if you just want to improve your 

squats form in general. You can combine 

variations like sumo squats and goblet squats 

for an overall lower body workout as well. 

Push-press will give good strength to your arms, 

while doing overhead press with push will work 

on your legs and arms both, and especially on 


24 

your shoulders and trapezius. 

You can do a twist and swing in combination for 

a great ab workout. This works especially on 

your oblique muscles. 

Other than these, you can find many other 

exercises with kettlebells which can improve 

your overall body form and strength. 

Things to keep in mind 

While swinging the kettlebell or while 

performing any other exercise with it, there are 

few pointers that you need to keep in mind to 

prevent injury: 

1. Always start with light KBs. 

2. Swinging is not squatting, so while swinging 

do not squat; you have to hinge, but do not 

go low to swing. 

3. Do not roll your back. 

4. Do not keep your body and arms loose, 

maintain the grip. 

5. Focus on movements and muscles. 

6. Keep the spine neutral and do not roll your 

back and shoulder while swinging. 

7. Your stance should be wide enough, and 

balance your feet at all times. 

So this was all about kettlebell - the small 

magic ‘bomb’ that can actually help you burn 

400 calories in 20 minutes with a well planned 

routine! Kettlebells not only offer resistance 

benefits, but also help in burning calories, and 

ultimately, in improving functional training 

capacity. And what is best is that the kettlebell 

is easy to carry while travelling, and easy to 

store and use for home workouts. 

So next time, don’t shy away from the kettlebell. 

Give it a try and experience its benefits! 


25 

IS CAFFEINE A NATURAL FAT BURNER? 

- Shilpa Reddy 

In this day and age, obesity has become 

one of the biggest problems of our modern 

world. It leads to many physical and mental 

complications that people are ready to do 

anything to cut that fat without thinking about 

its consequences. Diet pill companies in their 

quest to make a quick buck take people for a 

ride by claiming that their products can give 

instant weight loss and keep them slim forever. 

People are always looking for quick fixes instead 

of real effort to lose that stubborn fat either by 

starving themselves or popping weight loss pills, 

carb blockers, bariatric surgery etc. which don’t 

really do any good to our body but make a huge 

hole in our health and pockets. 

One such supplement, which has made its way 

into the world of fitness is Caffeine and for a 

good reason. It is used in a myriad of ways such 

as a body builder’s pre-workout, an athlete’s 

pre-match energy booster, a student’s study 

aid, at social gatherings etc. It has become part 

of most workout supplements, sports drinks, 

energy drinks claiming to aid in weight loss and 

boost energy levels. Caffeine beverage 

makers claim that Caffeine has 

amazing fat burning properties 

which aids in weight loss. It has 

been hailed as a miraculous drug which can help 

people maintain their lean body mass and burn 


26 

fat. Thousands of people consume obscene 

amounts of Caffeine in the belief that it would 

help them lose weight and achieve their fitness 

goals faster. But the question is “Is it really true? 

Does caffeine really help in weight loss?” 

To understand this, let us dig deeper into how 

caffeine affects our body. 

The fat stored in our body in the form of 

triglycerides cannot be directly used for 

energy production by the cells. They need to be 

unlocked from their stored form and released 

into the blood in the form of Free Fatty Acids 

(FFA’s) to be utilized for energy by the cells of 

our body. Caffeine is said to induce the release 

of flight or fight hormones adrenaline and noradrenaline 

in our body. They prime the body 

for action expecting fight or flight situations 

such as increasing blood flow to the skeletal 

muscle, widening of air passage, blood vessel 

constriction, dilation, raising blood pressure etc. 

When the levels of these hormones increase in 

our blood, fat stored in our body is released in 

the form of FFA’s for cellular uptake. 

Now the question arises whether all these Free 

Fatty Acids that were released as a result of 

Caffeine ingestion from their triglyceride form 

actually resulted in fat oxidation or fat loss 

as just the FFA’s floating in our blood stream 

doesn’t serve any purpose. Studies done in 

this regard, have not seen major fat oxidation 

due to the conversion of triglycerides to FFA’s 

rather it was seen that lipid mobilization alone 

FITMAG | OCTOBER 2017 

was insufficient to drive lipid oxidation, or large 

increments in lipid turnover resulted in small 

increments in lipid oxidation. This essentially 

means that just because FFA’s were released 

from their stored form, it doesn’t really mean 

they were utilized by the cells for energy. 

Some of them did get converted back into their 

triglyceride form and stored in the body which 

essentially nullified the good effects. 

Caffeine has other metabolic effects as well 

which are said to help in burning excess 

calories even while at rest such as increased 

thermogenesis, increased resting metabolic 

rate, appetite suppressant etc. Caffeine can 

have a significant influence on energy balance 

and may promote thermogenesis in the 

treatment of obesity. 

As much as we would love to overdose on 

caffeine, we should not forget that Caffeine 

has its downside as well. Excess caffeine 

consumption can lead to insomnia, anxiety, 

nervousness, restlessness, irritability, acidity, 

acid reflux, heartburn, increased heart rate, 

blood pressure etc. Moderate and high 

consumer groups reported significantly higher 

anxiety and depression scores when compared 

with abstainers. Caffeine has also been known 

to increase heart rate and blood pressure in 

individuals. Coffee is highly acidic and can 

stimulate hyper secretion of gastric acids. 

Caffeine also has the problem of developing 

tolerance to it when consumed continuously

27 

over a period of time and in order to continue 

getting the same benefits, dosage needs to 

be increased periodically which is counter 

productive. Also caffeine is known to cause 

withdrawal symptoms such as nausea, 

headache, dizziness, irritability etc when one 

tries to quit it. 

Conclusion: 

In conclusion, it can be said that while Caffeine 

does induce lipolysis, it does not directly 

translate to lipid oxidation i.e. fat burn. Both 

are very different things and just because 

we have FFA’s floating around in our body 

does not mean they were oxidized for energy. 

Though increased caffeine intake does result 

in increased lipid turnover which might lead to 

some fat oxidation, this is not significant and 

most of the FFA’s would again get stored as 

triglycerides in our body. We still need to put 

the effort and exercise and workout and give 

a reason for our body to use them for energy 

and not let 

them be stored. 

Caffeine can 

only help us in 

unlocking the 

FFA’s but we 

should give work 

to our muscles 

so that they 

oxidize the 

released FFA’s for energy and not store them 

back again which will lead to actual fat loss. 

The best thing we can do to maximize our fat 

loss is to use Caffeine as a pre-workout which 

would unlock the Free Fatty Acids and make 

them readily available for the muscle cells to 

oxidize them for energy. This would ensure that 

majority of them get oxidized instead of getting 

stored back as triglycerides. Other effects of 

Caffeine such as increased thermogenesis, 

resting metabolic rate etc. though might lead to 

some fat oxidation, this is not very significant 

and might easily be negated if we consume 

excess calories. 

Also since caffeine is known to have some 

negative effects, we should take care that we do 

not go overboard with its consumption thinking 

that we can have all the benefits combined such 

as lipolysis, increased thermogenesis, increased 

RMR and quickly lose weight as rather than 

losing weight, we would instead suffer from 

stress, anxiety, insomnia, irritability, heart 

burn, acidity, high blood pressure etc. which 

is more detrimental to our health. We should 

not consume more than 400mg of coffee which 

roughly equates to 3-4 cups of coffee per 

day while still derive maximum benefits from 

its usage. Also, in order to avoid developing 

tolerance to Caffeine, it would be a good idea to 

cycle caffeine on a regular basis by abstaining 

from it for a few weeks to few months 

depending on one’s tolerance and sensitivity 

levels and again consume it. 


28 

Menstrual 

Cycle 

Periodisation 

- Aditya Mahajan 

It is important to understand that women are 

not just the dwarf-versions of men. Women are 

too special and complex than men. Do you know 

what the biggest difference between men and 

women is? Menstrual cycle. 

The menstrual cycle is a result of complex series 

of hormonal changes. On one hand, men have 

almost linear hormonal profile throughout 

the months & years, but in case of women 

it’s always kind of like a zig-zag and this is 

the reason why women’smood and strength 

fluctuates a lot during the month. A female 

can be extremely strong on one 

day and extremely weak next 

day, whereas if a man is strong, he will be 

strong every single day. So, it is safe to conclude 

that menstrual cycle alone makes nutrition and 

training need of women different than that of 

men.But you can efficiently take charge of your 

cycle by tailoring your training program to your 

menstrual cycle. Let’s understand how you can 

periodize your workout in accordance with your 

menstrual cycle for maximum results. 

Phase Overview: 

The normal menstrual cycle can last anywhere 

between 25-35 days and can be divided into 3 

phases: 

1. Follicular phase (Day 1-14): During this 

phase, the ovarian follicles mature and 

get ready to release an egg. This phase is 

linked with increased pain tolerance, insulin 

sensitivity, and much lesser cravings. During 

this phase, the Estrogen (responsible for 

good mood, optimism, brain alertness, pain 

endurance etc) and testosterone is rising 

and progesterone( thesedating hormone 

responsible for mental fog, cravings, bad 

mood etc) is at lowest. Also, studies suggest 

that women are strongest during this phase. 

2. Ovulation (Day 14): Ovulation is the second 

phase of the ovarian cycle in which a mature 

egg is released into the oviduct by ovarian 

follicles. The relative strength remains 

elevated during this period and the Estrogen 

concentration elevates during this phase 

which can affect collagen synthesis and 

neuromuscular control. 

3. Luteal phase (Day 15+): The luteal phase 

is the last phase of the ovarian cycle and 

it corresponds to the secretory phase of 

the uterine cycle. This phase is linked with 

asudden reduction in athletic performance 

and cravings peak during this phase. The 

Estrogen and testosterone level reduces 

andincrease in progesterone levels is 

observed. 


29 

Tailoring your training to your menstrual cycle: 

Phase Follicular Ovulation Luteal 

Physiological changes 

• Increased pain 

tolerance. 

• Increased hepatic 

and intramuscular 

glucose storage and 

usage. 

• Greater force 

generation capacity. 

• Possible changes 

in behavior 

and athletic 

performance 

• Reduction in 

strength. 

• Altered 

cardiovascular 

output. 

• Reduction in glucose 

usage. 

Training suggestions 

• Women can train 

harder during this 

period. They are 

best served to 

focus on training 

progress during this 

phase. Therefore, 

it is suggested to 

increase the training 

intensity during this 

period. 

• If they are planning 

to start a fitness 

regime, this is the 

best time to start. 

• Heavy load 

training with lesser 

repetitions is 

suggested during 

this phase 

• The ideal time to 

attempt personal 

records (PR). 

• Elevated risk of 

injuries. 

• Attempt your PR 

but adhere to the 

perfect form to 

prevent injuries. 

• Go little easy with 

your workout 

since the strength 

decreases during 

this phase. 

• Lighter load with 

higher repetitions 

will be the best bet 

during this phase. 

So now you see why it is not the best way to train women like little men? Whether your goal is fat 

loss or muscle gain or strength gain, periodizing your workouts according to your menstrual cycle 

will allow you to get the best results. But it’s important to understand that every woman is unique. 

The length of the cycle, as well as associated energy & mood fluctuations, are not same in every 

case. So make sure you first understand that how one phase differs from the other and gain insight 

on the associated changes in mood, energy, and performance to successfully ‘cycle your training’. 


30 

Recipe of the month 

Courtesy - Sonal Jain 

Dieter Special 

Cabbage Momos! 

The Momo, or the steamed dumpling, is a dish that is 

perhaps of Tibetan origin, but has become the dish of 

choice all over the country, especially when it comes to 

food that packs health and deliciousness into one amazing 

combination! You can experiment endlessly when it comes 

to momos - whether it be your choice of fillings, or the 

dough for the outer cover, whether you make parcels or 

moon-shaped bags, or whether you choose to fry them, 

steam them, or dunk them into a soup. 

Today, we present a recipe of a momo variation that uses cabbage leaves instead of the traditional 

rice-dough to make the outer cover. That makes even more dieter-friendly, while retaining the 

simplicity of this dish. Presenting the Dieter Special Cabbage Momos! Here is the recipe for you: 

Ingredients 

For the outer covering: 

• Tender cabbage leaves - 5 nos. 

For the filling: 

• Paneer - 50 gms, grated 

• Bell pepper - chopped fine 

• Mushrooms - chopped fine 

• Beans - chopped fine 

• Carrot - chopped fine 

• Onion - chopped fine 

METHOD 

1. For the covering, boil the cabbage leaves in 

mildly salted boiling water, until tender. Once 

soft, remove immediately and cool.Take a little 

oil in a non-stick pan and saute all the chopped 

vegetables. Season with salt n pepper. 

2. Now add grated paneer to it and mix well on a 

medium-high flame. 

3. For a flavour kick, you can add any other 

seasoning like Maggi masala or Top Ramen 

masala. Alternatively, just add dried herbs like 

oregano and basil, chilli flakes, and/or freshly 

chopped coriander leaves. 

4. In the prepared cabbage leaves, add a spoon of 

the stuffing mix and fold it by bringing all the 

edges together and securing with a toothpick. 

5. Finally, use a steamer to steam the cabbage 

momos for 5 min. 

Enjoy them hot with ketchup, or hot sauce, or 

simply chilli vinegar! 



Shield your Skin 

against the Sun 

The Importance of 

Sunscreen Use 

By Dr. Shailly Gupta 

While we unabashedly indulge ourselves in 

the wide array of beauty products that are 

available across retail establishments all over, 

there is one product that actually goes more 

than ‘skin deep,’ but is sadly the most neglected 

component of our daily beauty/skincare 

regimen – the Sunscreen. 

Our television commercials these days, talk a 

lot about sunscreen lotions and creams, their 

‘SPF’ factor (The ‘Sun Protection Factor’), and 

how they protect us against the UV rays of 

the sun. Most usually, a fair-skinned lissome 

young woman is sashaying in the hot sun with 

her ‘I don’t care’ expression, while a lot of 

dark-skinned ladies stare at her in envy under 

umbrellas and wide-brimmed hats. A lot is to 

be desired out of these couched references to 

beauty stereotypes (we will come to it later in 

the article), but all these advertisements merely 

skim the surface and miss out on the most 

relevant parts - the dangers of sun exposure, 

and the actual benefits of using a good 

sunscreen or sunblock. This article will help 

you understand the crucial role played by the 

Sunscreen lotion/cream in protecting your skin 

from incredible damage. 

Firstly, the basics about Sunlight 

The spectrum of sunlight consists of the 

Ultraviolet (UV) rays at one end, the visible light 

(the ‘light’ that we can see) in the middle, and 

the Infra-red (IR) rays at the other end. 



Ultra Violet (UV) Rays - In terms of the 

penetrative strength, the UV rays cannot 

penetrate as much through the various 

atmospheric layers. The Stratosphere, which is 

the second layer just above the Troposphere, 

contains the ‘Ozone Layer,’ which is responsible 

for absorbing the UV rays of the sun, and 

therefore preventing them from reaching 

our skin. This is very significant, because the 

UV rays are the most destructive of the sun’s 

radiation, cause a variety of light-related 

diseases, and are a direct cause of Skin Cancer, 

which is the most prevalent form of cancer in 

the world today. Hence, the need of the hour 

is to be aware of the harm to the ozone layer 

that is caused by human agency, and to reverse 

and repair the damage caused, so as to prevent 

the penetration of UV rays and the resultant 

incidence of skin cancer. 

A few of the sunscreens available in the market 

do throw up the names UVA and UVB. Both 

these are two different types of UV waves that 

differ in their wavelengths. UVA has the longer 

wavelength (320 – 400 nanometer) and is more 

penetrative – even penetrating the windows of 

cars while traveling! (So, if you think you’re safe 

if you’re sitting inside an AC car, think again.) 

UVB has the shorter wavelength (290 – 320 

nm). Effect wise, UVA rays are responsible for 

photoageing (skin ageing caused by light) and 

the occurrence of skin cancer, while UVB rays 

cause sunburn. 

Visible Light - The visible light from the sun 

penetrates into the atmosphere, and that is the 

white light that we see, comprising of seven 

colours. This visible light causes no perceptible 

harm to our skin. 

Infra Red (IR) Rays - The Infra-red (IR) segment 

of the sun’s radiation basically refers to 

the ‘heat’ energy given out by the sun. This 

radiation penetrates most potently through all 

the atmospheric layers, and causes the heating 

up of the earth’s surface, and of everything on 

it. The IR rays are responsible for heat strokes 

and might be harmful to the skin in case of 

prolonged exposure. 

Now, let us look at what sunlight exposure does 

to our skin. 

Tanning – Is it harmful? 

Tanning, firstly, is not a disease, nor should it be 

considered ‘undesirable,’ unless it is frequent 

and repeated. Tanning is caused by the UVA 

radiation when it hits the epidermis (the top 

layer of the skin). Tanning is basically the 

increased production of Melanin in the skin 

cells, which is a dark brown naturally occurring 

pigment. The presence of Melanin is extremely 

useful in protecting us against skin cancer. 

The reason for this is that Melanin acts as a 

protective layer around the nucleus of skin 

cells, thereby guarding the DNA present inside. 

As you may be aware, any cancer is the direct 



consequence of mutation (DNA level changes) 

at the nuclear level. By protecting the nucleus 

and the DNA, Melanin reduces the chances of 

skin cancer. 

What does this mean in general terms? It means 

that the more the Melanin in our skin, the less 

our susceptibility to skin cancer. In simpler 

terms, dark-skinned people have better natural 

protection against this terrible skin disease! 

Hence, people living in tropical places like 

India definitely have an upper hand in the fight 

against skin cancer. Of course, this does not 

imply that you go and sit everyday under the 

hot sun to get a tan! 

So, what happens to when there is less 

Melanin? 

Firstly, the reduced presence of Melanin makes 

you prone to sunburn (Burning is the actual 

damage to the skin cells caused by heat, while 

tanning is just increased pigmentation). 

Secondly, where the skin is exposed to the 

harmful UV radiation, the absence (or reduced 

presence) of Melanin means a loss of the largest 

defense mechanism, leaving the cell and its 

DNA exposed to the deleterious effects of the 

UV rays. 

Hence, fair-skinned people have to be extra 

careful of unwanted or prolonged sun exposure. 

In fact, in countries like the US, skin check up is 

a routine check-up, much like an eye check up, 

or a dental check up, or a liver check up in India. 

It is easy to detect early signs of cancerous 

skin tumors. Look at the moles on the body, 

especially new ones, and apply the ABCD rule: 

• A: Asymmetry of surface 

• B: Border – suspicious ones tend to have 

irregular border 

• C: Colour – especially uneven colour or 

unexpected coloration 

• D: Diameter – rapidly increasing moles 

If you notice any of these abnormalities in your 

mole, consult your dermatologist. 

What are the common sun-related skin 

ailments? 

The most common skin issues caused by sunexposure 

are: 

1. Sunburn type response – redness, swelling, 

heat sensation. Certain medicines make 

people prone to sunburn, so they may … 

2. Rash type response – usually photoallergies 

with itching. Example - Polymorphous Light 

Eruption (PLE), which is characterized by a 

red rash (tiny bumps, patchy skin). 

3. Urticarial response – solar urticaria (hives) 

4. Chronic photosensitivity – repeated 

exposure over time causes photoageing 

– which brings about wrinkles, pores, and 

sagging of skin. 

5. Other conditions aggravated by sun – 

Melasma (‘butterfly patch’ or butterfly 

shaped discoloration in the central area of 

the face), Milia (small white cysts on nose 



and cheeks especially), DPN (Dermatosis 

Papulosa Nigra), Solar lentigo (black dots on 

face), and Actinic Keratosis. 

So, how can we protect our skin 

against these skin ailments? 

Here is where the Sunscreen becomes our best 

friend. The Sunscreen protects the skin cells 

from all these conditions, and is the first on 

the list in any anti-ageing prescription. The 

Sunscreen is also known as a Sunblock, or a 

Suntan lotion. It may be available in the form of 

a thick cream, or a matte or gel lotion. Some are 

water resistant, allowing use during swimming 

or for intensive physical activity in the sun. 

All sunscreen products contain a certain level 

of ‘SPF’ or Sun Protection Factor, which is 

basically a representation of how well the 

sunscreen protects your skin. For a tropical 

place like India, an SPF value of 30 is sufficient 

to guard the skin against over exposure to the 

sun. 

Myth – the Skin Whitening Cream 

This is the worst and most deplorable myth 

propagated by supposed ‘beauty’ pundits in 

recent times, so much so, that there has been 

a rise of an entire mindset against the ‘Fair & 

Lovely’ concept in beauty. Clinically, too, there 

is no such thing as a ‘skin whitening cream.’ No 

cream can make you fairer from within, unless 

you’re doing something disastrous to yourself 

in the process. However, here is a myth-busting 

dose of reality for you – the Sunscreen, with 

persistent usage, can actually cause skin 

brightening, and delay the onset of ageing 

(photoageing) by reducing the appearance 

of wrinkles, skin sagging, and open pores. No 

better reason to adopt the sunscreen into your 

daily skin care routine. 

Sunscreen use - Things to remember 

1. Sunscreen should be definitely used by 

those above the age of 20, irrespective of 

whether they actually step into the sun or 

not. This is because the radiation from the 

sun can affect our skin even if we are not 

standing in direct sunlight. 

2. The sunscreen should be used at least twice 

a day for it to have maximum beneficial 

effect. It can be used more frequently, 

especially if there is sun exposure in the 

period from 8 am to 5 pm, in which case it 

may be applied thrice in this pattern: 8 am – 

11 am – 2 pm. 

3. The action of a sunscreen (single use) begins 

only about 30 minutes from the time of 

application. Hence, it is advised that you 

apply your sunblock about 30 minutes prior 

to stepping outside your home. In addition, 

the action of the sunscreen lasts for about 3 

hours, after which, it needs to be reapplied 

to continue skin protection. 

4. Sunscreens are of two types – physical 

and chemical. The physical sunscreen is 



the type that contains Titanium Dioxide or 

Zinc Oxide. These are recognized by the 

white sheen/residue that they tend to leave 

on the face. Chemical sunscreens contain 

some active organic chemical compounds 

that filter the UV rays or even absorb 

them. A good sunscreen often contains a 

combination of physical as well as chemical 

elements. 

5. Sunscreen should be used on all exposed 

areas – face, arms, legs, back, etc. 

6. The use should be increased when you are 

on holidays (more travel), or when in or 

near water (pool, beach etc.) For using in 

the water, choose a good water resistant 

sunscreen. 

Key Takeaways 

Whether your skin tone is fair, or dark, or 

wheatish, or olive, the sunscreen is your 

friend for life. In Dermatology, there is a 

common saying, ‘Once irritated, the skin never 

forgets.’ That is to say, once your skin barrier 

is breached, the scars may heal, but it never 

really gets cured. That is why sunscreen use is 

even more crucial, especially as age progresses. 

A person who has used sunscreen everyday of 

his life, say, post the age of 20, will surely have 

noticeably healthier and younger skin when he/ 

she is 40 years old. Hence, the sunscreen 

is the real anti-ageing secret, 

a veritable fount of youth. Like 

I say to all my patients, adopt the sunscreen 

into your life much like you have adopted the 

toothpaste for your dental health and hygiene. 

And replenish and protect your skin from the 

ravages of excess sun exposure. 


36 

VALSALVA MANEUVER 

- Suraj Ray 

Lifting heavier weight is always associated 

with the right technique used for execution. 

We always emphasize on how executing the 

exercise or the lift with proper form and 

posture is helpful in terms of minimizing the 

risk of injury and impacting the targeted 

muscle group. But we seldom talk about the 

breathing technique that must accompany the 

entire range of motion. 

Till now we know that we should always 

breathe in during the negative movement 

or eccentric phase of an exercise and should 

breathe out during the concentric or the 

positive movement phase. There is nothing 

wrong with this technique, in fact, if you are 

new to weight or strength training then you 

must practice this properly. But what should be 

the approach when one is lifting more than 80% 

of his/her 1 RM (repetition max)? Should the 

same breathe-in and breathe-out technique be 

followed or is something else is needed? 

What is Valsalva maneuver? 

Valsalva Maneuver is an act in 

which air is exhaled forcefully 

with a closed glottis (Opening 

between the vocal folds). It helps 

in creating inter-abdominal pressure which 

stabilizes the spine and midbody and safeguards 

the lumbar while lifting heavier weights. We 

don’t need to do anything out of the box to 

implement it; we already unknowingly use it 

while we are lifting around our max, or while we 

are on the verge of failure and trying to push 

out the last few reps. 

Is Valsalva a safe technique? 

This technique is quite effective in minimizing 

the occurrence of spine injuries and enhancing 

performance, but there is a certain risk 

associated with this maneuver which one should 

be aware of. Valsalva Maneuver has shown to 

increase blood pressure and cardiovascular 

strain, but researches have also shown that if 

it’s done with resistance training then these 

effects are minimized. But the question still 

remains, is it safe? 


37 

My answer to it will be, if you have a past 

history of cardiovascular disease then it’s 

better to cautious while using this technique. 

Resistance training will improve the 

cardiovascular profile, so if you fall in one of 

the high-risk profiles, then slowly improve your 

lifting through a structured periodized workout 

program, rather than jumping to heavier 

weights which would involuntarily induce 

Valsalva maneuver. You must make your core 

strong and body adaptable enough to sustain 

that pressure. 

How to perform the Valsalva maneuver 

correctly 

The time limit of holding the air should be 

limited to about 3 seconds while executing a 

single repetition of squats, deadlift, overhead 

press, bench press, or any such compound 

exercises. For example, if performing a back 

squat, then - 

1. First, unrack the weighted bar. 

2. Take your position and place your feet at 

considerable execution position. 

3. After you are stable, take a deep breath and 

tighten your core. (Valsalva Maneuver) 

4. Go down and come back to the first position 

by holding the air, once one full repetition is 

done release the air. 

The entire range of motion should be done in 

a span of 3-4 seconds (max), as holding the air 

for too long might give you dizziness, bleeding 

nose, or lightheadedness, which might be 

dangerous. 

In conclusion 

As with any other exercise technique, the 

standard warning is that proper caution should 

be maintained while utilizing this rewarding 

technique as well. While the Valsalva maneuver 

can benefit your heavier sets tremendously, 

doing it without adequate knowledge or 

sufficient experience can cause more harm 

than good. Also, if you are new to training then 

gradually increase your lifting capabilities 

rather than jumping to heavier weights. 

Keep lifting and stay healthy! 


38 • KITCHEN SECRETS • 

Ragi Ladoo 

Ragi is also known as Finger 

Millet and Nachni. It is the 

powerhouse of Nutrients. 

Let’s eat this delectable , 

nutrition loaded and easy to 

make sweet. 

Happy Deepavali !!!! 

Preparation Time: 05 minutes 

Cooking Time: 10 to 12 minutes 

Makes: 12 Ladoos 

INGREDIENTS AND QUANTITY 

• Ragi flour- 01 cup 

• Peanut powder, coarse- 1/4th cup 

• Organic Jaggery, grated- ½ cup 

• Water- 03 tbsp. 

• Extra Virgin Olive oil- 1/4th tbsp. 

• Coconut, desiccated- 01 cup 

• Green Cardamom Powder- 1/4th tsp. 

FOR THE GARNISH: 

• Pistachio nuts, slivered- 02 tsp. 

• Clarified Butter (Ghee) - to apply on palmsas 

required. 


39 • KITCHEN SECRETS • 

METHOD 

In a non-stick pan, dry roast the ragi flour, ensure that it does not 

burn. Set aside to cool. 

In a deep non-stick pan add jaggery along with water, once the 

jaggery melts completely. 

Strain to remove all the impurities. 

Place the strained Jaggery syrup again on a slow flame , add the 

olive oil and simmer till it reaches soft ball consistency. 

Add desiccated coconut and mix well, so that it blends completely 

into the jaggery syrup. 

Add the ragi flour, peanut powder and green cardamom powder. 

Mix thoroughly to avoid lump formation. 

Divide the mixture into 12 equal portions. 

Apply ghee to your palms and place one portion of the mixture 

and form round balls. 

Repeat till all the mixture is consumed. 

Serve garnished with slivered pistachio nuts, as and 

Chef Reetu Uday Kugaji 

when required. 

Culinary Expert, Mentor, Food Blogger 

& Author, Hospitality and Food 

Chef Tips 

Consultant. 

Shelf life of these ladoos when stored in an airtight 

http://www.chefreetuudaykugaji.com/ 

container is 2 days. 


40 

NEAT 

Too often, we complain about not seeing 

progress according to the goals we set, despite 

working out and eating healthy. It has to be our 

slow metabolism, right? We don’t realize that 

a majority of the population who work out on 

a daily basis have a metabolism that is more or 

less the same, with the exception of very few 

cases with a faulty endocrine system. 

way to 

Start Losing 

Weight 

by Lalitha Lakshman 

calories in vs calories out. 

So even if we are counting 

calories and eating below our 

BMR as well as progressively 

overloading every workout, why 

aren’t we getting the desired 

results? 

Losing weight (primarily fat) 

or gaining muscle is all about 

You can go to the gym, burn a bunch of calories 

by lifting weights and doing cardio. But the 

after burn or EPOC is relatively insignificant, 


41 

and going to the gym for an hour might burn 

somewhere between 200 - 300 calories, which 

is good but it isn’t a ton. 

further away from your workplace are some of 

the simple steps you can take to become more 

active. 

This is where NEAT comes into play. NEAT 

is the non-exercise activity thermogenesis, 

including all activities such as walking, fidgeting, 

cleaning, gardening etc. 

NEAT can account anywhere between 300 

calories to 2000 calories from one individual 

to another depending how sedentary or active 

they are throughout the day. 

Unlike having to plan your entire day around 

your workout, NEAT jus happens, once we 

develop the habit to consciously move more. 

Devices like FitBIt, Garmin, not to forget 

our smart phones are becoming increasingly 

popular to help track every step we take 

throughout the day, to make sure we are hitting 

our daily NEAT goals. 

Our BMR (basal metabolic rate – the amount of 

energy required for our body at rest ) accounts 

for 60% of our daily energy requirements and 

10-15% from TEF ( thermic energy of food – 

the amount of energy required to digest the 

food we consume ), while the rest of the energy 

depends on NEAT, which can go up to 50% of 

the individual’s expenditure depending on his 

activity level. 

Some practical applications: 

- Ensure you hit 10,000 steps a day 

- Go for a walk after every main meal 

- In the break of your favorite show get up and 

stretch 

- When on the phone, walk 

- On your lunch break get out of the house 

- Park far away from where you’re trying to go 

- Take the stairs 

So if you notice you are nailing your workouts 

and nutrition and still not seeing the desired 

results, its time to take the NEAT approach. 

Setting up an alarm every 1-2 hours for people 

with desk jobs to take a short break for a quick 

stroll instead of a coffee; parking your car as 

If your goal is fat loss, be sure to make an effort 

to increase the amount of activity you do inside 

and outside the gym, make these things a habit 

and you will find fat loss is much easier. 

The most exciting part being, it isn’t hard! 


42 • FEATURE OF THE MONTH • 

The Pilates 

Journey 

with 

Rucha Mulay 

Photography: Rahul Panshikar 

Rucha Mulay is a lot of things at once. 

She is a hands-on mother, a successful 

businesswoman, and a Pilates and Barre 

expert (a dance form that is a combination 

of Pilates and Ballet techniques). For 

her, fitness is the cornerstone of 

her identity. An air-hostess turned 

entrepreneur who has gone from 

success to success in her flying 

career, she discovered her fitness 

ideal in the Pilates form through 

sheer coincidence. But what may 

have started off as a chance 

encounter, has today become 

the force that is redefining the 

fitness stories of thousands 



across Pune, in the form of Rucha’s ‘Rpilates 

Studio.’ Here’s more to the story of how Pilates 

fuelled her personal fitness journey, and 

eventually became her inspiration in helping 

others discover its incredible benefits. 

certification. Simultaneously, she started with 

providing personal training to clients as well as 

conducting group fitness classes. And finally, in 

2015, she opened her own pilates studio – the 

Rpilates Studio. 

Beginnings 

Having been with British Airways as an airhostess 

for over 10 years, Rucha got introduced 

to Pilates through sheer chance. Standing inside 

flights for long hours combined with the rigors 

of air hostess etiquette eventually caused her 

to suffer from recurring backaches. So, when 

a few of her colleagues suggested they check 

out a Pilates studio in London, she decided to 

tag along, largely for the sake of curiosity as to 

how this form of workout could help her get 

relief from her back discomfort, or improve her 

posture and stamina in general. What she found 

instead, was that Pilates gave her so much more 

in terms of better overall health, better balance 

and flexibility, increased endurance, and an 

enviably fitter shape! 

The experience in the London Pilates studio 

became the germ of an idea – to bring Pilates 

back home to Pune, and to give back to her city 

in her own way, by showing them the amazing 

transformative power of this fitness form. 

It took Rucha 4 years of hard work to finally 

transform her dream into reality. 4 years to 

lay the foundation by completing her Sports 

Medicine Qualification, and her Reformer 

Starting with simple mat Pilates, Rucha’s hard 

work paved way for the expansion of her 

studio to include advanced Pilates equipment, 

including the Reformer, the Trapeze, and many 

others. Today, her studio boasts some of the 

best clientele in Pune, covering all age groups 

and all fields – doctors, footballers, models, 

athletes, artists, housewives, and mothers - all 

of whom have chosen to make Pilates their 

fitness mantra. 

Why Pilates? 

Pilates resonated with Rucha at a very personal 

level. Being an airhostess, she was already 

committed to staying fit, and regular gym 

workouts were part of her schedule. However, 

the regularity of gym workouts seemed 

monotonous to her, and left her wanting more. 

In addition, her persistent back pains made 

weight training harder than usual. Pilates 

allowed her to explore her body’s flexibility and 

endurance and develop strength without adding 

to her strain. In addition, she found that Pilates 

was massively helpful during and after her 

pregnancy in maintaining her body’s balance 

and structure. It is no surprise therefore, that 

she was a convert! 



Pilates for pre- and post-natal fitness, 

and for injury rehab 

Exploring how this form of fitness could have 

extended health benefits, Rucha has discovered 

that Pilates could be used as an excellent tool 

for pre- and post-natal health and fitness, 

and also for holistic recovery from injury. She 

has clients who are expecting mothers, and 

for them, Pilates offers a structured form of 

workout, rather than just some stretching and 

core strengthening basics. The mums-to-be do 

supervised squats and planks in Rpilates Studio, 

and these forms of exercises have benefited 

them greatly by strengthening their pelvic 

floor muscles - those that are crucial during 

labour and for ensuring normal delivery. Not 

just pre-natal, but Pilates also has shown to 

be instrumental in getting back to shape after 

delivery. “It is a myth that you cannot work your 

abs and core when you’re pregnant,” she says, 

and through the medium of Pilates, she has 

been debunking this myth systematically. 

When it comes to post-injury rehabilitation, 

again Pilates has proved its merit as a 

therapeutic tool. The use of Pilates to 

strengthen the muscles after an injury is 

‘Supervised Pilates.’ During supervised Pilates, 

attention is paid not to the site of injury, but 

the musculature that supports the injured 

location. For instance, one of Rucha’s clients 

was a footballer who sustained a ligament tear 

in the knee. After the actual tear was corrected 

through sustained physiotherapy, Rucha helped 

the client gain back the strength in his entire 

leg through supervised Pilates, and by working 



on muscles like quadriceps and hamstrings 

that provide vital support to the knee. “It 

is an excellent tool to correct the collateral 

imbalances that are caused because of an 

injury,” according to Rucha. 

Can Pilates be considered a complete 

workout in itself? Or should it 

be combined with other forms of 

exercise? 

While her clients have adopted the Pilates way 

of life, Rucha still recommends that they can 

combine Pilates training with other forms of 

workout such as cardio or strength training, 

or even take up a sport or do yoga,, at least 

twice a week. “The body definitely needs all 

elements of fitness,” she says, and incorporating 

Pilates into a structured workout regimen 

helps in filling gaps that may be left by your 

workout schedule. Especially in terms of body 

balance development, posture correction, and 

correction of imbalances resulting from too 

much stress on the use of the dominant side in 

most sports activities. 

Pilates for men as much as for women 

Pilates is a technique that will benefit men 

as much as it does women. In today’s world, 

several lifestyle related diseases and disorders 

are on the rise, such as stress, obesity, 

hypertension, high cholesterol, and bad posture, 

compressed spine, chronic inflammation of 

joints, and so on. These disorders are perhaps 

more prevalent amongst men than women, and 

Pilates therefore, can significantly reduce these 

symptoms and combat these ailments in both 

sexes. “Many famous personalities who are men, 

are now swearing by Pilates,” says Rucha. There 

are notable names like Andy Murray, Virat 

Kohli, and Boris Becker, to name a few. While 

Pilates in India is yet to take off, Rucha believes 

that Indian men will not be blind to its benefits, 

especially when they experience what it can 

do, and see how many adherents it has in men 

across the world! 

What does the future look like for 

Pilates? 

When Rucha started working towards her 

dream after returning to her home town, Pune, 

she had seen the meteoric journey of the Pilates 

form in the West. In India, there were only a few 

studios of note in Mumbai. However, a fair bit 

has changed since then. While Rucha’s Rpilates 

Studio was the first ever pilates studio in Pune, 

there were soon more that followed in her 

footsteps, and many more cities across India 

have several takers for this form of workout. 

Cities like Hyderabad and Bangalore too have 

seen the demand for such workshops and 

studios in recent times. 

Much more remains to be done, says Rucha. The 

main delimiting factor is perhaps the timeline 

- it takes several years for a person to get 

trained in Pilates and to become knowledgeable 



enough to be a trainer and set up his or her 

own Pilates studio. That being said, the rising 

popularity and demand for Pilates training is 

enough motivation for many to follow Rucha’s 

footsteps. So, it won’t be long before many more 

cities open their doors to this workout form and 

its innumerable benefits. 

Barre – what’s trending! 

Barre is a dance-based workout that combines 

the artistry of ballet with the strength and 

balance training of Pilates. It is the latest trend 

in fitness, and for Rucha, what is on the horizon 

is her Masters in Barre training next year, which 

will make her the first certified Barre expert 

and trainer in India! She already teaches Barre 

at her studio, and has popularized this form 

amongst many. 

Message to beginners in Pilates 

When asked what beginners in Pilates should 

know before starting, Rucha stresses on one 

important thing - “Don’t start Pilates with a 

stereotypical mindset,” she says. Everyone has 

a different learning curve, and every person’s 

body has a different reaction time. It takes time 

and patience to truly develop strength and 

flexibility with Pilates. The point is consistency. 

Keep at it. 

Joseph Pilates - the founder of this form of 

training - has famously said “In 10 sessions 

you’ll feel the difference, in 20 you’ll see the 

difference, and in 30 you’ll have a new body.” 

To this Rucha adds significantly, “Fitness is 

discipline. Your body is the only thing you will 

have till the end - so you have to look after it 

well!” 


47 

The Three Contenders 

for Fat Loss 

Resistance training, Cardio and 

HIIT (High-Intensity Interval training) 

- Shashank Lalwani 

All the fitness enthusiasts go through a slog 

fest in order to burn those extra calories and do 

various physical activities like jogging, sprinting, 

brisk walking, running on treadmills, lifting 

weights, and every other possible workout to 

keep them active throughout the day. Though 

the goal is same, the major dilemma faced by 

most of them (despite trying all 

these methods) is what is the 

activity that is best suited for 

me! 

This may come as a 

surprise to many that 

after you exercise, 

your body still 

keeps on burning 

calories which is called 

EPOC (Energy Post 

Oxygen Consumption) 

effect. Every 

Exercise form 

has a different 

EPOC level, and 

that brings in the 

bigger difference 

in our choice of 

workout and the effect it has. 

With this article, we will understand the basic 

of each type of exercise activity, which will help 

prioritize our workouts accordingly. 

The basic science is clear - when you burn 

calories more than you consume in a day you 

lose those additional kilos. 

But when it comes 

to individual 

exercise forms, 

let us discuss the 

three contenders 

in the Fat Loss 

Wars one by one: 

1. CARDIO 

Cardio is anything you do 

with low intensity for some 

period of time, be it a 5 km 

jog, an hour on a treadmill, 

sprinting for 5 minutes, 

working on the ellipticals, or 

cycling - basically anything that 

elevates your heart rate. When 

your goal is just fat loss, it is 

the most basic thing which you 


48 

can do for burning calories. 

Pros: 

• You just need a pair of shoes and your legs. 

Do not worry if you don’t have those highend 

machines, just find a park and start. By 

the way, you can also go cross country. 

• One who is new to exercising can start 

simply with running on the treadmill, using 

ellipticals, or cycling. 

Cons: 

• It definitely elevates the heart rate, but it 

doesn’t train your heart to deal with such 

extreme conditions such as stress, as it does 

not deal with the rapid changes. 

• Secondly, it has very less EPOC, which 

means you burn when you run, but you don’t 

burn afterward. 

• It does not help your body in shaping up or 

toning up, which is what most of us usually 

want to do. 

• And lastly, running on the treadmill for hours 

might feel boring after some time - resulting 

in demotivation. 

2. HIGH INTENSITY INTERVAL 

TRAINING (HIIT) 

HIIT is an advanced form of cardio where you 

jog for two minutes and immediately start 

sprinting for forty secs. So, you jog, sprint, jog, 

sprint, or climb the stairs up, down, up, down. 


49 

Ah! What the hell are we doing here, you might 

ask! 

What we are doing in HIIT is that we are 

constantly forcing the heart to adapt to 

different conditions so it starts getting used to 

stepping out of the comfort zone. This will kick 

your metabolism to higher gears for hours... 

so that when you’re later watching Games of 

Thrones while sitting on your couch, you’re still 

burning calories. As simple as that! 

And as to how it compares to cardio, one 

research says you burn three times more fat 

with HIIT as compared to Cardio! 

Pros: 

• EPOC: You burn calories for hours even 

after you are done with your workout. 

• Again, just a pair of shoes and your legs 

are sufficient for HIIT. However, if you are 

looking for some advanced machinery like 

treadmills, ellipticals or cycling, you need to 

join a gym or purchase one for your home. 

Cons: 

• One session could be for a maximum for 

20-30 minutes, post which your body will 

hate you as you will get too exhausted to 

continue. With HIIT, the recovery time is 

too much as compared to other forms of 

exercises. 

3. WEIGHT TRAINING 

How would it sound to you if someone said 

“Lifting weights for the same time that you do 

Cardio or HIIT, will not only burn extra calories, 


50 

but also will build muscles with much more 

higher EPOC.” You just went “Wow!!!” right? 

Yes it is truly a sweet deal. By lifting weights 

you burn fat as well build muscles at the same 

time with approximately 72 hours of EPOC rate 

- which means you will be burning calories for 

three additional days. But wait, it works only 

when you do a minimum of three to countless 

maximum sessions for weight training. 

If you don’t love weights much, you can also 

combine these sessions according to your 

schedule. For example, If you workout five 

days a week, following three days of weight 

lifting sessions with every alternate day of 

HIIT is something you could think of. To start 

with Cardio is good, but if you are already 

been hitting the gym since a month or two, you 

should move to HIIT and Weight lifting instead 

of sticking to cardio alone. 

Other benefits of weight lifting are long term 

metabolism increase, total body shaping or 

toning up, and increase in the overall hormonal 

environment. 

Pros: 

• Maximum benefits of EPOC for up to 

72 hours, as compared to the other two 

contenders. 

• Burn fat and gain muscles simultaneously. 

Cons: 

• Almost none, if the form is correct. 

Understand your body and lift accordingly. 

So now since we have discussed all three 

contenders, It might have given you a brief 

idea what should be your form of exercise. 

Everything works at its pace, but the most 

important thing which impacts any form of 

workout you choose, is the right approach to 

nutrition and the diet you intake. 

To summarize therefore, here’s when to do 

what: 

Do Cardio, when you are new to exercising and 

don’t know where to start, and have loads of 

time. 

Do HIIT, when you want to burn those extra 

kilos but you hate the bars and dumbbells every 

day. You can just watch two to three episodes of 

Game of Thrones while lazing on the sofa, and 

still burn those calories. 

Lift Weights, when you want to burn that extra 

fat along with gaining some good muscles. And 

also watch almost all of the seasons of Game of 

Thrones in the single super-stretch marathon 

session, while vegetating on your couch and 

burning calories at the same time! 

Happy Working Out! 


51 

Weight Fluctuations 

and Variances 

By Amogh Gadewar 

As a Consultant, I come across a lot of clients 

complaining that their weight fluctuates a lot 

when they check it every day. Now, I have been 

constantly advising my clients not to check 

weight daily but for some it is just a habit. Some 

clients check their weight multiple times in a 

day. This is a complete disaster. This just gives 

the weighing machine a total control over your 

mood. 

For people who check their weight daily, some 

days the weighing scale gives good news and 

they are happy and some days, the weighing 

scale gives them bad news which affects them 

more than the days on which it made them 

happy. 

It is not a crime to check weight on a daily basis. 

In fact many researches show that frequent 

weigh-ins have a positive impact on their weight 

loss journey. But the question is, how frequent? 

I would say a weekly measure would be just fine. 

But if you are one of those who stand up on 

a weighing scale every now and then, then 

you need to know what causes your weight to 

fluctuate so much so that on some days, if your 

weighing scale has decided to upset you, you 

know that weight is just a number and you need 

not give it so much importance! 

1. Water weight 

a) Glycogen- A store house of glucose in the 

body. Our body turns to it whenever in 

need of energy and generally each gram of 

glycogen is bonded to 3-4 grams of water. 


52 

So, after a carb rich diet, when suddenly 

you move on to diets with low or no carb, 

you might see a sudden loss in the weight 

within a few days or week. Let me tell you, 

it’s just the water weight you lost where 

the sudden decrease in carbohydrate intake 

has depleted your glycogen stores and the 

amount of water bonded to the glycogen is 

lost. 

b) Salt intake – You are retaining water due 

to salt. Sodium has a lot to do with your 

water retention. Generally, our body tries 

to maintain a sodium/water concentration 

outside the cell walls. On some days, when 

you eat food rich in sodium, your body might 

hold extra water in order to maintain that 

ratio and you might see a difference on your 

weighing scale (on higher side). It’s the job 

of your kidneys to excrete the extra sodium 

from your body and until they do it, you hold 

on to that extra water weight. 

2. Muscle gains 

If you are a beginner and have recently started 

working out, (when I say working out, I mean in 

the weights section of the gym and not on those 

expensive cardio machines), you may experience 

that even being on a fat loss program, your 

weight doesn’t change much or sometimes, it 

even increases. This is because your muscle 

weight gain is compensating for the fat loss. 

So, in such circumstances, I would advise 

you to check your progress with the help of a 

measurement tape and rely on mirror results. 

3. Different circumstances 

A number of different circumstances in our 

day to day life also cause a lot of weight 

fluctuations. 

For examplea) 

Stress - This is another factor which causes 

the variances in weight on weighing scale. 

You must have noticed that on some days 

when you are already stressed out, the 

weighing scale just adds up to your misery 

making you feel even more terrible? 

Experienced it? This is due to the rise of 

cortisol hormone in your body. When you 

are stressed out, your body responds to it by 

releasing a steroid hormone called cortisol. 

Now, cortisol is known to cause weight gain 

and studies have shown that higher amount 

of cortisol in our body leads to breakdown 

of proteins(proteolysis) and muscle wasting. 

So it is very necessary for you to stay stress 

free when on a fat loss program. 

b) Bowel movements -Throughout the day, 

our weight increases gradually as we begin 

to eat throughout the day. The waste 

undigested food stays in our body for a 

certain amount of time until it is excreted 

out of the system. This extra undigested 

waste food also contributes to the variance 

in the weight seen on the weighing scale 


53 

c) Menstruation – In case of women, the 

weight fluctuations are very common during 

their menstrual days. Right before when 

periods occur, the level of estrogen hormone 

increases which indirectly leads the body 

to retain more fluid which makes women 

feel bloated and this water retention causes 

weight fluctuations. The other hormone 

which also contributes to water retention 

is progesterone which spikes in the second 

half of the cycle. So, to all the women out 

there, if your scale shows you a pound extra 

during your menstrual days, it is just fine, 

continue with your diet and you will see your 

water weight dropping once your periods 

are over. 

Now, these were some of the most common 

reasons which cause your weight to fluctuate. 

If you are aware of all these reasons, the daily 

weight fluctuations won’t matter much to you. 

But then the question is, “How do you measure 

your progress if your weighing scale is not going 

to give you a precise answer?” 

a) Concentrate more on Fat loss instead of 

weight loss and in order to measure it, 

use measurement tape and record results 

weekly. Though I am not a fan of numbers, 

you can track your body fat percentage 

periodically. But personally, I would suggest 

you to track your progress via mirror results 

if numbers just make you more nervous like 

me. 

b) Check your strength gains at gym, if you are 

able to progress well in picking up heavy 

weights and able to perform compound lifts 

with proper form. Keep a check on your PR’s 

at the gym and see if they are improving. 

c) Are you able to get a sound sleep? Are 

you able to wake up early? Are you able 

to perform daily activities with a lot more 

energy? 

These basic questions will provide you answers 

about your overall health and wellbeing and at 

the end of the day more than any numbers, this 

is what matters the most! 

So, to conclude, don’t give away too much 

importance to the weighing scale. It’s not 

the exact gauge to measure your progress. 

Whatever number it shows on the scale, just 

accept happily and keep in mind that the weight 

on the scale is a composition of lot of things. 

Cheers! 



What is PeriMenopause? 

- Reshma Batra 

Menopause is one of those times most women 

dread. They tend to gain weight and face a 

horde of symptoms which can disrupt their 

normal life style. Most of us have a good idea 

about what Menopause is. But many of us are 

not even aware that there is transition period 

from menstruation to menopause which is 

called as “Perimenopause”. It refers to the time 

during which your body makes the natural 

transition towards menopause, marking the end 

of the reproductive years. 

There is no fixed age 

for Perimenopause. 

Some women may 

notice changes in 

their bodies as 

early as their mid- 

30s, while some 

may see it in their 

40’s or even later. 

The levels of estrogen, 

which is the main female 

hormone, may rise and fall 

unevenly during perimenopause. 

During this time the body makes less 

and less of the hormones that control your 

period i.e. estrogen and progesterone. Your 

menstrual cycles may lengthen or shorten, 

and you may begin having menstrual cycles 

in which your ovaries don’t release an egg 

(ovulate). You may also experience menopauselike 

symptoms, such as hot flashes, sleep 

problems and vaginal dryness. Once you have 

gone through 12 consecutive months without 

a menstrual period, you have officially entered 

into menopause. 

Although not always conclusive, some evidence 

suggests that certain factors may make it more 

likely that you start perimenopause 

at an earlier age. Smoking, 

Hysterectomy, cancer 

treatment or a family history 

of early menopause may 

lead to menopause a few 

years earlier. 

During the menopausal 

transition you will 

find a lot of changes 

that may take place in 

your body. The most 

common is Irregular 

periods. Ovulation becomes 

unpredictable and the time 

between your periods may be 

longer or shorter (7- 8 days or more). If 

the bleeding is extremely heavy or lasts longer 

than seven days, bleeding occurs between 

periods and your periods regularly occur less 



than 21 days apart, you are in peri menopause. 

As long as you are still having your periods, 

pregnancy is possible although changes in 

the ovulation dates lead to a decrease in the 

fertility rate. Its advisiable to continue using 

some kind of birth control until you have 

stopped having your period for 12 months. 

Hot flashes are also common during 

perimenopause as they are during menopause 

although their intensity and frequency may 

vary. Sleep problems may be caused due to hot 

flashes or night sweats during perimenopause. 

Just as in PMS, mood swings and getting 

irritated easily is a common symptom. Some 

women may feel incredibiy low or depressed 

during this period. 

As the estrogen levels diminish the vaginal 

tissues may lose lubrication and elasticity, 

making intercourse painful. Low estrogen levels 

can also make you vulnerable to urinary or 

vaginal infections more easily. Another major 

drawback of low estrogen levels is the loss of 

bone quicker than it can be replaced, hence 

increasing your risk of osteoporosis (a disease 

that causes fragile bones). There are a huge 

percentage of women who face this issue which 

can be corrected to some extent with regular 

consumption of Calcium and Vitamin D3. 

Declining estrogen levels may lead to some 

unfavorable changes in your blood cholesterol 

levels as well. It can lead to an increase in lowdensity 

lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol while 

simultaneously decreasing the high-density 

lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, leading to an 

increase in the risk of heart disease. 

There are hormone tests that can be done like 

a “FSH” test to determine if menopause has set 

in, however they are not a 100% conclusive. 

Also T3, T4 and TSH tests will help confirm if 

it’s a thyroid malfunction or perimenopause. 

Some women seek medical attention for their 

perimenopausal symptoms while others either 

tolerate the changes or simply don’t experience 

symptoms that are severe enough. If your 

symptoms interfere with your life or well-being 

it’s advisable to consult with your doctor. 


56 

Cardio - The Other Side of the Coin 

- Nachiketh Shetty 

In the world of fitness, there is a severe dogma 

attached to the topic of cardio. On one hand, 

we have a section of people who look at the 

cardio section as their go to element in their 

pursuit of fat loss. On the other hand, there 

exists a population which looks at a treadmill 

and cringes at the thought of losing muscles. To 

make matters worse, there will be 

legitimate fitness professionals 

who will attest to either of the 

ideas and stick to a binary mindset 

when it comes to 

CARDIO. 

Make no mistake; both 

sides of the argument 

have some truth to it. 

However, it is also important to consider the 

context while making the argument. 

Any activity we do requires a 

combination of free fatty acids 

and glucose as a source of fuel. The 

proportion of each of the fuels that get used 

is decided by the intensity of the activity. In 

absolute layman terms, we can say that higher 

intensity activity will use more glucose and less 

of free fatty acids, while lower intensity will 

do the opposite, that is, use more of free fatty 

acids and less of glucose. This might also explain 

the logic behind the cardio zealots saying that 

cardio is the best for fat loss. And they are 

not wrong either; cardio can and will 

help in fat loss. Low intensity steady 

state cardio [LISS] can be done for a very long 

time too. The problem occurs when this group 

of people royally ignores the muscle loss that 

comes along with the fat loss by strictly sticking 

to low intensity steady state activity. 

Muscles need to be 

trained regularly. 

Strength training 

ensures that that 

happens, 

LISS does not. 

When you use the muscles 

frequently, you give the 

body a reason to hold 

on to them. It is equally 

important to feed the 

muscles with sufficient 

quantities of high 

quality proteins. 

Also, strength 

training is a 

slightly 

more intense 

activity as compared 

to 

LISS. This also means that, 

strength 

training will use up more 

of the 


57 

glucose than the free fatty acids for fuel. Having 

said that, it should also be considered that, 

there is only so much you can do when it comes 

to strength training until you run out of battery 

to keep up the quality of the workout. 

exercise in each session. Treadmill, elliptical, 

stationary bike, all of these tools works a 

different movement. Having such variety in 

your cardio routine can prevent any possible 

risk to the joint heath due to overuse. 

Moreover, when you are eating on a deficit, 

increasing the volume of the workout to 

increase energy expenditure can be detrimental. 

In an environment, where the resources are 

limited, there might be a good chance that 

the body does not have enough ingredients to 

repair the muscle damage accumulated from 

the workout, thus affecting recovery along with 

muscle loss. 

At some point, you are bound to hit a plateau in 

terms of fat loss; NEAT levels, TEF, BMR, and 

the nervous system output, 

all of these go down and fight 

hard against fat loss. Also 

there might be very little room 

for cutting calories further. 

This is where we might have 

some use for LISS. At the end 

of the strenuous workout, you 

can add some cardio to affect 

further fat loss. If you want to 

take it up a notch, then you can 

also incorporate 15-30mins of 

low intensity cardio on your 

“Active rest days”. It would 

also be wise to do a different 

As long as you are getting involved with 

strength training and have sufficient proteins 

in your diet, adding in some cardio sessions 

into the mix won’t hurt. In fact, having a mix of 

both might complement each other i.e. cardio 

training might help improve your performance 

in the weight room and weight training might 

help improve your timings in the cardio section. 

There are ways to incorporate both into a 

workout to improve overall performance, but 

let’s keep that for another day. 


58 

STRONGMAN TRAINING 

- Rupesh Choudhury 

500 kg deadlifts, 200 kg Atlas stones being thrown around, and men pulling aeroplanes across the 

finish line! Now that’s the stuff ‘strongman training’ is made of. From the ancient days of Milo of 

Croton lifting a calf everyday on his shoulders till it grew into a bull, to Eddie Hall deadlifting 500 

kgs at The World’s Strongest Man competition, human beings have been using just about anything 

to get stronger. Don’t let the name fool you, Strongman isn’t just about brute strength - endurance, 

skill, and strategy are just as important. As a follow up to last month’s article on Unconventional 

Training Methods, this article explores the competitive aspect of odd object training. 

Atlas Stones 

Starting at a weight of 100 kgs, these huge 

stone spheres have to be lifted off the ground 

and placed on platforms usually higher than 

waist level. Athletes use a deadlift style lift, 

place the stone on the thighs and proceed 

to load it on the platform. Bear in mind, in 

competition there are usually 4-5 stones each 

heavier than the one before. 

Keg Tosses/Sandbag Throws 

This one’s about power and velocity.The 

kegs are usually up to 24kgs heavy and 

Strongmen need to throw them over a 

height of 4.42 meters, in a single attempt. 

Although the movement is quite similar to 

a kettlebell swing, the vertical height and 

number of kegs challenge the athlete’s 

endurance. 


59 

Farmer’s Walk 

Originally known as The Fergus Walk, in 

this event, the idea is to walk as fast as 

you can for a predetermined distance, 

with a few hundred kgs in your arms. 

Competitions usually have a curved 

track the athletes need to walk on, and 

the turning makes this event even more 

unstable. 

Arm Over Arm Pull 

This event has strongmen 

sitting with their feet locked 

against a stable base, holding 

on to a thick rope which is 

typically fixed to some heavy 

object, usually a bus or truck. 

The athlete must pull the 

object across a set distance 

in a given period of time. 

Overhead Log Lift 

Combine a slow measured clean with 

some serious overhead pressing 

strength and you have the overhead 

log lift where athletes lift a wooden 

log, usually 100 kgs and heavier, off 

the ground and over the head. They 

go on to repeat this as many times as 

possible within a set time limit. The 


60 

Pillars of Hercules 

Inspired by the mythological hero, the 

strongman must stand on a platform 

and hold upright two pillars. The 

pillars are over 150 kgs in weight and 

have chains attached to them which 

the athletes must hold on to. The 

event ends when the athlete can no 

longer hold on to the pillars. 

Strongman competitions have always been part of the Indian tradition in fitness, and are now 

returning to the spotlight with major fitness brands sponsoring events across the country. Here’s 

hoping this phenomenal sport gains much more fan following in the days to come. 


61 

• FITNESS HUMOUR • 


62 

EDITORIAL TEAM 

Editor In Chief - Dev Biswas 

Content Editor - Bhavani Rajesh 

Content Editor - Nachiketh Shetty 

Content Editor - Mukund Dawra 

Editorial Email - dev@squats.in 

DESIGN 

Graphic Design - Hukumsingh Rajpurohit 

Rest of the crew 

Strategy - Ankit Mishra 

Social Media Content - Sravan Kumar, 

Saket Ranjan and Hitesh Vaishnav 

Social Media - Navdeep Chawla, 

Suraj Ray and Himanshu Rana 

CONTRIBUTORS 

Aditya Mahajan 

Amogh Gadewar 

Bhavani Rajesh 

Dr. Namrata Ghusar 

Dr. Shailly Gupta 

Lalitha Lakshman 

Nachiketh Shetty 

Nida Aziz 

Nikita Mankar 

Priyadarshini Das 

Reshma Shekatkar Batra 

Rupesh Choudhury 

Shanu Shashank 

Shashank Lalwani 

Shilpa Reddy 

Suraj Ray 

COVER MODEL 

Aarathy Kasturi Raj 

FOR SALES AND ADVERTS 

Dev Biswas 

dev@squats.in 

Vishnu Mohan 

vishnu@squats.in 

S.Q.U.A.T.S CORPORATE OFFICE 

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Opposite Udaan Biodiversity Park, 

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DISCLAIMER 

Fitmag Is The Digital Monthly Magazine Of S.Q.U.A.T.S. 

(Tm) The Opinions Expressed By The Columnists And 

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For All Content Of Advertising And Any Claims Arising, 

Therefore. Articles Appearing In Fitmag May Not Be 

Reproduced In Whole Or In Part Without The Express 

Permission From S.Q.U.A.T.S. (TM). 

All Rights Reserved.

Fitmag October 17

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