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If
you don't enjoy exercising then there's no point in doing it.
you may as well let that gym membership lapse, sit back with a
case of cold beer, fry up some greasy snacks to go with it and
go sit in front of the TV. I've seen people in gyms go through
their workout routines as if they were unpleasant chores. Overweight
men and women with bored expressions, doing biceps curls with
much less weight than what they ought to lift or walking slowly
on treadmills with a slouch and a frown or going through the motions
of doing abdominal crunches with the worst form you can imagine.
If you don't enjoy your workout it is unlikely
that it will benefit you too much. That's because you're much
more likely to either a) skip it or b) shortchange yourself by
not doing it well enough. And many, many people who start out
on an exercise regime drop out of it every year. Ask your local
gym how many of their registered members are active (i.e., they
show up at least three times a week) and you'll see for yourself
how inadequate our collective passion for exercising is.
Yet, once in a while you come across exceptions.
Last fortnight, such an exception came in the form of an e-mail
I received from a reader. This was a 33-year-old woman writing
to tell me about her and her family's (husband, 10-year-old son
and herself) exercise regime, which I think was extremely impressive
and admirable. Here, judge for yourself:
She works out five days a week. Her routine
involves a 30-40-minute run followed by a weight training session
where she exercises two body parts a day. Her husband is a half-marathon
runner and a mountain climber who's training for the full marathon
and runs every morning at 4 a.m., clocking 80 km a week. Her son,
10, is a competitive swimmer who practices two hours a day, six
days a week. Yes, it's a family of fitness freaks who enjoy working
out and have made exercise an integral part of their lifestyle.
Making workouts the centre of your lifestyle,
in my opinion, is the key to making them work best for you. Also,
involving the family in workouts can make them more fun. If you're
a couple, go to the gym together or go jogging together or do
yoga together. That way you're likely to make it less boring and
more enjoyable. What's more, most gyms have special discounts
for couple memberships-all the more reason why you should encourage
your spouse to join you in the gym.
-Muscles
Mani
write to musclesmani@intoday.com
Caveat: The physical exercises described
in Treadmill are not recommendations. Readers should exercise
caution and consult a physician before attempting to follow any
of these.
HEAR
IT RIGHT
You
may be a gadget freak and can't live without your iPod or MP3
player, but pause a while to hear the latest on noise pollution.
With over 80 million people in India suffering from hearing problems,
noise pollution is no small issue.
What Is It: Noise-induced hearing
loss arises from repeated exposure to moderate noise. Loud noise
also leads to an increase in blood pressure.
Causes: Says Dr Shalabh Sharma, Senior
ENT Consultant, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital: "Often, unrecognised
loud sounds could cause serious damage to the ear. These include
personal and home stereos with and without headphones, mobile
phones, iPods, and video arcades. The problem, in some cases,
is associated with genetic acceptability, i.e., some people can
have more tolerance (based on their genes) for loud noises than
others."
Symptoms: Noise-induced hearing loss
may not happen overnight. There is no pain. One may notice a "ringing"
sound in ears. One might have trouble hearing people talk. After
several hours, may be a few days, these symptoms usually go away.
However, when exposed to this kind of noise again, and then again,
one could lose the facility of hearing permanently.
Prevention: Protective devices such
as earplugs, earmuffs and canal caps are helpful. An earmuff may
cost around Rs 200-250. According to Dr Sharma, "Noise-induced
hearing damage is related to the duration and volume (measured
in decibels) of exposure. A personal music player normally produces
sounds of more than 100 decibels, a volume that may damage the
hearing of a person exposed to the sound for more than two hours
a day over a long period of time." Research conducted worldwide
shows noise levels above 85 decibels for eight hours a day will
harm hearing over time, while noise levels above 140 decibels
can cause damage to hearing after just one exposure. Shhhh!
-Manu
Kaushik
PRINTED
CIRCUIT
You're Toast
Panasonic NB-G100PS
 It
looks like a cross between an old-world window air conditioner
and a new age media centre, but is actually something that does
something much more mundane. Panasonic's nb-g100ps is a toaster.
Only, instead of using heating roads like conventional toasters
do, it does infrared technology. It can toast bread, thaw frozen
pizza and warm croissants up to 40 per cent faster. It doubles
up as an oven as well. And it costs just $120 (Rs 5,400).
Where: Expect this toy to be making its way
to Indian markets soon.
Digital Sucks
Clearaudio Master Reference Turntable
One
of those valves-are best, analogue-rocks types are you? Then,
this turntable is just the thing for you. The UK-based Crane Audio,
a name not unfamiliar to most audiophiles, has launched what it
calls the most advanced turntable ever, the Master Reference Turntable.
It is powered by three separate motors, shaped like a six-pointed
star that circumscribes a circle (a resonance optimised structure,
we are told), and a side-force-free belt arrangement (outside
the structure; see picture) that is supposed to reduce the impact
of the motors on the music.
How much: $19,000 (Rs 8,55,000).
Where: Order on www.craneaudio.com.
Camera Fest's Best
Big Isn't Always Better
 The
photo marketing association is hosting its annual fest of all
things to do with digital photography in Florida and that means
manufacturers are pulling out all stops, announcing new digital
cameras at an unprecedented pace. Kodak, fresh from a change of
logo, is launching four new cameras at the fair; of these the
c533 is the most interesting, simply because it is one of the
most basic around (it is a 5 megapixel camera with not too many
toys, but it does boast a 37-111mm zoom lens and a decent LCD
screen). That makes it perfect for the beginner. The product is
expected to retail at around Rs 10,000 when Kodak launches it
across the world in mid-2006.
 Colourful
Showers
(No, it isn't what you're thinking)
Well, this is
one time this section is featuring a product that it doesn't know
will ever be launched in India. Still, this new showerhead with
built-in leds (it's from Japan, where else?) is something. It
doesn't require wires or batteries. The leds are powered by water
rushing through and they change colour depending on the temperature
of the water, blue for cold and bright red for hot.
How much: 10,500 Yen (Rs 4,013 approximately).
-Compiled by Kushan Mitra
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