Here are asanas to help you reduce the flab from your abs. Asanas need to be done diligently and in a focused manner to get the desired results.

Sahaj Ubhay Padang Utthitasana - Sit with your back straight and legs stretched out in front. - Take your hands away from the hip, directing your fingers towards the body. - Bend your knees and place the heels a foot away from the hip. - Drop your elbows on the floor and stretch your legs straight ahead, raising them to an angle of 45degrees above the floor. - Inhale and hold your breath in this posture as long as you can. - Exhale and lie down on your back. Then go back to the starting posture. Repeat upto 3 times.

Benefits: Strengthens and removes fat from the middle and upper abdominal area.

Precautions: - People suffering from lower backache should raise one leg at a time instead of both. - People suffering from Cervical Spondylosis should keep their neck straight to avoid excessive strain.

Ardha Halasana - Lie flat on your back, arms by your side, palms facing downwards - Inhale and raise your legs slowly taking them up to 90 degrees. (they should be perpendicular to the floor) Point your toes upwards.(as in picture) - Inhale and maintain the posture as long as you can hold for 10-30 seconds, breathing normally. - Exhale slowly while lowering the legs. - Repeat up to 3 times.

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Benefits: - Strengthens and tones the upper abdominal muscles and activates blood circulation. - Strengthens the back muscles.

Precautions: People with severe back problems and older people with weak muscles should not practice this asana.

We give you more yogic ways to fight the flab on your abs.

Uttana Hasta Merudandasana - Lie flat on your back with your hands by the side of your thighs. - Bend your knees and place your heels one foot away from the hips. - Exhale and slowly raise your upper body and arms. - Turning to one side so that both palms are to the left of the knees. - Maintain this posture for as long as you can hold your breath. - Relax and come back to the starting position. - Repeat on the other side. - Perform this asana up to 3 times on each side.

Benefits: Strengthens the muscles present on the sides of the abdomen.

Caution: - Change postures very slowly and avoid sudden movements. - Be aware of the stretching in the spine. Do not overstrain.

Ushtrasana - Sit in vajrasana (sit back on your heels with your legs folded). - Now sit up onto your knees, bend backwards and drop your hands onto your ankles. If

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you find it tough to do this, you can curl your toes and attempt the same. - Bend your upper back further down and stretch your hips forward and out. - Hold the posture for as long as comfortable, breathing normally. - Release one hand at a time, straighten you back and return to vajrasana.

Benefits: - By stretching the stomach and abdominal area it stimulates the digestive system and alleviates constipation. - Alleviates backache, drooping shoulders and rounded back conditions. - Stretches the neck backwards, thus regulating the functioning of the thyroid gland.

Caution: Those with severe back conditions such as lumbago and those with enlarged thyroid should seek expert advice before attempting this posture.

MIND BODY

SPIRIT & YOU ----------------------------------- TIMES WELLNESS

You no longer have an excuse of not getting time for the gym. All you need to do is get together a few very simple equipments and start easy-to-do workouts in your own home.

In fact all you really need is a chair and a couple of large, full water bottles you can use for any dumbbell exercise. You can even squeeze in some quick upper body exercises while you're on the phone with your friend. Following is an excellent circuit routine to follow targeting all the body parts.

1.Push-ups: Find a sturdy chair and use it to do a set of push-ups. You can start with a

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set of 10 push-ups & target to do at least 3 such sets over a period of time. This will give you great strength in your arms, shoulders and chest to do your daily activities effortlessly besides giving you a great posture, form & shape.

2. Hips & Legs: Find a uncluttered area – the balcony or terrace are perfect or just make space in your sitting room or bedroom find a good mat and utilize it to do mat exercises. This one targets your hips & legs. Lying on your side, take the leg forward & backward without arching your lower back. Do at least 20 repetitions on each side.

3. Toning your Abs: Make your workout a complete workout by toning your abdominal. This is again done lying supine on the mat. Crunch your abdominal. Remember the movement is not coming from your cervical spine (avoid moving your neck) but from your abdominal. Exhale on your way up & inhale down for more effective ab crunch. Do correct & focused move for 20 repetitions to get those 6 packs wash board abs.

4. Reverse curls: In this you take the legs up in air & try to curl them in towards you. Try to raise your hips off from the floor for at least an inch & you start feeling the effect on your lower abdominal. Do a set of 20 to get rid of extra flab.

5. Isometric stretch : It is also referred to as T stretch because you are drawing a T figure with your hands & legs. Lying on your side, you lift up on one hand to come into this position & hold & maintain this for at least a minute. Don’t forget to do it on both the sides. This will help you not only to strengthen your wrist and arms but will also affect your core muscles.

6. Squats: Aiming to get tight gluteus muscles, add some squats to your workout. Squats are all time favorite exercise for all the fitness trainers world over. It is a close kinetic chain exercise, which requires no equipment but uses your own body resistance. This can be done standing in a place. This is like sitting on an imaginary chair. Do 20 repetitions and then also assume this position & hold for a minute. This will not only work for your hips but also your thighs.

7. Lunges: Another exercise considered to be very effective world over, is lunges. Again it targets the thigh muscles like quadriceps & hamstrings. Take one leg behind, & raising the heel of the back leg goes down & up for 20 times on each leg. Remember the knee of the front leg would not cross beyond the toes at any time. Angle of knee flexion beyond 90 degrees can cause injury to the knee joint.

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Yoga for Weight Loss

Asanas are the key yogic practice for weight loss, if done with diligence and in a focused manner.

We begin a series of articles on asanas to treat weight loss from general to specific body parts. Besides doing these as instructed, patience is the key to an ideal body shape and glowing looks.

Here we give you the asanas for general weight loss:

Ardhakapotasana

- Sit in vajrasana (sit back on your heels with legs folded). - Straighten one leg backwards. - Place your palms in front and place the front heel away from the groin. - Inhale slowly and make a cup with your fingertips. Now stretch your upper body backwards and look upwards. (as in pic) - Hold this posture for 10-30 seconds. - Bring your leg back and relax. - Repeat the same cycle on the other side.

Benefits: - Stretches and shapes the outer portion of the thighs. - Removes double chin. - Stretches abdomen, removing fat from this area. - Strengthens the back muscles.

Precautions: People with severe low backache and stiff knee-joints should avoid this asana.

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Paschimottanasana

Sit with your back straight and legs stretched in front. Inhale and raise the arms upwards. Now bend forwards and grasp your toes or heels with both hands and pull your body downwards. Try to touch your forehead on your knees. (as in pic) Hold the posture for 10 – 30 seconds, breathing normally. Inhale slowly and raise your hands over your head before returning to the starting position.

Benefits: Stretches the muscles of the back and increases blood circulation to the spinal nerves. Stretches hips, hamstrings, thighs, ankles and calves - removing unwanted flab from all these areas. Presses the abdomen, reducing fat and massaging the internal organs.

Precautions: People who suffer from slipped disc or sciatica should avoid this asana.

Veerasana

Stand straight with your legs wide apart and your hands on your hips. Turn one leg and your upper body to one side and bend the front knee. Raise your hands up. Keep them straight and join your palms. Bend backwards as much as comfortable. Stretch your stomach outwards and lower your hips. (as in picture) Hold the posture for 10-30 seconds. Repeat the same cycle on the other side.

Benefits: - Strengthens the thighs, hamstrings and calf muscles. - Removes postural defects like sclerosis and strengthens the back. - Stretches and opens up the groin and inner thighs.

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- Removes double chin as it stretches the neck backwards.

Precautions: - Those with back pain and weak knees should avoid bending backwards. - Those with heart problems and high blood pressure should not practice this posture.

Janusirsasana

Sit with your back straight and legs stretched. Fold one leg and take your foot to the groin. Inhale and raise your hands straight upwards. Exhale, slowly bend forwards and with your hands try and grasp your heel. While keeping your leg straight, try to touch your forehead, chest and abdomen on the thigh and your elbows on the floor. Hold the posture for 10-30 seconds, breathing normally. Repeat the same cycle with the other leg.

Benefits: - Helps remove stiffness from the spine. - Stretches calves, hips, thighs, ankles and removes unwanted flab from these areas. - Tones the internal organs of the abdomen and helps lose excess weight.

Precautions: People with slipped disc or sciatica should avoid this asana

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