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Tips for enjoying exercise
Comfort: If your breath becomes laboured, your heart beats uncomfortably fast or you begin to ache or to get a
stitch you are not within a zone of comfort and should slow down or stop and rest.
Undivided Attention: Experience the body and respond to its signals. Do not watch TV or listen to music but
a l l o w t h e m i n d t o b e c o mpletely attuned and connected to the body.
B o d y T y p e : Vata types should participate in calming activities such as walking, gymnastics, aerobics, dance,
cycling, yoga or Tai Chi. Pitta types can cope with more vigorous exercise such as jogging, tennis, swimming,
skiing, weight lifting and rowing but should be careful not to become too competitive or overheated. Kapha
types need fast, vigorous exercise to counteract their more lethargic physiologies and are better suited to sports
such as football, running, weight lifting, rugby and hockey.
Warm up: Ensure you begin any training by first loosening the joints and muscles with a few gentle exercises,
sun-salute (Suryanamaskara) and yoga.
Massage: Applying oils before and after a workout is most beneficial. Vata-types should apply sesame or
almond oil with lavender before a workout and sesame or almond oil with marjoram after a workout; Pitta-types
should apply sesame or coconut oil with lemon before a workout and coconut oil with camomile afterwards
while K a p h a-types should apply olive or sesame oil with eucalyptus before and sesame or olive oil with
rosemary after. A mix of 20:1 base oil to essential oil works well.
Breathing: Always breathe through the nose as this uses the lower portion of the lungs where maximum energy
is exchanged. This allows proper mind-body coordination by calming the body, slowing the heart rate and
reducing the flow of adrenalin.
Stress Check: If on waking your resting heart rate is ten beats above or below normal you should rest or at least
only take very moderate exercise that day. This often indicates that the body is under stress, possibly from a
virus or bacteria, and the body will need its energy resources that day to combat this stress.
Optimum Exercise Heart Rate (O E H R ) : 220 minus your age plus resting heart rate divided by two. Resting
heart rate should be ascertained on waking in the morning.
Three Phase Workout:
Resting Phase (10 min.): Do not allow heart rate to increase above OEHR minus 30.
Listening Phase (15 min): Increase pace but do not allow heart rate to increase above OEHR. Ensure heart rate,
breath rate, mental awareness and physical form are comfortable, balanced and correct.
Performance phase (10-30 min): Allow your pace to sit around the OEHR and experience comfort, balance, rest
and euphoria. If at any time you feel uncomfortable, stressed or tired go back to the Resting or Listening Phase
and build up again more slowly.