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Dr Amit Krishna

Specialist orthopaedic surgeon, Aster Hospital, Mankhool

“Our lives are stressful and physical fitness is a big part of maintaining healthy lifestyle. I have young patients who come with joints and muscle stiffness and lower back pain because of a lack of exercise. If people have no time to go to the gym on a daily basis they must walk for at least an hour each day, park the car at a distance and on weekends play a sport or join some kind of fun activity like a dance. Movement is important for maintaining good muscle tone. I would advise people to have light meals during the day with larger salads and keep themselves well hydrated.”

Roberto Valmadrid

Fitness Coach at Strength Project

“In order to remain fit, people must get good rest, eat well and get moderate physical activity. If they cannot make time for a regular gym routine, they can incorporate small lifestyle changes in their lives to keep active. Sitting for six to seven hours at a stretch in office, or a car or in front of a television causes body numbness as it hampers blood circulation leading to poor heart health. Every day while coming to office, park your car at a longer distance and walk longer to get to work, take the stairs instead of the elevator or lift, in office while you are seated, don’t always rest your back on the chair but try and sit erect as that will pull up your abdomen muscles. You can do some simple breathing exercises, stretch your limbs and do some light chair exercises if you cannot walk around. Everyone can spare 90 second to three minutes periodically to get the body circulation going. When a person takes a wash room break, he or she can do some squats and wall push-ups. At home, if you are watching television, use a stepper or do some spot jogging or simply stretch your limbs instead of sitting. You can also use an exercise ball to sit instead of curling up on the sofa.”

Adil Firoz

Health fitness expert

“I always eat healthy maintaining a balanced diet of complex carbohydrates, consisting of fruits and fibrous vegetables, complete proteins and generous portions of healthy fats. I make it a point to prepare meals in advance so that I can avoid junk food that I may be tempted to have because of time constraints. I make it a point to have control the portion sizes of my food, where the protein serving I have is no more than the palm of my hand, and carbohydrate serving is no more the size of my fists. Keeping myself hydrated helps as it reduce cravings and improves digestion. I exercise when I can otherwise I make sure to take as many steps as I can, at least a minimum of 5-6000 steps per day is a good benchmark. Last but not the least, I make sure I rest well, getting good quality sleep of about 7-9 hours daily. Sleep has a huge impact on my overall day and helps me stay sharp and active.”

Indira Kasaeva

Advertising executive 

“Living in the comforts of Dubai tends to make people lazy. I have a full day at work, then have a busy social calendar so the best way to keep fit is to exercise everyday first thing in the morning. I visit the gym five days a week before going to work and do a combination of weights, cardio, dancersize, Pilates. The routine changes each day so that I don’t get bored. I follow a healthy diet to and this physical fitness routine helps me cope with the demands of a busy career.”

Gurudev Shashi Kumar

Yoga instructor for 18 years

“I practise what I preach by doing a combination of complex breathing exercises and yoga asanas each day. I make it a point to sleep latest by 11pm and arise very early around 3.30am after which I conclude my morning routines of bathing etc and sit for medidation followed by an hour of yoga. I am a strict vegetarian and ensure I take a large portion of raw food [salads and fruits] in my diet. I eat my dinner latest by 7.30pm and usually that is very light with little oil and low carbohydrates. These routines have kept me active and flexible.”