Want a six-pack? Exercise regularly

Many youngsters dream of a sculpted body, especially after watching Bollyoood's romance icon Shah Rukh Khan flaunt six-pack-abs in "Om Shanti

Exercise regularly (Getty Images)

Om" and versatile actor Aamir Khan in "Ghajini". But experts have a word of advice -- exercise regularly and avoid steroids to maintain the look.

"To get six-pack abs is easy but to maintain a chiselled body is the most difficult task. As always, achieving anything is easy but maintaining that is difficult," Bollywood actor-producer Suniel Shetty told IANS.

"I see a mad rush of people who want to get six-pack abs, but the bottom line is that one should aim to be fit. If you are fit, then you live a healthy life, your confidence level doubles and you feel younger," said the 47-year-old actor.

Suniel, who made his debut with " Balwaan " in 1992, has a well-toned body and makes it a point to hit the gym every day.

"There are days when I don't feel like working out. But I still go to gym and once I am there, I just can't sit and start gymming. This happens with everyone, but one should not skip the gym," he added.

Among the stars, it was Salman Khan who first got a chiselled body and often flaunted it on screen. Then Shah Rukh got six-pack-abs for " Om Shanti Om " and Aamir too jumped on to the bandwagon and revealed his well-toned body in " Ghajini ".

Recently John Abraham further popularised the trend by stripping down to his boxers to flaunt his sculpted body in "Dostana " without any guilt.

Supermodel-turned-actor Milind Soman, who sports a lean look, says it's not necessary to work out in gyms to have a fit body.

"I'm not a gym person, but I eat well and go for long jogs and that works for me," said Soman, who is also a marathon runner and owns gym-cum-fitness centre Breathe.

"Always do something that you enjoy. To achieve fitness one need not hit the gym. One can always opt for any sport, yoga, jog, swimming and much more. The idea is to do something that not only burns calories but relieves stress as well," said Soman.

Fitness instructor Aamit, who owns Fx Zone gym in Noida, said: "Every day I get queries from young boys about how to achieve six-pack abs and my only answer is that it takes dedication to get them first and after that loads of maintenance in terms of diet and regular exercise to retain it.

"If you stop exercising, within a few days you will lose what you have achieved after working so hard."

Suniel, who is known as a fitness freak among his friends, says that other than regular exercise, people should also concentrate on their diet.

"For me it's breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dine like a pauper. I don't avoid any food and I eat as much as I like without stuffing myself. Every one should follow this rule.

"You don't have to shun junk food completely as one can always cheat on his diet on a weekend. Body too needs change and small good habits help one in the long run."

He also advises people to stay away from steroids because he feels they could have a bad effect.

"One should always stay away from steroids because they don't do any good to your body. To achieve a sculpted body, one has to live a disciplined lifestyle that includes eating right meals, proper sleep and cutting down on carbohydrates and sweets," he said.

Want to lose weight? Eat what you crave most

The best way to lose weight is to eat a little of the foods you crave, that’s the suggestion of an

Want to lose weight? Eat the food you crave most (Getty Images)

Australian doctor.

Dr George Blair-West, in the country for Diabetes New Zealand's annual conference, believes that he understands why diets don''''t work - and that the solution to effective weight control is about getting around the psychological attachment to food.

He says traditional diets that make people stay away from foods they love are ineffective and research shows that ultimately people rebel against this deprivation and end up over- eating.

"Traditional deprivation diets have a five-year success rate of around 5-20 percent. We're better at treating most cancers than we are at treating obesity using this traditional approach,” Sunday Star Times quoted him, as saying.

Blair-West's 2008 book, Weight Loss for Food Lovers, says the trick is to regularly eat controlled quantities of the foods people desire.

"If I was working with someone, I would work out what they have an attachment to and then prescribe them that two to four times a week," says Blair-West.

"When you allow people to have the food they crave, their cravings disappear,” he added.

The method works, he says, because it recognises the emotional importance of food.

Blair-West says another factor that causes over- eating is many people not savouring food.

Walking can be a fine form of meditation

He talks the walk. Guest Editor Thich Nhat Hanh believes in the practice of mindful walking, and will lead a meditative walk in the Capital

Walking can be a fine form of meditation (Getty Images)

today. "Each step you take is in the here and the now. Combine your breath with your step, see the blue of the sky, the green of the grass, appreciate the colours of the flowers and hear the sweet birdsong... acknowledge and enjoy the miracle that is nature,'' says the 82-year-old monk.

He adds that walking can be a fine form of meditation. "Leave the past behind with every step you take forward. You are no longer a victim of sorrow and regret or fear and uncertainty. Walk confidently in the present without worrying about being stuck in the past or sucked into the future,'' suggests Thay.

The practice of walking silently is about freedom and solidity. "We are present with each step. And, when we wish to talk, we stop our movement and give full attention to the other person, to our words and to listening.'' But, before you think walking together for peace is a protest or a demonstration, Thay explains, "The collective energy of a group ensures each step is solid and free. There is no protest here, no banners... just a powerful, noble silence that urges you to rejoice at the miracle of life. Every step on this earth is a miracle, every step in meditation leads to health and happiness. And when people of different faiths enjoy the process of walking together without any agenda, that, in itself, is a great offering.''

20 minutes of walk can halve men’s death risk

ust 20 to 40 minutes of brisk walking can reduce the risk of death in elderly men by 50pct, according to a US

20 minutes of brisk walk can halve men’s death risk (Getty Images)

study.

By comparing the death rates in men aged between 70 and 92 who were sedentary with those of varying levels of fitness, the researchers found that for every two minutes of exercise the mortality rate dropped by 10 per cent.

The exercise tests showed that for every 100 men who died in the very low fitness group, 74 died in the next group up, 54 in the moderately fit group, and 46 in the high fit category.

"The overall message is that although ageing and death are inevitable, the rate for both can be modulated by simply maintaining a physically active lifestyle at any age,” the Telegraph quoted Dr. Peter Kokkinos, from the Veterans Affairs Medical Centres in Washington and Palo Alto in California, as saying.

"Although I cannot guarantee that regular exercise will add years to your life, I am quite certain that it will add life to your years. It is important nevertheless to emphasise moderation," he added.

Kokkinos advised that exercise should be started slowly and gradually.

The findings were presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress in Barcelona.

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