Exercises , dos and don’ts in the light of Ayurveda

 

                             Exercises, dos and don’ts in the light of Ayurveda

        The importance of exercise is stressed by all streams of medicine, whether Allopathy or Ayurveda. Exercise is known asVyayama in Sanskrit, any activity that makes one tired.According to Sushruta and Charaka that the effort which produces stability and strength in the body is known as Vyayama. It helps in maintaining the balance between the three circulatory forces or doshas Vata,Pittha, and Kapha.

Exercise stimulates agni, the digestive fire and metabolic capacity, and it enhances ojas, the mental and physical capacity to resist disease or stress.

Exercise primarily improves the digestive power to help absorb the nourishment from food. The body becomes lighter, thereby promoting stability and lowering the probability of accidental falls. Just as one’s diet needs to be personalized to suit the body type, so does the physical exercise.

•      One should not do any physical exercise while the food still remains undigested , nor immediately after taking food, nor after drinking water or any fluid.
• One should not do exercises affecting one’s body directly under the Sunlight.
• One shouldn’t expose his body to direct Sunlight after doing exercises.
• Physical exercises would remove the excessive phlegm ( Kapha).
• Massaging removes the excessive wind ( vata ).
• Bathing would remove the excessive bile ( pittha).