Flat tummy

Blame it on SRK's six-pack-magic, Aamir's eight-pack-charisma or Priyanka's hot bikini bod, but flaunting the flattest tummy and a set of well toned abs is the latest dream for many youngsters. 

But, they usually tend to forget that it takes more than just basic crunches and crash dieting to carve a drool worthy, flat stomach. Explains fitness trainer, Deanne Pandey, "Ab exercises + cardio exercises + right diet – this is the most effective formula to achieve well-toned abdominal muscles. Missing upon any one of these will take away the real impact of an abs-workout." 

"An ideal diet and workout for every individual depends upon his/her weight loss requirement, body type and body shape," suggests Pandey. For instance, a pear shaped person may indulge in a less strenuous workout and minimal diet modifications to get the desired tummy in comparison to an apple shaped body, who is usually heavy in the tummy area. 

Here are a set of workout and physical activities, which when combined with an ideal eating plan and cardio workouts can assure you of the killer abs that you always dreamt of... 

1. Naukasana- A common yoga posture that works wonders on your abs. 
Method: Lie flat on the ground, with your back on the floor. Raise your upper body and legs to an angle of 30 degrees and hold the posture for 30-40 seconds, then relax. Repeat this asana for 10 times to begin with, graduating to 30 times. Breathe normally all through the work out. 
"Holding onto the posture tightens and contracts your upper and lower abs while repeating the movement tones them up," tells yoga expert Usha Chegappa of Bharat Thankur's Artistic Yoga. 

2. Ushtrasana : It is the counter pose to naukasana . 
Method: Stand on your knees, with heels facing upwards. Arch your back, placing your hands on your knees one by one. Hold your head behind pushing your belly outwards. Hold this posture for 30 seconds and repeat 30 times. 
"During naukasana , the ab muscles contract building up tension in the area, while ushtrasana releases the tension by giving your tummy a good stretch. It is important to practice ushtrasana after naukasana to save one's back from injury," explains Usha. 

3. Basic crunch : The good old crunch still remains the best exercise to bag the perfect abs. 
Method: Lie on the floor with your legs off the floor in a right angle. Keep your shoulders just above the floor. Breathe in and bring your knees in towards your chest, while lifting your upper body to an angle of 30 degrees and breathe out while you relax. Repeat this exercise 15-20 times to begin with. 
"Don't arch your back. The crunches will help you contract your abdomninal muscles giving them an effective workout," suggests Deanne. 

4. Bridging: Stretch till you feel the burn! 
Method: Lie flat on the floor with your hands resting by your sides, feet flat on the floor, shoulder width apart and knees bent. Now, contract your abdominals, lower back and gluts and slowly lift your midsection to form a bridge from your knees, through your hips to your shoulders. Hold this position for a few seconds, and then slowly lower. Fitness expert Kiran Swahney suggests, "Avoid this exercise in case you are suffering from lower back problems." 

Dos and Donts to avoid cellphones hazards

- Use landlines instead of mobiles wherever possible.

- Don't use a cellphone if the signal is weak-that's when they shoot out more radiation.

- Talk less, text more; invest in a hands-free kit.

- Opt for a low SAR (specific absorption rate) phone and avoid sleeping with it.

- Children below eight should not be allowed to use mobile phones except in emergencies.

- It's difficult, but try not to use a cellphone for more than one-two minutes at a stretch.

- Try to live away from a cell phone tower-ideally more than five km away.






The data is mixed and experts differ. But there's growing concern that the ubiquitous wireless technology has the potential to become the next public health disaster.

Heating trouble
Cellphones generate heat and these radiofrequencies are absorbed mostly by the head and neck. Heavy use increases the risk of raised cellular, tissue as well as body temperature.

Pregnancy and fertility
Pregnant women more likely to have children with problems. Cellphones can affect male fertility, too.

Genetic danger
Cellphone and cellphone tower radiation stress cells, releasing DNA-damaging free radicals and stress proteins that can cause degenerative brain damage like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's or Multiple Sclerosis.

Sleep disorders
May activate brain's stress system; make people more alert, bring down the ability to wind down and reduce sleep.

Children run a greater risk
With their developing nervous system, growing tissues, thinner skulls, children run a greater risk of energy absorption. It can lead to memory loss, inability to learn and behavioural issues.

Long-term effects
Over 10 years of heavy cellphone use can double the risk of brain cancer and up the risk of ear tumours by four times. Long-term use, especially on one ear, may damage tissues in the inner ear and lead to deafness.

Cancer and tumours
Some researchers hold that radiofrequency fields are tumour initiators or they increase the uptake of carcinogens in cells. The World Health Organisation Interphone study in 2008 suggested a connection between long-term use and three types of tumours: glioma, cancer of the parotid (a salivary gland near the ear) and acoustic neuroma (a tumour that occurs where the ear meets the brain).



-- 7 hours of talk time a week and 56 messages on average. That's how badly hooked metro indians are to cellphones.