Article by Dr Raghuram Y.S. MD (ay) & Dr Manasa S, B.A.M.S
Acharya Sushruta mentions six main factors which need to be considered in planning and executing Vyayama vis-à-vis exercises in one’s daily regimen. Among these six factors, Vaya – age is one important factor.
The quantity and frequency of exercise varies from person to person and from one age group to the other. So, it cannot be generalized. This means to say that the exercise should be customized according to different ages and age groups. In this article we will explore exercise vs age.
Exercises vs Age Factor
Exercises should be done according to one’s age.
a. Exercise Plan in children and young adults (growing boys and girls, early teens)
Children are anyways physically active. Children and young adults who have lots of sports and games activities in their daily schedule need no special exercising programs. Nowadays the kids are getting addicted to gadgets and screens and are reluctant to hit the grounds for physical activities. This is very dangerous in the long run. They should be advised to volunteer into one or the other kind of physical activities. Else they may land up with many metabolic health issues very early in their life. Children can tolerate a good quantity of exercise.
This is also the age of Kapha. Immaterial of the body constitution, Kapha will be predominant during this age. So, naturally the physical strength of children will be good. They can tolerate good exercise.
Even among them, Kapha kids can tolerate exercise better than Pitta and Vata children. Since they tend to put on weight, they should be pushed more into exercising. Pitta kids and Vata kids will tolerate moderate and little exercise respectively. The kids should be made aware of ‘where to stop’ while playing or exercising.
b. Exercise plan in young adults (late teens and early adults), adolescent and adult persons
Young adults and the adults in their adolescence and even the mid-age adults can tolerate good exercise. They have to exercise proportionally and in a balanced way and make it a daily habit. These are the ages wherein a good quantity of exercising and workouts will fit in.
Food and rest need to be compensated judiciously to avoid burnouts. Since these people can eat good quantities and digest it properly, they can be a little aggressive on exercises.
Anyways it is good to be in the books of an ‘exercise or workout designer / specialist’ who can customize meaningful exercise for you along with foods and rest which match and catch up with it.
The maximum time of exercise tolerance shall be divided by two or three and scattered amongst the day. In comparison to children and young adults, these people still tolerate moderate exercise.
Just like in the children, adults too should exercise or workout in accordance to their body types.
Kapha adults can tolerate a good quantity of exercise and they also need it. Pitta adults and Vata adults should indulge in moderate and less exercise respectively.
The middle age, immaterial of the prakriti, will be pitta predominant. Pitta will tolerate moderate exercise. Therefore, as a general rule, people of this age group should indulge in moderate exercise.
c. Exercise plan in elderly persons
Aged and elderly people should be very cautious about the quantity of exercise and workouts that they indulge into. This is an age wherein there will be vata increase, immaterial of their physical constitution.
Tissue destruction effecting from exercising will be more evident than in any other age group. This will further lead to vata increase as a cyclic event which will consequently lead to degenerative changes in the body immaterial of what the body constitution of the person is.
Aggressive or more quantity of exercise will further increase vata and cause further tissue depletion, contributing to progression of degeneration to dangerous levels. The person would get worn out, fatigued and emaciated. It is very difficult to reverse this condition in that age.
Even among them, just like in the children and adults, Kapha individuals will tolerate more exercise even in old age in comparison to pitta and vata individuals. Pitta individuals are better than vata individuals in exercise tolerance at all ageing levels.
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