By Maggie Balbaa

Yoga is a helpful component in a mind-body-soul wellbeing formula. For a healthy Yogi lifestyle, yoga should ideally be practiced 3 to 5 times a week, 40 to 60 minutes each day. But what if you do not find the time to go to class? Here is your quick guide to a daily do-at-home yoga routine. For this, we sought the knowledge of naturopath and yoga teacher Dr. Amit Negi of Maulana Azad Centre for Indian Culture.

What are three beneficial yoga poses?  And what does each one bring when practiced?

Yoga has more than 72000 asana (poses). Here are three that are important for most people. Each asana should be held for 30-40 seconds.

1. Seated Forward Bend Yoga Pose (Paschimottanasana): This pose is for stretching lower back and also tones the abdominal and pelvic organs.

2. Camel Pose (Ustrasana): This posture is great for people with heart and lung problems.

3. Rabbit Pose (Shashankasana): This posture can help people with both high and low blood pressure and can help with sleep.

During all of these poses the most important thing is to concentrate on breathing.

An Easy Morning or Evening Routine

Inhale and exhale for 5 to 10 minutes. Inhaling should be deep with the chest and belly moving upwards and forwards. Exhale by drawing them in. Breathing for yoga is in and out through the nose, with the mouth closed.

Then do the Sun Salutation Routine (Surya Namaskar) for 10 minutes (3-4 times).

Then you repeat Paschimottanasana pose, Camel pose and Rabbit pose for 15 seconds  each pose. This can be repeated as needed.

Finish with the Shavasana (Death pose) for 5 to 10 minutes, and redo breathing again for 5 to 10 minutes.

After one month, you should notice an improvement in your body; you can then change asana according to the body’s requirements. You can also add standing poses such as the Tree pose (Vriksasana), Triangle pose (Trikonasana) and Warrior pose (Virabhadrasana).

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Online Personal training

The latest fitness fad is for personal trainers to work with their clients by email rather than in person.

By Lydia Schoonderbeek

The popularity of online personal training is on the rise. In many ways, it’s exactly like being trained by an expert in a gym, you’re given a personalized program that you have to fulfill in order to attain your goals. The crucial difference of course, is that the trainer isn’t next to you when you work out. But recently most people find it an effective and time-efficient way to work out, others may miss the personal touch of a face-to-face session, but you can train and take your personal trainer with you wherever you go either on your laptop, tablet or smartphone. That being said, there are definitely some pros and cons to using an online person trainer.

Most of us cannot afford to have a personal trainer with us at every session, therefore online training is a valuable and cost-effective method for continuous training and weight loss and overall productivity enhancement that provides individuals with a dedicated personalized program tailored to their needs.

The Positives

1. Access to expert advice. Many international fitness professionals are already offering online versions of their training services, which is great, because it provides instant access to highly skilled trainers. A good reputation can travel a long way in the fitness industry, so online training allows people to work under big name trainers.  And it’s not just the big names you can seek out: online training also gives you access to specialists in specific areas. Rather than be limited to the knowledge base of the trainers at your local gym, you can call upon the advanced understanding of people from all over the world.

2. Easy to understand a trainer’s ability. With our digital world as socially connected as it is, you can learn a lot about a potential online trainer long before you make first contact.

3. Freedom of location and time. Having an online personal trainer deliver a workout program to you electronically means that you can access your workout on your mobile devices at any time and in any location, which is great for those that travel frequently or do not want to be restricted by gym opening times.

4. On-going support. Many online trainers provide comprehensive online support in the form of answers to emails, dietary guidelines and the ability to have your weekly food journal assessed. With these perks built into the initial upfront costs you are guaranteed personal attention throughout your customer experience.

The Negatives

Nobody spotting for correct technique. Due to the remote nature of online training, by definition there is no live trainer spotting for correct technique. This could drastically reduce the efficiency of the workout, and even make it dangerous.

Motivation. While a high quality program can be delivered with ease over the phone or by email, there’s zero guarantee that it will be successfully completed. One of the main benefits of working with a personal trainer is that they get you through your workouts even when you don’t want to be there. That extra motivation – to actually turn up at the gym, and to push through tough workouts – just isn’t available through an online program.

Here are just some of the sites you can research if you are interested in training online:

1. www.sallymatterson.com.au

2. www.clearlypossible.com

3. www.itrain.com

4. www.trainonline.com

5. www.ibodz.com

Dr. Abdel Nasser Omar

on a Vital Issue

By Hilary Diack

Ten years ago therapy was a taboo subject, something to be discussed in hushed tones, if at all. Now there is a greater public awareness, thanks to media coverage and the establishment of more professional facilities, the stigma has been lifted. Cairo West Magazine had an insightful chat with Dr. Abdel Nasser Omar, Professor of Psychiatry at Ain Shams University and CEO of Al Mashfa Hospital about the ins and outs of therapy.

CWM: The perception is that women are more likely to seek the services of a psychiatrist than men, especially in Egypt. Why is this case?

AO: In Egyptian culture and society males have traditionally been raised to hide any emotions, which are considered a sign of weakness, and maintain an image of being in control. This is why they do tend to leave situations until they are really unmanageable before seeking professional help. Nowadays, thanks to more information being disseminated to the public at large via television, such as my weekly programme, and other forms of media, we see an increasing number of men coming for consultations and opening up about their problems.

What ratio do you see?

Currently it is around three to one, with women predominating. There is an increase of males seeking help though, often with the support of their spouses, couples come together much of the time.

What do you attribute this increase to?

Much of it has been since the events of January 2011, through the economy being hit and a related drop in job security and family incomes.  Again, this goes back to the traditional male role of being breadwinner and provider for his family. It is not only a matter of personal self- esteem and confidence, in Egypt there is a limited amount of privacy,  so the parents, in-laws, and even the grandparents can be a source of criticism and pressure. It is not surprising to see so many men struggling with severe depression, anxiety and loss of self-esteem as they find it more difficult to make ends meet.  It is worth noting that the middle classes tend to fare better, where both the man and woman are working and sharing the financial burden and domestic responsibilities. There is more empathy due to the shared interest in survival and stability.

Wouldn’t the higher income brackets also suffer fewer cases?

Not necessarily, they have also been impacted. They are under even more pressure to maintain their social standing and lifestyle; it can be hard for family members to accept reduced financial circumstances. It can be difficult for both wives and children to cope with peer pressure if they can’t “keep up”.

Do men and women handle stress differently?

Definitely. Women have more acceptance of emotional behaviour and therefore are more able to open up with friends and discuss matters. Men find this difficult as exposing any insecurity impacts their ego and pride. Men have a different schematic of the brain and tend to find an outlet through physical activity, such as sport, which can provide a temporary solution.

What general issues do men come to you for?

Apart from substance addiction, which is an issue that can be linked, we encounter stress and depression, and sexual issues.

We see a lot of issues related to sexual dysfunction. We must remember that this is a conservative society with limited recourse to sex education for most of the community. Many men enter the physical side of marriage either in a state of ignorance, or armed with a warped vision of their role due to hours of internet porn-watching. This results in stress for their partner, either way. Should sensible sex education be added to the high school curriculum we might see a healthier approach. The normal awakening of a person’s libido that occurs at puberty has no outlet due to the conservative nature of our society and often leads to sexual situations within the domestic environment, resulting in a high incidence of incest.

Obviously this type of sexual activity is furtive and rushed, and has accompanying feelings of guilt and remorse. A pattern of premature ejaculation can follow through into adult years.

In many cases the wife will bring her husband, as it is considered a marital duty for him to ‘perform’.  In spite of the fact that erectile dysfunction can occur normally 30 to 40% of the time in sexual intercourse due to tiredness or stress, a women may feel that she is not doing enough to attract him.

What benefits do men usually recognize after they have undergone therapy?

We focus on cognitive behaviour therapy, men need to understand the patterns, and change their perception of problems. By becoming solution-oriented they can learn to handle stress in a healthier way. They also learn to become more at home with expressing emotions and tenderness in relationships and not see them as a sign of weakness. In critical cases we sometimes need to use short term medication in conjunction with counselling.

What signs should a man be on the lookout for as an indication that he should seek help?

He should look out for an increased edginess, restlessness, irritability, insomnia, forgetfulness, lower libido, anhedonia (the inability to find pleasure in any normally enjoyable activity), and domestic disharmony.

What about domestic violence?

Certainly, this can occur more in situations where a man feels unable to cope. It is interesting though to note that for every five instances of wife-beating there is one of a wife beating her husband.

Does infidelity crop up?

Yes, and contrary to my pre-conceived expectations as a young doctor, I have found over the years that in cases of a wife straying generally the husband seeks reconciliation rather than the retribution or revenge I had thought would be the traditional reaction. It is often blamed on a temporary lapse of sanity or being the influence of a shaitan, or devil, absolving the woman of any blame.

When a husband is unfaithful it often seems to be more easily accepted by the wife, being put down to a natural part of male behaviour. Whichever the case, counselling can be therapeutic for both parties.

Is there a co-relation between socio-economic class and people coming for psychiatric help?

Now that psychiatric counselling has become more widely accepted we have patients from all segments of the community, including far-flung areas. Again, having the subject aired on television has helped open up people’s willingness to address issues.

What advice would you offer parents when it comes to raising their sons to be psychologically healthy?

Roles of dependence, independence and interdependence are at the core.

It is just as damaging to be over-protective as it is to be hostile, it is better to take the middle road and balance discipline with shared fun. A child should be given autonomy as early as possible, they should learn to think, analyse, and become emotionally and psychologically independent, but be there to discuss things with them when they ask for guidance. By developing their judgment and self-respect they will be able to cope with the situations they face socially as they grow up. They should be given tasks and responsibilities from an early age as well to develop their self-confidence and self- discipline. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give them plenty of love and affection as well, that is essential for the bonding of the whole family.

almashfa.com.eg

aomar@almashfa.com.eg

20 Top Songs To Workout to

By Lydia Schoonderbeek

1.   Armin van Buuren & Trevor Guthrie

This is What It Feels Like (Antillas & Dankann Remix)

2.   Avicii

‘Addicted to you”

3.   Beyonce

“Flawless”

4.   David Guetta & Skylar Grey

“Shot Me Down”

5.   Drake

“Hold on, we’re going home (Kastle Remix)

6.   Ellie Goulding

“Burn”

7.   Enrique Iglesias & Pitbull

“I’m a Freak”

8.   Fitz & The Tantrums

“Out of My League”

9.   Grouplove

“Ways to Go”

10.  Jason Derulo & 2 Chainz

Talk Dirty

11.  Jerrod Niemann

“Drink to That All Night”

12.  Justin Timberlake

“TKO”

13.  Lady GaGa, R. Kelly & Rick Ross

“Do What U Want (DJWS Remix)”

14.  Lea Michele

“Louder”

15.  Macklemore, Ryan Lewis, Schoolboy Q & Hollis

“White Walls”

16.  Martin Garrix

“Animals”

17.  Neon Trees

“Sleeping with a Friend”

18.  Rihanna x Eminem

“The monster”

19.  Rudimental

“Free” (feat.Emeli Sande)

20.  Shakira & Rihanna

“Can’t Remember to Forget You”