15-Minute FULL BODY Home Workout for Women - Age Group 30-55 years.

15-Minute FULL BODY  Home Workout for Women - Age Group 30-55 years.

How to get the perfectly toned body of your DREAM ? 

If you want to burn fat, tone up all your muscles & lose belly fat, this blog is all you need. This 15 minute workout program works for both MEN & WOMEN with any body type & consists of  FOUR different sections that are designed to train all the muscle groups. 

Say goodbye to all the extra fat without long hours at the gym & exhausting diets. But yes, good & balanced diet has to be paired with any routine.

FULL BODY EXERCISES :

A.  ABS : 

1) Elbow Plank - start with 10 secs. then as you progress take it up to 30 secs.

Planks are great for working the abs, and the elbow plank is harder on the abs than the traditional plank in push-up position. Start face down on the floor resting on your forearms and knees. Push off the floor, raising  up off your knees onto your toes and resting mainly on your elbows. tighten your glutes and core, do normal breathing.

This exercise improves posture, strengthens lower back, improves arm strength, develop balance, helps flexibility, and CORE STRENGTH.

2) Leg-up Plank - 10 secs. per leg. 

Start in a standard plank with arms and legs straight and shoulders above wrists. Simultaneously raise left leg and right arm off the floor and hold that position for about 3 seconds, then repeat with the opposite arm and leg. Breathing to be normal.

This exercise is a full body exercise, that trains your core, legs, glutes, and shoulders. This also strengthens and tones your whole body, improves your posture and stability, trims down body fat and boost your metabolism.

3) Side Plank - 10 secs. per side.

Start on your side with your feet together and one forearm directly below your shoulder. Contract your core and raise your hips until your body is in a straight line from head to feet. Hold the position without letting  your hips drop for the allotted time (10 seconds) for each set, then repeat on the other side. Breathing to be normal.

This exercise will have a stronger emphasis on the quandratus lumborum - the part of the back side of the abdominal wall that plays a major role in preventing back pain. Ensure that your abdominals and transverse abdominus are engaged the entire time to keep the body rigid.

4) Climbing Plank - 15 secs.

That is the concept behind mountain climbers. Performed from a plank position , you will alternate bringing one knee to your chest , then back out again, speeding up each time until you are "running" against the floor. While it sounds simple, mountain climbers exercise almost the entire body and raise your heart rate. When your knee comes towards your chest then you should breathe out through your mouth.

This exercise is great for building cardio endurance, core strength, and agility. As you perform the move, your shoulders, arms and chest work to stabilize your upper body while your core stabilizes the rest of your body. As the prime mover, your quads get an incredible workout, too. As this is a cardio exercise, you will get heart health benefits and burn calories. 

Initially always start with normal ELBOW PLANK, as you progress, then go for the other plank variations.

B. Legs & Butt :

1) Squats - 20 reps. You can initially start with 8-10 reps.

This is a full body compound movement will tone your muscles, burn fat and build lower body strength. It also improves your balance and coordination, boost your overall endurance and make you stronger. Squats promote an Anabolic environment that promotes muscle growth. 

If there is one exercise you should do everyday, it's the SQUAT. 

Stand facing forward with your chest up, place your feet shoulder width apart or slightly wider with your toes slightly turned outside. Extend your hands straight out in front of you to keep your balance, or as shown in the pics above. Bend your knees and hips , sticking your butt out as if you are sitting on an imaginary chair, keep your chest lifted and your spine neutral and do not let your lower back round. Squat down as lower as you can, keeping your head and chest lifted. Keep your knees over your ankles and press your weight back into your heels. Keep your body tight and push through your heels to bring yourself back to the starting position. Breathe in through you nose when at starting position, then go down and breathe out through your mouth when again at the starting position .

2) Lunges - 15 Lunges.

Lunges are resistance exercise, this tone your legs and abs , increase your flexibility, improve your core stability and torch fat. This compound exercise will shape your glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, helping transform your body. 

It is important to do lunges properly, so that you do not put strain on your joints. Keep your upper body straight, with your shoulders back and relaxed and chin up. Make a point to stare at front of you and do not look down, engage your core.  Step forward with one leg, lowering your hips until both knees are bent at about a 90 deree angle. Make sure your front knee is directly above your ankle, not pushed out too far, and make sure your knee do not touch the floor. Keep the weight to your heel as you push back to the starting position.

Inhale at starting position, then take the lunge , then exhale when back to starting position.

3) Basic Glute Bridge / Hip Raise - 15 reps.

This exercise isolates and strengthens your glutes(butt) muscles and hamstrings (back of the thigh). When done correctly, the move can also enhance core stability by targeting your abdominal muscles of lower back and hip.

If you have a workout routine, it is easy to add the bridge in or pair it with other moves to create your own full body workout. This exercise is also a good warm-up exercise and a basic rehab exercise to improve core and spinal stabilization. 

For this move the target muscle is the erector spinae which runs the length of your back from your neck to tailbone. A basic bridge stretches the stabilizers of the posteriors, gluteus  maximus, and hamstrings. Your overall strength will improve as these muscles groups get stronger. A strong core will also improve your posture and can help ease lower back pain.

Lie on your back with your hands at your sides, knees bent, and feet flat on the floor under your knees. Tighten your abdominal and buttock muscles by pushing your low back into the ground before you push up. Raise your hips to create a straight line from your knees to shoulders. Squeeze your core and pull your belly button back towards your spine. Hold for 5-8 seconds, and then return to your starting position, and then immediately again raise your hips,  but make sure your hips should not touch the floor . You can start initially with 6-8 reps and as you progress can go up to maximum 10-15 reps. When you raise your hip then to exhale.

C. Arms & Chest :

1) Arm Circles - with light weight dumbbells. 40 circles, if can not go for 40 circles at one go, then do 2 sets of 20 circles each.

This exercise gets your blood moving and can help to build muscle tone in your shoulders, triceps, and biceps.

Stand with your feet shoulders-width apart and extend your arms parallel to the floor. Circle your arms forward using small controlled motions, gradually making the circles bigger until you feel a stretch in your triceps. As you progress , you can take light dumbbells to increase the level of difficulty (as shown in the pic above). Reverse the direction of the circles after completing the first set of 20 reps of front rotation. Breathing to be normal.

2) Bicep Curls - with light dumbbells , 2 sets of  10-12 reps each.

The biceps curl is a highly recognizable weight-training exercise that works the muscles of the upper arm, and to a lesser extent, those of the lower arm. It is a great exercise for seeing results in strength and definition. Curls work the biceps muscles at the front of the upper arm, and also the muscles of the lower arm - brachialis and brachioradialis. You use these muscles anytime you pick something up, which is common throughout daily life. Doing the standing arm and learn to use your arm muscles correctly, bracing with your core muscles.

Select dumbbells of a weight you can lift 10 times (reps) with good form. Suggested starting weights are 2 to 5 pounds per dumbbell, slowly can increase to 10 pounds. Begin standing tall with your feet about hip-width apart. Keep your abdominal muscles engaged. Hold one dumbbell in each hand. Let your arms relax down at the sides of your body with palms facing forward. Keeping your upper arms stable and shoulders relaxed, bend at the elbow and lift the weights so that the dumbbells approch your shoulders. Your elbows should stay tucked in close to your ribs. Exhale while lifting. Then lower the weights to the starting position. Start with 8-10 curls/reps per set , as you progress can do 10-12 curls/reps per set, go for 2 sets.

Concentrate on proper form rather than rapid execution, taking as much time to lower the weight as you do to lift it. Do not recruit the shoulders or torso to swing the weights up when doing the dumbbell curl.  Keep the shoulders relaxed and watch that they don't move forward to initiate the movement. Choose lighter weights or reduce the number of repetitions if this occurs.

3) Bend-over Double Arm Tricep Kickbacks -  for triceps,  with light dumbbells, 2 sets of  10-12 reps each.

The triceps are the large muscles on the back of the upper arms that are responsible for elbow, shoulder, and forearm movements. Working out your triceps helps to build upper body strength and is an essential part of any strength training routine. Strong triceps stabilize your shoulder joint and are important for daily activities and sports such as tennis, volleyball, and basketball. 

Start initially with dumbbells that are 2 to 5 pounds each and gradually increase the weight as you gain strength. 

Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing in toward each other, keeping your knees bent slightly. Engage your core and maintain a straight spine as you hinge forward at the waist, bringing your torso almost parallel to the floor. Keep your upper arms in close to your body and your head in line with your spine , tucking your chin in slightly. On an exhale, engage your triceps by straightening your elbows. Hold your upper arms still, only moving your forearms during this movement. Pause here , then inhale to return the weights to the starting position. 

4) Push-ups - 20 reps . If can not go for 20 reps at one go, then do 2 sets of 10 reps each.

Most people hate push-ups, however, nothing beats this exercise when it comes to increasing body strength. This complex compound move works on your delts, pecs, and triceps. It also strengthens your legs and core muscles, improves sports performance, and makes activities easier. 

Get on the floor with all fours, positioning your hands slightly wider than your shoulders . Extend your legs back so that you are balanced on your hands and toes. Keep your body in a straight line from head to toe without sagging in the middle or arching your back. You can place your feet close together or bit wider as comfortable for you. Before you begin any movement, contract your abs and tighten your belly button towards your spine. Keep a tight core throughout the entire push-ups.

Inhale as you slowly bend your elbow and lower yourself until your elbows are at 90 degree angle. Exhale as you begin contracting your chest muscles and pushing back up through your hands to the start position, do lock your elbows and keep them slightly bend.

D. Fat Burners :

1) Standing Elbow to Knee - 20 reps per side.

   

Primary muscles worked in this exercise are Anterior and medial deltoid (shoulders),  gluteal muscles (buttocks), hamstrings (back of thigh), and stabilization from abdominals (stomach) and erector spine (lower back).

Place both hands  behind your head with your elbows wide. Lift your right knee up as you twist to the right, pulling your abs toward your spine. Lower your right leg to complete one rep. Switch sides bringing your knee up and twisting to the left. 

2) Mountain Climbers - start with 10 reps ( Left+Right leg 1 time each=1 rep) , then as you progress take it up to 20 reps.

This exercise targets full body, but specially your arms, shoulders, quads, and core. As you perform the move, your shoulders, arms, and chest work to stabilize your upper body while your core stabilizes the rest of your body. As the prime mover, your quads get an incredible workout , too. As this is a cardio exercise, you will get heart health benefits and burn calories.

Get into a plank position, making sure to distribute your weight evenly between your hands and your toes. Your hands should be about shoulder-with apart, back flat, abs engaged, and head in alignment. Pull your right knee into your chest as far as you can. Switch legs, pulling one knee out and bringing the other in. Keep your hips down, run your knees in and out as far and as fast as you can. Alternate inhaling and exhaling with each leg change. When you are focused on the move, you might find yourself holding your breath. Remember to breathe. 

3) Burpees - this is the hardest but also the most efficient. Start with 10 reps, but do not do more than 15 reps.

  

The exercise may seem easy, but it is quite challenging, dynamic and never boring. Bupees offer a full body workout and hit every muscle, including your arms, shoulders, chest, core, quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves, while keeping your heart rate up for the whole time. This is perfect for cardio and strength training, it burns lots of calories. 

Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, weight on your heels and arms to your side, push your hips back bend your knees and lower your body into a squat, place your hands on the floor directly infront of you and just inside your feet, shift your weight on to your hands , jump your feet back to softly land on the balls of your feet in a plank position. your body should form a straight line from your head to heels.Jump your feet back so that they land just outside of your hand . Reach your arms overhead and explosively jump up into the air. Land and immediately lower back into a squat for your next rep. Avoid snaking your body off the ground by lifting the chest first and leaving the hips on the ground when raising your body back up off the floor.

Rest Period :

A., B., C. = 30 secs between exercises , if doing in sets then 10-15 secs between sets.

D. = 50-60 secs between exercises.

                        

Would highly appreciate your valued views & suggestions on this blog, in the comment section below.

DEPRESSION - An Insight & How To Overcome.

 

DEPRESSION - An Insight & How To Overcome.

Each year more than three million people are diagnosed with depression. Doctors say depression can be serious if left untreated but there are symptoms to look for it. As per psychiatrists, the clinical definition of depression is unnatural sadness. Patients often feel lonely, hopeless. and have a loss of interest. It is more severe in terms of intensity, it is more impactful, in terms of a person's quality of life and their ability to meet their roles and responsibilities and it is longer in duration. So, this is sadness, tearfulness, hopelessness, life isn't worth living, going on for days, weeks, and sometimes months. 

Doctors say depression is a common diagnosis affecting one in six adults. Women are more affected than men by a two to one ratio and that might have 25% of women experiencing depression at some  point in their lifetime and about 12% of  men.

Those going through depression experience difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much, a change in appetite, lack of concentration, and difficulty thinking. Initial symptoms are - the person either becomes abnormally calm, stays secluded , or suddenly becomes agitated on petty issues, gets hyper suddenly and screams on family members with no major reason, starts doubting on near and dear ones. Depression has significant impact on the ability for people to care for themselves, take care of other chronic medical conditions, so ignoring has a lot of consequences.

Depression is something that is becoming more and more common. A lot of us are under impression that it is a form of mental disease that just happens to people. This is far from the truth. Depression is clearly a sign of the fast-changing environment around us. The whole world is changing so fast  and our bodies can't keep up with it. In most cases of depression a person is simply  generating intense thoughts and emotions in the wrong direction that are working against them and that in many ways, 70% of all illness are self-created.

If you don't have very strong emotions, very intense thought , attachment about something or someone, you can not get depressed , thus you become strong enough to cause depression to yourself . The line between sanity and insanity is very thin. When you get angry you are pushing the line .... you are mad on somebody, no.... you are not mad on somebody , actually you are mad, that is the reason of your such anger expression. You are just pushing the boundary line of sanity towards insanity for a certain period of time and then coming back . If you frequently go on pushing this line and come back, then one day you will you see that you are not being able to come back, then you become clinically ill. Even if you get angry for a moment , then also for that moment you are ill. You think it's your right to throw tantrums on others, is it your right to get angry on people , do you think it is your privilege to get angry or get depressed so that you get attention from somebody, if you keep playing this  , one day you will not be able to turn back, keep crossing the line every day.. one day you will see you can not cross back. That day you need a doctor. 

Another instance is , when your child makes an insistent noise or rhythm continuously for a long time to get something he wants which you are not giving or do not want to give , and thus tries to hold your attention till you give him, then he knows by doing such action it is easy to get anything that he wants or can get attention, he will do that often till he grows, first with his parents , then friends , then his or her partner or loved ones. Now when by doing this when he does not get the thing or attention , then he becomes agitated and ultimately becomes victim to depression, as the feeling then gets in his mind that he is no longer loved and is an unwanted being. But, if in the initial stage he is deprived of in response to his such action, then he wont repeat it. 

In a professional life also when you get a name, fame, social recognition, money , lots of attention , and one fine day you find any one of these is no longer with you, suddenly you fail to cope with such a situation, making you get agitating, getting in some sort of vices or turn suicidal to keep that feeling away from your thinking or trying to run away from such a situation , and ultimately slide towards depression. So, we see that, in most cases of depression a person is simply  generating intense thoughts and emotions in the wrong direction that are working against them, it is basically self created and is actually a sign of a mentally weak person who can not face an unwanted or undesired situation.

Depression is basically a modern age disease . The average age of depression for the generation of people over the age of 60 is 10%, which when you think of it is pretty high. If you look at the generation who are 45 is just doubly at 20%. Now, if you see the generation who are around 25 years of age is 25%. If we assume this then at this rate it will be 50% or one in two people have experienced the state of depression when you reach the age of 60. This issue is caused by massive change in society today, because the generation of people who are currently 60 yrs old lived a very different life than those around 25 yrs old. They had no access to internet, smartphones , no instant services , no social media, instagram, facebook. It is certain that depression is caused by sudden change in environment .

So, what can we do to cure a depression ? 

Researchers all over the world conducted dozens of studies and came to conclusion that there are 7 factors that will determine whether or not someone will have depression throughout their life. These 7 things are the results of the massive amount of change that we have undergone in the last century.

1. PHYSICAL ACTIVITY - this is what we used to do a lot of, our body and mind are built to do such activity. Not so long ago , we were busy in the fields growing crops, in the woods hunting for food, on an average we used to exercise for at least 4 hours a day. Now think about your own life, how many hours are you exercising per day, most people have office jobs with actually no exercise, this creates a huge difference , this is how important is exercise in regards to treating depression.

How EFFECTIVE IS EXERCISE ? 

The best is Aerobic Exercise and Breathing exercises , it is not even lot of exercise you need to do initially, only about 30 minutes of brisk walking at least 3 times a week (Read my Blogs : Daily Walking; blog dated: 14-7-'20,  &  Daily Walking Or Jogging; blog dated: 15-11-'20) . In a study it was found that those who did aerobic exercise did much better than those who were prescribed Antidepressants . 

If your general fitness level permits, can also do some advance physical exercises (Read my Blogs : Must Do- Basic Morning Home Workout Routine For Men & Women Of All Age Groups; blog dated: 25-10-'20;  & Best Cardio Home Exercises -Beginners ; blog dated:16-8-'20).

Few very effective Yogic Breathing techniques (Pranayama),  like ANULOM-VILOM Pranayama (Alternate nostril breathing), SURYABHEDHAN Pranayama (Right nostril breathing) if practised regularly work wonders on those in the state of depression (For Anulom-Vilom Pranayama Read my Blog: PRANAYAMA; blog dated: 4-6-'20). 

Suryabhedan Pranayama : This is one of the important pranayamas described in the classical yogic texts. ‘Surya' means ‘Sun’, ‘Bhedan’ refers to ‘Piercing’ or ‘awakening’, thereby, stimulating and awakening energy within the physical and pranic bodies.

In its simplest form, Suryabhedana Pranayama is inhaling fully through the right nostril, holding the breath and then exhaling through the left nostril.

Sit in any comfortable posture- preferably cross legged , with your spine in neutral position, Take a few deep breaths, now using right hand, thumb out, next two fingers (index & middle fingers) folded and last two fingers (ring & little fingers) stretched, Left palm can simply rest on your left knee with palm facing upwards. Then, Very softly block your left nostril with the right ring finger (the aim is to block the air flow and not to push the nose to the other side with force), slowly inhale through your right nostril. Inhale gradually with the count of 4 (4 seconds of inhalation time) and without any force to the maximum. Then, Block your right nostril with the right thumb; release the lock on the left nostril & Exhale rhythmically with the count of 5 or 6 (exhalation time 5-6 seconds) from the left nostril -This is one round . Gradually, with extended practice, you should try to double your exhalation time  (count or seconds)  to your inhalation ( if inhalation count is 4 seconds , then exhalation count to be 8 seconds).

To start with , you can do 10 rounds, over time, practice can be extended to 10-15 minutes. But should not exceed 20 minutes of practice at one stretch as can cause imbalance in the breathing cycle. The preferable time of practice is on an empty stomach in the morning.

 

It makes your mind alert, perceptive and thereby, preparing you towards the path of meditation. Your Nervous System especially Sympathetic Nervous System is revitalized and blockages in the pathway of energy channels are removed. As it is energizing in nature, it is also recommended during stress & depression, to change the flow of tamasic energy to a vibrant one by increasing your alertness, concentration & bringing about changes for ‘Readiness for Action’.

Slow Deep Breathing with light Weight Dumbbells: This is another excellent breathing exercise for those suffering from depression. 

Take 2  light weight dumbbells (about 1 kg or One Ltr. / half Ltr. filled water bottles) as per your capacity in both your hands, bring both your arms sideways in line of your shoulders,with your wrists facing front, bend your arms in a way that both the dumbbells are in line with your chin (as shown in pic given below), then inhaling very slowly and gently raise both your arms just above your head, but do not straighten your arms above your head, hold your arms & your breath in that position for about 3 seconds, and then slowly bring both your arms down to the starting position while gently effortlessly exhaling with no noise. Always keep in mind to maintain a very slow rhythm.

Those who took Antidepressants were 3 times more likely to become depressed after one year followup. Exercise is so effective because of what it does to your brain , when you exercise , important nerve transmitters (hormone) like Dopamine and Serotonin have increased activity level , these are the same nerve transmitters cause depression when they are at low level. Also, these are the same nerve transmitters those the antidepressant drugs are targeting, these drugs also have other potential negative side effects . So, why to take such drugs when you can just exercise , look better and feel healthier .

2. MEDITATION: 

A general guideline for better results  for all those who  intend to practice meditation: 

a) Preferably in early morning or evening (Sandhya Kala).

b) Practice in a particular place facing East or North.

c) Have your own ASANA (small sitting mattress) , no one else to use it.

d) Wear a fresh washed loose dress.

e) Before you start , Chant some Divine Mantra  for 3-5 minutes of your like, for example : Aum Namaha Shivaya , Hare Ram Hare Krishna, or any of your choice  , or can even do a GURU VANDANA if you are initiated. If you have nothing to chant then just chant AOM in very slow pace : Aaaa, Oooo, Mmmmmmmmm (Mmm to be stretched).

f) Doing a BHAMRI Pranayam before start of meditation helps in mental calmness. This Pranayama also known as ad Humming Bee Breath, is a calming breathing practice that soothes the nervous system and helps to connect us our truest inner nature. 

Sit in a cross-legged position, close your eyes and breath deeply.Now close your ears with your thumbs, place your index finger just above your eyebrows and the rest of your fingers over your eyes, with your middle fingers of both hands apply very gentle pressure to the sides of your nose. Now concentrate your mind on the area between your eyebrows. Keep your mouth closed , breath out slowly through your nose with making a humming sound of "AAOOMMMMMMM". Repeat this process for 5 times. Important thing is that while doing this PRANAYAMA assume that you are being connected to all the positive energies of the cosmos.

g) Maha Sambhavi Mudra : Sitting in a cross-legged position, your back should be comfortably straight, whole body to be lose , with palms on your knees facing upwards in Gyana / Vishnu Mudra (where in both hands, the tip of your index finger touches the tip of your thumb forming a ring 👌). Then slightly raise your head upwards, focus both your eyes at a centre point between your both eyebrows (gazing point) & close your eyes, then slowly inhale (count of 6-8) & exhale (count of 8-10) through your nostrils, this should be very smooth and with no sound. You should fully concentrate on the air going in & going out , in other words fully concentrate on your inhalation and exhalation, so that your mind do not get engaged in some other thoughts. Maha Sambhavi Mudra is said to be one of the ideal posture for meditating.

3. OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS :

This comes in the form of fish oil is a must have supplement . 

Why is this so beneficial ? 

To understand this we need to understand our body's relationship with these essential fats (OMEGA-3, OMEGA-6). These are called essential fats because our body is unable to produce on its  own , we must get them from outside sources. 

OMEGA-6 fats are pro-inflammatory, found in grains and seeds , animals that eat them, or are fed them , or in foods cooked in them. While OMEGA-3 fats are anti-inflammatory, found in grasses, plants, algae, animals that eat them, fish, free range meat. 

The ideal balance for humans for OMEGA-6 to OMEGA-3 should be anywhere from  1:1 to 3:1 , most of our ancestors were able to maintain this with there natural based diets. But when researchers tried to look into modern day diet , they find out the ratio to be 17:1, that is modern generation is heavy on the inflammatory side , that is never a good thing because if we look at all the major diseases that pick the modern world like - cancer, heart disease, allergies , all these are inflammatory diseases. That is the reason scientist hypothesised that may be if we prescribed OMEGA-3 then the ratio can be fixed and combat all these problems, they conducted dozens of studies and found that not only those suffered depression feel better , but helped is helping those with variety of other diseases. 

Something very important to note is , if you do purchase fish oil supplements , you must refrigerate  it or will oxidize and become toxic for your body. Also, make sure the brand you are purchasing use some method to purify the oil, as now majority of fish are farm bred and contain many toxins.

4. SUNLIGHT- 

This is very important for 2 reasons - a) it deals with a special vitamin called vitamin D, it comes from your skin when it is exposed to sunlight , it is responsible for your bone health, immunity , and your muscle health. A lack of vitamin D will cause a variety of problems such as cancer, diabetes, and especially mental health. Vitamin D is actually becoming a very big problem now a days because most of us are spending more and more time indoors , in fact over 40% of people now have vitamin D deficiency to some degree, that is lot of people. b) it is something that you wouldn't expect , there is something very special about sunlight that normal indoor lights can not provide for us, sunlight is many many times brighter than indoor lights , it turns out that our body needs sunlight in order to set our body's internal clock right , what it does is make sure that you feel tired at the right time and make sure you get the right hormones at the right time (hormone regulation) , and make sure you feel sleepy at the right time (sleep regulation). All of these problems have shown in studies that these bears direct link to depression. We need natural and bright sunlight at least once a day to set this clock right. Research suggest just 10 minutes of natural sunlight is enough to be ok. 

5. Healthy Sleep -

Researchers found that disrupted sleep is one of the most potent triggers for depression. They found that people who slept at extremely abnormal times that deferred every single day were more prone to developing depression. This means if you are one of those who stays up whole night watching shows, playing video games, busy with your phone, working on laptops or computers , you fall into this category. Healthy sleep that translates about 7-8 hours of sleep . (Read my Blog :How to get a QUALITY SLEEP; blog dated  21-8-'20).

6. ANTI - RUMINATIVE ACTIVITY - 

Researchers found that the more you ruminate , which is essentially thinking about the past , the more likely you are to get depressed. In quantities it is fine, but with up rise of technology and internet more and more people are spending alone. The problem with spending time alone is you tend to ruminate a lot ... you think about something embarrassing that happened over a year ago, or how you were bullied when at 6th standard, or how your loved one behaved with you causing a fight , these types of thoughts get you in a state of depression., if repeated enough. In order to combat these it is suggested to find ENGAGING ACTIVITIES which covers wide spread of things like - group activities like sports and games, events ,  or solo activities like working on your art / hobby/ crafts/ projects. The main thing about finding these activities is that they should be exciting enough , so that you do not have time to think about the past. If you are engaging enough then at the end of the day when you are about to go for sleep then you wont spend an hour rolling on the bed thinking about so and so said something mean to you, you should be tired enough that your mind will be calm and you will quickly fall asleep.

7. SOCIAL CONNECTION -

This is the most important factor. We humans are social creatures, we always stuck in groups, ability to work as a team and overcoming any obstacle , this level of team work we spend majority of the day with other humans. This is not the case any more, most people now have no close friends , studies have shown that having close social network is vital for a healthy life . Bonding with humans releases certain hormones that reduces stress and anxiety. Social isolation will literally cause your brain to shrink . Socialising is simply that important. One of the main reason I believe social connection is a big problem now a days is due to lack of face to face interaction, you spend so much time on social media communicating that we barely spend any time face to face, the hormones produced in a online media communication is significantly different than the ones produced during face to face , humans need to be face to face in order to build long lasting trust and deep relationship, socialising and making friends requires tons of  practise and tons of calibration. Now a days we can hide behind screens and talk or text , so the ability to interact with somebody face to face is a skill that is rarely ever practised. 

These are the 7 factors you have to keep in mind in order to combat your depression , these have really shown results time and time over, it is my advise to take these very seriously and move towards a healthy and joyful life.

                    

Would highly appreciate your valued views & suggestions on this blog, in the comment section below.