Stretch, stretch, and stretch is the way to be if you want to prolong your physical fitness. Even if you are working out religiously, there is no harm in standing up (or even sitting) for a few stretches throughout the day. Giving us a sneak peek into one such stretch that can help your body transform was yoga expert Anjaly Warrier, who shared that three minutes of the chair-seated twists are a must-do daily exercise. "Start doing this exercise for 3 minutes every day. The waist is all toned. Digestion is improved. Back pain is all gone. Love handles all disappear," she mentioned in a post on Instagram. Can this happen? Experts like Saurabh Bothra, CEO, Habuild firmly believe that movement is freedom. Adding movement to your sedentary lifestyle works wonders for your overall health. "But here’s a thing - exercises are not one size fits all. I feel everyone has a different body and the need to keep it fit differs accordingly," he said. Moving regularly is fantastic! Especially, if you are someone who spends most of their time sitting and working - it can ease some types of back pain. "But let’s not forget that back issues, and specifically the root cause of a painful back come in all shapes and sizes," remarked Bothra. So, does the chair-seated twist work? For the waist? Yes, the side-to-side repetitive movement could help a bit with toning. "However, the effectiveness can vary based on the intensity, duration, and individual fitness levels. Hoping for this movement to make love handles disappear might not be that good an idea. Spot reduction or losing fat in a specific area is nearly impossible. The key to targeting the waist region (including love handles) is exercising regularly, reducing carbohydrates, and increasing fibre and protein in your diet," said Bothra. Now, about digestion - let’s not expect wonders since it’s a complicated process. "Here, the biggest player is a well-balanced, wholesome diet and mindful eating practices. Movement does provide gut motility, but relying on this exercise for this specific purpose might not be that effective," remarked Bothra. Having said that this is a perfect exercise that could fit into something called ‘micro-workouts’. "These are multiple short packets of 5-10 minute exercises that you can do anytime and anywhere," Bothra described. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Anjaly Warrier | Expert in Yoga for Weight Loss (@yogawithanjaly) If you are someone who struggles to fit a workout into your routine, movements like these can have a significant impact on your mind and body. Bothra further mentioned that such micro-workouts help form habits. "These movements will act like a nudge towards a more active lifestyle. Consider it as a building block in the construction of a healthier and active lifestyle," Bothra said.
