Any exercises that can be done at home in 15-30 mins daily?

I have started exercising from March. Reached almost a quintal.
I started as a practice for Bangalore 10K Marathon - which I had somehow completed in 80 minutes, a huge thing for a couch potato like me.
Now continuing the exercise, I had reduces around 4kgs. (In between I went home for 20 days. I suppose I had put on at least 1kilo during those days [emoji14] )

I exercise in the basic gym in my apartment. Run for 7/8 minutes, Some dumbbell exercises, some reps (~50) of sit ups, bench dips etc - for around 30/35 minutes.
It's difficult to change + maintain the food habit. I gave up junk foods (samosa, jalebis etc), deserts, reduced no of teas, switched to roti from rice. But it's difficult to maintain in the weekend whens it's treat/party in somebody's place, or the occasional Biriyani during office lunch time.
This is what my dietitian told me once, maybe helpful for you. DIET stands for

D - Discipline
Most important aspect of diet, strict adherence is must. If a social situation is unavoidable try having a fast (skip a subsequent meal with a lean salad) before or after a feast. Have your friend or preferably a spouse to scold you badly in an event of indiscipline & vice versa. Losing weight as a couple helps a lot.

I - ingredients, look carefully what you eat, check for preservatives transfats, MSG etc..

E - Extra foods like Oats, Flakes, Fat loss Fruit juices, Magic weight loss foods etc - clearly avoid. So goes for unnatural food practices like only protein no carbs etc.

T - Keep Trying don't give up, perseverance helps a lot. Its a constant process a journey, changing a lifestyle isn't easy - but not impossible.
good have more fats , I had 8 eggwhites for breakfast today , 135 calories , feels like i ate 3 allo pranthas , can you give 135 calorie fat equivalent that can do the same ?
This reminds me of a Body builder (my gym instructor) whom I used to see during residency, he used to eat 30 egg whites a day, his dream was to become Mr Kerala. Nearly 18hrs he used to do strenous stuff for the competition. In the 5th attempt he became Mr Kerala, A great achievement. Unfortunately he had a Myocardial infarction (heart attack) 2 months later , luckily survived.

I don't think eating 8 egg whites in the morning is a natural food habit, unless you're a manual labour you don't need that kind of protein. If your work involves a intellectual domain, you'd need to have some amount of fats & carbs because active brain needs them. There's more to food than calories, your food has a effect on your personality. Which is mostly undermined in a predominantly calorie oriented diet philosophy.

I'd chose a reduced quantity of Alu Paratha over 8 egg whites anyday. Its a choice ; and with lack of evidence telling something is clearly right or wrong is very difficult.
Off late the low carb, high protein theory has been receiving lot of criticism, its back to calorie counting and balanced intake of carbs, fats and proteins. With due apologies & no offense; sometimes it needs to be told that Sky is blue.
 
My heart is doing great and i dont eat 30 egg whites just 8 and switch it with other foods during the week, i am doing great and feel a lot more energetic than i used to .
 
This reminds me of a Body builder (my gym instructor) whom I used to see during residency, he used to eat 30 egg whites a day, his dream was to become Mr Kerala. Nearly 18hrs he used to do strenous stuff for the competition. In the 5th attempt he became Mr Kerala, A great achievement. Unfortunately he had a Myocardial infarction (heart attack) 2 months later , luckily survived.

I don't think eating 8 egg whites in the morning is a natural food habit, unless you're a manual labour you don't need that kind of protein. If your work involves a intellectual domain, you'd need to have some amount of fats & carbs because active brain needs them. There's more to food than calories, your food has a effect on your personality. Which is mostly undermined in a predominantly calorie oriented diet philosophy.

I'd chose a reduced quantity of Alu Paratha over 8 egg whites anyday. Its a choice ; and with lack of evidence telling something is clearly right or wrong is very difficult.
Off late the low carb, high protein theory has been receiving lot of criticism, its back to calorie counting and balanced intake of carbs, fats and proteins. With due apologies & no offense; sometimes it needs to be told that Sky is blue.
He did not get a heart attack due to his eggs. He got it due to wrong use of steroids when he become mr. kerela. 4-8 is common for a lot of people but 30 is pointless as it will not provide other vitamins and minerals that eggs lack. No half decent bodybuilder eats 30 eggs. Just a illinformed choice of his.
 
He did not get a heart attack due to his eggs. He got it due to wrong use of steroids when he become mr. kerela. 4-8 is common for a lot of people but 30 is pointless as it will not provide other vitamins and minerals that eggs lack. No half decent bodybuilder eats 30 eggs. Just a illinformed choice of his.

My heart is doing great and i dont eat 30 egg whites just 8 and switch it with other foods during the week, i am doing great and feel a lot more energetic than i used to .
Sorry if my post made you conclude that Attack was caused due to eating lot of Eggs, I just wanted to highlight the perils of extreme unnatural dietary habits. Of course there could be nearly 20 other reasons for Heart attack in that person, but AFAIK he didn't use steroids, he was in fact clearly against it, that's why it took 5 years for him.

If you observe clearly there's specific food habits restricted to certain caste or community in India. Jains, Marwari (Business Community) predominantly consumes vegetarian, sweets, etc.
They don't consume onions, garlic or non veg stuff routinely. Probably that food habits aid their business related acumen & Sweetness of dialect required for in their routine business.

Brahmins (traditionally academic community) also are vegetarian - but indulge in strict and regular fasts, don't eat legumes for certain months etc. Probably their food habits aid their concentration which is much needed for academic excellence.

Kshatriyas (Soldiers), Farmers and manual labour communities are exempted from most of the food restrictions, consume non vegetarian (even beef) regularly and that supports the increased protein requirements in them.
Earlier, Nizams would eat 2 Mutton Biryanis because the sword they always carry around weighed 35kgs !! We still eat the Biryani but we don't work a fraction of their routine.

So also there's regional variations in food preparation and ingredients usage. Rice is predominant food in South which is near to equator whereas wheat is the staple diet in North. Same dish preparation varies considerably. .

We're are currently multitasking or carry out admixture of tasks where everyone has to be a Jain (marketing, investing ), Brahmin (constantly learning and relearning) or a manual labour (cycling, walking fitness etc), so a balanced diet comprising of adequate proteins, fats and carbs depending upon our activities should be adhered to - instead of only protein no carb type of diet IMHO.

My grandfather who's 90+ still active, indulges in a strict dietary discipline. Though he eats out with us, still makes up by skipping a subsequent meal etc.
He describes foods as Satvik (Holy - provoking Noble instincts) and Tamasa ( provoking violent behaviour)etc, that's how I think there's more to food than just Calories. It might be a fashion to put off such things as non scientific but a person who's actually inclined towards science should be able to decipher the wisdom behind it.

I don't think all these factors can be attributed to the food taste alone, its out of years of experimentation which is much older than the civilizations we're aping without thorough evaluation. We started with importing (rather aping) their lifestyle, importing their food habits we have imported certain diseases in the end we'll be importing the drugs and treatments pertaining to those diseases. Western philosophy is mostly aimed at making you a consumer for rest of the life, commercial interests take priority over providing actual solutions, we need to be careful with our dietary habits.
 
@^^ Unless the level of competition is absolutely pathetic which i doubt there is no way a natural can win a bodybuilding show no matter how years he trains. there are limits to a natural physique that do not go away. All bodybuilders take steroids as winning a competition without them is not possible and majority lie about it. It is a known thing in the fitness industry across the world. From bollywood stars to IFFB pros they all lie being natural. You can post his pic if any and it will be clear more how much roids he takes.

Also no sword weighs 35 KG !! even the big greatswords that take two hands to wield are no more than 6kgs max. You need speed to use a sword and average sword weighs 2-4kg.
 
@^^ Unless the level of competition is absolutely pathetic which i doubt there is no way a natural can win a bodybuilding show no matter how years he trains. there are limits to a natural physique that do not go away. All bodybuilders take steroids as winning a competition without them is not possible and majority lie about it. It is a known thing in the fitness industry across the world. From bollywood stars to IFFB pros they all lie being natural. You can post his pic if any and it will be clear more how much roids he takes.

Also no sword weighs 35 KG !! even the big greatswords that take two hands to wield are no more than 6kgs max. You need speed to use a sword and average sword weighs 2-4kg.
Though Common sense says that a light sword would increase your agility while striking , it'd be unsafe to defend oneself from a strike of a significantly heavier sword. Also it'll be insufficient to penetrate a equally heavy metal armour.

I cannot be very sure about Nizams sword, I remember this from my visit to Salar Jung museum, but AFAIK original Bajirao sword weighs around 40kg, Maharana Pratap Sword weighs around 25kg - considering that Nizams sword weighing 35kg shouldn't be surprising. BTW the armour worn by Deepika & Ranveer was around 20kg if you go by movie trivia.
 
Though Common sense says that a light sword would increase your agility while striking , it'd be unsafe to defend oneself from a strike of a significantly heavier sword. Also it'll be insufficient to penetrate a equally heavy metal armour.

I cannot be very sure about Nizams sword, I remember this from my visit to Salar Jung museum, but AFAIK original Bajirao sword weighs around 40kg, Maharana Pratap Sword weighs around 25kg - considering that Nizams sword weighing 35kg shouldn't be surprising. BTW the armour worn by Deepika & Ranveer was around 20kg if you go by movie trivia.
No offense but i dont think you have ever seen or held a sword. No sword is above 6kgs. Go to your local gym and try one handed lifting a bench barbell which weighs 20kg only and is 7 feet in size and wayyy thicker and you expect a sword to weigh 40? Dont fall for film marketing lore.

You can check this link too

http://www.thearma.org/essays/weights.htm#.V27JEdJ97IU
 
Last edited:
good have more fats , I had 8 eggwhites for breakfast today , 135 calories , feels like i ate 3 allo pranthas , can you give 135 calorie fat equivalent that can do the same ?
Drink more water?
Perhaps your problem is not calories but the habit of eating till the stomach bursts.
 
My stomach has shrunk so it gets full easily and i do not have any problems . And it is not due to eating "till my stomach bursts" but due to eating a lot less than a normal person and following a very disciplined diet where i eat high quality nonprocessed foods even if they taste horrible .
 
Last edited:
Are plant only protein supplements good? Example - Amway Nutrilite Protein Powder Pack - 200 Gm https://www.amazon.in/dp/B00I0WN41M/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_apa_i_-4NBxbE13SHQR

IMO there's no need of the 'powders' for you. what are you trying to achieve that necessitates these? you can get plenty of protein from a whole-foods plant-based diet and dairy products for your needs, plus vitamins (and also get plenty of early morning sunlight if possible, else may require to take some vitamin pills). don't let yourself be carried away with too much protein-worries. eat a balanced diet and whole foods, make some improvements in what you eat & regulate your intake if not yet, exercise well and regularly and follow your regimen (with variations) consistently which is important, and don't tax your body and mind too much by putting very many restrictions or by getting mired up in only 'do this-do that'. I'd suggest to regulate, keep things simpler, and be consistent.

regarding exercises there are literally a plethora of them you could do at home, but accommodating various in one-go within that time-window (half-an hour) would not be possible, but on the positive side that also lets you 'enjoy' a regimen that you can vary quite a lot as and when you feel. I don't think many could be described here. face-to-face would be a different thing and recommended. or try darebee.com for some references, and YT channels like of Shifu Yan Lei, and FitnessFAQs. one suggestion though, alongwith strength and endurance-building exercises, also incorporate a few exercises to promote body flexibility (stretching, etc.) and proper breathing/body relaxation. will go a long way in achieving overall well-being. don't expect quick results & neither keep yourself obsessed over them constantly. start slow, you may feel fatigued or lacking initially, but keep working your way up with consistency (in training, diet, rest) and results will begin showing; where would they go!

P.S. - one 'magic' food that you can/should surely supplement yourselves with when you begin training - soaked or sprouted Bengal gram and other sprouts like moong beans, etc. the former esp. have never failed me from childhood and teen-years till now, and esp. in the endurance deptt.

for exercises, dont know where to begin from, and there's no end to it too. other than the standard push-ups sit-ups there are many variations of them alone, plus we have pull-ups chin-ups, leg raises hanging from bar, Surya Namaskaar, Baithaks, mountain climbers (these three done properly can work wonders for your lungs and endurance!), burpees, many jumps
like tuck-jumps, star-jumps, frog-jumps, skipping, etc. etc. etc. etc. running should be incorporated to be done a couple of times a week IMO. early morning running is very beneficial i've felt. just carry a pack of biscuits with you & if street dogs chase you, turn around, bend or sit down, whistle sweetly, pretend you are opening the pack or really throw some biscuits at them, and jog off.
so you see there's a whole lot to tell and do. personal tete-a-tete is the best in such scenarios, but in absence of that, one has to rely on sources like discussions, online and offline references, and your own trials-errors and observations/deducements.
and do once check the pages i wrote of earlier.

@6pack - I've added this post-script later.
 
Last edited:
Don't have any inclination to go to a gym. I have put on weight in the last year and due to my lifestyle I probably don't have stamina. So decided to some exercises at home after getting up. Right now the only exercises I can think of are push ups and sit ups. I have a 5kg dumbbell.
I don't want to go out runing in the morning cause there are dogs that will chase me down the road. I'm not afraid of dogs but the street dogs don't seem to like running people.
Any exercises that I can do to increase stamina and get back in shape?

How about the 5BX routine?
 
@Kilroyquasar, thanks. I'll incorporate the mountain climbing exercise in my routine now.

small suggestion - i'll advise, that after you get a hang of it (am sure you'll watch a video or two of it), do it with proper rhythmic breathing (exhale forcefully when exerting/taking leg forward, but don't empty your lungs fully, and when one of your legs is planted forward, and you're in stretched position, pause for a little less than a second, and inhale). I've been doing these in a modified form as was taught during childhood years (body stretched in an arch at the front position) as opposed to what you'll see/watch online. with practice and speed it'll become natural very soon. good work for the lungs too and for general endurance.
 
I do a combo!
HIIT - Body Weight Exercises!
1 HIIT goes like this!

1) Squats
2) Push ups
3) Knee ups
4) Spiderman Push ups
5) Mountain Climbers
6) Burpees

This as 25 secs workout - 12 secs rest!
1-3 min break between sets
4-5 sets of this will burn everything!

So u will be able to complete 1 set in around 4 mins
So 4-5 sets is 20mins plus 10mins break!
Reduce rest time to save more time!
Or you can reduce workout time n rest time too!
20secs workout 10 secs rest!
3 mins/set!

If you do this with good intensity, you will be out of breath and will feel dizzy which is good news! :smilingimp:

After this
1) Hollow body hold
2) Hand stand
3) Plank

2 sets of max hold is more than enough!
:smilingimp:

P.S - This needn't be done every day! I keep 1 day break!:sunglasses:
 
Last edited:
program your brain to accept mild hunger as your default mode instead of full stomach as your default

This is good advice. You don't need to workout unless you have large fat deposits to burn off.

Humans still haven't evolved beyond the caveman survivalist state of mind and are prone to stuffing up at every meal. While the lifestyle has changed completely; no predators and no need for physical activities.
A slight and constant state of hunger is the ideal state to be in. It keeps you dipping into your fat reserves instead of a fresh intake every time you feel the munchies.
 
Back
Top