As the summer heat continues to soar, the spirit seems to plummet downwards and the body feels like a wilting flower. The best way to beat the heat is to stay active and enthused. It will pump up energy levels like no other.
What? Sweating more in this heat will make me feel better? Oh yes! Keeping the body and mind engaged together will boost endorphin levels – the feel good hormones; much more than only mind-involved activities, where the body is stuck to a chair. It would be great to do them with a group of friends than alone. Pumps up the fun factor.
Under the sun
Take the plunge: …into the pool. Invent your own fun games with balls, floats. Playing tag in the water is fun. Even if you can't swim and are going to play in chest-high water, you will still have lots of fun, get physical exercise because of water-resistance and will stay cool. Running races in the water too, are enjoyable and more difficult. You could choose to play regular water polo or go to an aqua aerobics class. Better still, take your music system to the pool and invent your water-dance moves with friends.
Hit the beach: At the beach, you could play beach ball, Frisbee, cricket or just run along the surf. Try the wet sand-dry sand challenge. Alternately run on wet and dry sand, bare feet, of course; it's a tremendous workout for your leg muscles. Cycling is also a good choice for an outdoor exercise activity. You could choose different routes each day for variety.
Indoors
* Choose an uncluttered space or move some furniture around to create some space in your room or hall. Get a bunch of your friends together and invent your own games, Calvin style. Let your imagination run riot; modify existing games with new rules of your own.
* Enact your favourite video game. Be the characters, instead of sitting and playing it. Make up your own story, with each of you adding to it or pick characters from your favourite movie and play the characters; the furniture can be objects that are part of your screenplay. The only criteria being it has to be a story with lots of action.
* Make your own obstacle race. Jump over couches, crawl under tables, slide sideways between cupboard and wall... your own military style boot camp on. Play the “–EST” game. Who jumps highest, stretches longest, steps widest etc…
* If you love music, play some and move freely to it. When a group of you are together, to spice it up, change styles of music abruptly and the group has to change their dance style accordingly. Go from hip hop to Bollywood to melody to rock.
* Another idea with music would be to take turns making simple choreographies and getting your friend to learn that groove with you. Play “follow the leader”. This would be a spontaneous game. Each one in the group takes turns to lead while the others follow his moves. It often gets hilarious.
Rose drink!
Summer brings with it a plethora of juicy fruits. Indulge! Here's an idea to refresh your drink with rose petal cubes.
1. Soak pale rose petals (paneer rose) in a bowl of lukewarm water. The water takes on a lovely light essence.
2. Filter out petals and freeze this water into cubes. You could shred the petals and keep them in the cubes too, if you like.
3. After play and exertion, add these cubes to your glass of water for a flavoured drink.
Mrinalini is Fitness Programme Development Director at Blue Movement Circle.
