Bring back childhood exercises

The fun, excitement, fights and the boisterous yelling of childhood is etched in all our hearts.We all share a similar memory, returning from school, indulging in snacks and hustling down to play with your friends. Most of us knew ourselves to be strong, agile and energetic back then. Then why is that the very activities that worked for us and made us fit as kids are relegated to ‘childhood’ memories alone? We take a look at childhood activities and exercises that can help us shape up through adulthood. Begin today!Skipping rope: How do you reduce body fat and build stamina in a short period of time? Skipping rope is your answer; you can skip at home, it doesn’t cost much, is convenient and a great exercise if you are on the run. Take notes: It will help you increase your cardio vascular capacity and lung capacity, also builds your agility, speed, balance, and coordination. You can burn roughly 1,000 calories per hour. But remember – skipping rope for an hour is stuff athlete workouts are made of.Monkey bars: You want to build your strength, get primitive, well not literally. Most playgrounds and schools have monkey bars and kids love it. It helps in back development and is a great addition to any upper body workout. It gives a whole new meaning to hanging around with friends.Cycling: All of us have fallen off a bicycle, but that didn’t deter us from cycling around and popping a wheely. But now a car or a bike is the most preferred mode of transport. Well yes, it is convenient but doesn’t make us sweat. Cycling is a full body workout, builds your cardio respiratory health, also muscle and strength. Whatever the problem-stress, weight loss, heart disease or shaping your body cycling is perfect for you.Running: From the time we are toddlers to adulthood we are always running. It comes naturally to kids but it’s a stretch for adults. Run if you want to be fit, lose weight, increase stamina, tone your body and the list goes on. But a word of caution, running can cause certain injuries.Hula hoop: A baby of the 60s, hula hoops are evergreen with young girls. Once you get the rhythm of the twirl, you can sweat out 100 calories in ten minutes. Hula hoop wards off cardiovascular illness; it improves your co-ordination and helps in muscle tone. But if you’re going to hula hoop for fitness, check on workout hula hoops meant for exercise. They are different from the ones available in stores.Climbing: As kids we have scaled walls and climbed trees; now that you’re an adult you can’t do the exact same thing, but you can still engage in rock climbing. Along with the above activities, climbing also improves cardiovascular health, weight loss and improves muscle tone. This common trend running through childhood games makes you want to go back to the past.Swimming: This is one activity we wish was included in our school curriculum. Swimming is the best activity during summers. Besides, swimming can do wonders to your body mentally and physically. It builds muscles, improves strength, and you are guaranteed a healthy heart and powerful lungs. A full body workout, swimming improves co-ordination, posture, and is a great way to bust stress.Outdoor sports: As Indians, sport is the last thing we want to engage in unless it plays on the tube. But if we did engage in sports we wouldn’t be obese, sluggish, or have a string of ailments. They say laughter is the best medicine, but outdoor sports can beat it any day. It’s beneficial for heart problems and other diseases, co-ordination, conditioning, and builds you mentally, keeps you alert and is a lot of fun.- The Times of India