Swim On

Warm-up first
Reduce the chances of straining your body by monitoring yourself before, during and after every swim. Also, take up a five to ten-minute warm-up by walking on the treadmill or indulging in some gentle laps.

Right your technique
If you try to go fast with bad technique, you are probably doing little other than unnecessarily wasting a lot of energy. While it may still be a good fitness workout, you certainly aren't getting any better as a  swimmer.

Tape it all
Ask someone to watch you swim, or better still, make him videograph you. Getting an opinion or watching yourself on screen can yield some great feedback on swimming technique that you would have otherwise missed.

Take a swig
Never swim under the influence of alcohol or drugs that can impair your judgment or coordination. If you are under medication, check if they have side effects such as drowsiness or impaired motor skill.

Rain check
If you are planning to hit a river or sea, check what the weatherman has to say before stepping out. If he warns of storms, postpone your plans. Notice lightning while swimming? Scramble for safety immediately.

Gulp pool water
Don't swallow any water while swimming, it can't possibly do your body any good. But if you accidentally gulp some, shape your tongue as if you're pronouncing the letter K. This keeps the water from going down your throat.

Omron Karada Scan
Has your waistline become the butt of jokes at the workplace, even when regular weighing scales show a five-kg climbdown? Maybe it's time you procured the new Omron Karada Scan HBF-375 Body Fat Analyzer, which gets past your healthy muscle and tendons to measure just the harmful visceral. What's more, it promises to make your dressing room seem like a prettier place too!

Price: Rs 6,500

Know your aches and pains better

Pain is a funny thing. Logic dictates that if your hand hurts, something is wrong with it. But the human body isn't always logical. "Referred pain can make diagnosis difficult," says Dr Karen Berkley, psychology and neuroscience professor at Florida State University. See your general practitioner to determine the cause of your pain.

PAIN IN                MAY BE CAUSED BY...

Your left arm            A heart attack

Your ears                 A cavity or gum disease

Your right shoulders  A gallbladder attack or inflamed liver

Your leg and knee    A herniated disk in your lower back

Your elbow               Problems in your cervical spine