Calisthenics: Its meaning

Calisthenics are actually repetitive exercises that help in strengthening the body and improve the figure. The word "calisthenics" has come from the Greek words "kallos" for beauty and "thenos" for strength. The calisthenics exercises must be increased gradually until a stage is reached, where the body gets adjusted to it. The calisthenics exercises are intense and physically demanding, even at the core level. The exercises are harder than they look. Examples of calisthenics exercises include push ups, stand with feet shoulder wide apart, then squatting as far as possible bringing the arms forward parallel to the floor and then returning to the same position. The other exercise includes push-ups.

Its benefits and types

The word yoga means "union" and "discipline". Basically, yoga is "unitive discipline", that joins the body and the mind and leads to inner and outer union, harmony, and joy. Yoga is the first and the foremost discipline of conscious living. Yoga has influence on personality, wells up in our hearts and infuses our whole being with vibrant energy. Yoga is considered as a type of meditation as well as a calisthenics exercise. The calisthenics exercises included under yoga are lotus posture pretzel-like poses and many more. The discipline of yoga helps one to acquire a new self-perception or self-understanding. The various techniques included under yoga are Hatha Yoga, Raja Yoga, Bhakti yoga, Karma Yoga, Jhana Yoga and Japa Yoga. Among these, Hatha Yoga is predominantly concerned with the physical development, through asanas (postures), pranayam (breath control), deep relaxation and a yogic diet. This type of yoga is mainly concerned with loss of weight and the calisthenics exercises are included in this type of yoga.

Yoga helps in improving the body figure, relaxing the body senses and has innumerable other good effects. Everyday yoga helps burn calories and increases the body stamina and makes the body develop internal resistance to many diseases. In the end, it helps in maintaining the body fitness due to the various postures and exercises, increasing the flexibility of the body.