I have a seven-year-old daughter. I am quite fitness-conscious myself so I was thinking of getting her enrolled in swimming classes. Will swimming as an activity give her the right amount of fitness and training that’s required as a child? I have been plump all my life so I want to keep my child in shape from an early age.

A concerned mother

It is wonderful to hear that you are so concerned as a mother. If all parents instil these values in their kids at a young age then half the obesity battle would already be won. Swimming is an excellent way of keeping fit. In fact, any outdoor game or sport would help, as at least an hour of exercise is needed daily. So do get her enrolled.

so, setting up a balanced nutritional programme and reducing the amount of junk food in her diet is needed. I know it’s difficult because she is a child but if you lead by example and set specific days or time for treats, it would help in conditioning her habits. Then, once she’s older, she will be able to choose the right balance.

I am an 18-year-old boy. My weight is 54 kg. How can I increase the size of my wrists?

Name withheld

You cannot increase the size of your wrists because it is a bone and not a muscle. What you can do is increase the strength of your wrists and muscular volume on your forearms.

Try the following exercise:

Latai or wrist roll-ups: Take a rolling pin and attach a rope to the centre of it and a metal hook to the bottom of the rope. Now take a one or two kg weight plate and attach it to the hook. Hold the rolling pin out in front with your arms completely stretched out. Start rolling the pin using your fingers in a clockwise motion. Once you have rolled the weight plate all the way up, go anti-clockwise and unroll it back down to the ground. Do three sets of this exercise. Believe me it burns!

I am a 21-year-old male (height 5-ft-3, weight 70 kg). I have been jogging and doing some physical exercises for the past three months. I am a vegetarian. My current diet is...

Breakfast: Two rotis and a glass of milk

Dinner: Two rotis and a glass of milk.

What is my ideal weight and are any changes required in my diet? I have been following this diet for the past two years but I still have a small tummy and fat on my sides. What should I do to get my body in shape?

Ravi Jain

You diet seems to be the problem as it is not balanced and you are lacking in so many helpful nutrients and minerals required for the body. You must learn to balance and eat at regular intervals to keep the body’s metabolism revved up! Your ideal weight is between 51-54 kg. A sample diet chart would be:

Breakfast: Two small rotis stuffed with baked beans or paneer, 1 fruit and a glass of milk.

Midmorning: A fruit, protein shake or roasted chana.

Lunch: One roti or a cup of rice, 1 portion chhola, rajma or paneer, 1 bowl of salad, 1 portion cooked vegetables. A bowl of curd or dal is optional.

Teatime: A protein shake/moori/ 2 Threptin biscuits/a glass of skimmed milk.

Dinner: A roti with 1 portion soya nuggets, rajma or chana, 1 bowl salad, 1 bowl dal (optional), 1 portion cooked green vegetables (not too oily).