Fitness tips on your favourite equipment: Punching bag

Punching bags or sandbags are cylindrical equipment used for training by boxers, kick-boxers and martial artists. However, they can also be used by amateurs for exercise to increase muscle tone and mass. They come in a variety of sizes and materials. A heavier punching bag will provide more resistance where as a lighter one will provide less resistance.

Working out with a punching bag regularly delivers many amazing benefits.  It will increase your endurance, timing and power and will also give you a good cardiovascular workout. Throwing heavy punches on a sandbag will help you develop your upper body strength. It will shape your body through weight loss and muscle development. Hitting a punching bag can also help you relieve stress.

How to exercise with a punching bag

Power punching drill

Your whole body needs to be used in order to throw effective power punches. Hit the bag hard with both your hands for three minutes at a stretch. Now rest for a minute and repeat the set. Your legs, core muscles, upper body, shoulder and fists are engaged while you throw the punches.

Kicking drill

Kicking drill can be an excellent way to develop your roundhouse, front and crescent kicks. In roundhouse kick, you swing your legs in a semicircular motion while you strike with your front leg. When you perform a crescent kick, you need to lift your knee up and kick with your foot in a clockwise motion. The front kick simply involves extending your legs and kicking the target.

Start off with three right roundhouse kicks, followed by three front kicks and three crescent kicks. Repeat the same with your left leg. Now rest for a minute and repeat the three steps to develop more consistency. Make sure you deliver your kicks with power and intensity.

Tips to keep in mind

• Make it a point to use hand wraps while throwing punches to avoid damage to the wrists and hands.
• Always warm up with stretches or joint mobility exercises before you start punching or kicking the bag.

Modi lauds Vivek Oberoi's work for Clean India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has lauded Vivek Oberoi's effort towards the Clean India campaign after the Bollywood actor was spotted with a broom on the streets of Mumbai.

"I appreciate the work of @vivek_oberoi towards creating a Swachh Bharat," read a post from Modi's Twitter handle @narendramodi.

Vivek, also known for his philanthropic efforts, was over the moon with the appreciation.

"@narendramodi feel honoured & humbled by your appreciation. Shall be committed to the cause of #swachhbharat through various means," he tweeted.

PM Modi Wants Number 50, But India Just Slipped to 142 on This List

India has notched up its worst-ever ranking in the "Ease of Doing Business" index compiled by the World Bank, slipping to 142 out of 189 countries. Just last month Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said he wants India to be among the top 50 countries on the list.

The rankings are based on 10 indicators such as how easy it is to start a business and sometimes form the basis of foreign investments in a country. The World Bank has clarified that the rankings are based on data available till May 2014 and do not take into account measures taken by the new government.

India's ranking originally stood at 134 last year, but has been now adjusted to 140 by the World Bank to account for fresh data. In 2006, when the index was launched, India ranked 116th.

According to the World Bank, India scored much higher than its overall ranking (142) in protecting minority investors (rank 7) and in ensuring credit (rank 36), but lagged behind in other parameters such as granting construction permits (184) and enforcing contracts (rank 186).

Overall, India scored above its rank in ensuring electricity (137), registering property (121), trading across borders (126) and resolving insolvency (137), but ranked poorly in starting a business (158) and paying taxes (156) weighed on the composite standing.

The fall in rankings illustrates the urgent need for action in categories that involve interface with the government such as paying taxes, construction permits, etc.

Analysts say the new government has taken up the challenge seriously. In a report published last week, global brokerage Nomura said the Modi government has made "commendable progress" in improving the ease of doing business in India.

"There has been a move towards faster processes and less regulation... and the government is considering an amendment to labour laws," said Nomura's Sonal Varma.

The positive sentiment was today echoed by World Bank officials too. To a question whether India will be able to climb the rankings quickly, Augusto Lopez-Claros said, "There is no reason, why not? There are many examples of countries who through focused efforts, through intelligently designed reforms have managed to make very substantial improvement."

If India is able to improve its credentials as a business-friendly destination, it will be able to attract the much-needed foreign direct investment, which according to Deutsche Bank has averaged less than 2 per cent of GDP over the past decade.

An improvement in ease of doing business will also ensure "a better regulatory framework for development, job creation and growth," said Kaushik Basu, chief economist of the World Bank.

10 Superfoods every pregnant women should include in her diet

What you eat during your pregnancy has a direct effect on the growth and development of your baby. So it is crucial that you include the healthiest and the best foods to boost your baby’s growth and to keep yourself healthy to face all the stress and strains of pregnancy and labour. Here are some pregnancy superfoods that you can’t afford to miss for the sake of your baby’s well-being.

Milk and dairy products
Adequate calcium intake during pregnancy is crucial. Apart from strengthening your bones and taking care of your teeth it also contributes towards the overall skeletal development of your baby. So gulp down that glass full of milk daily and make sure you also indulge in other dairy products like cheese, cottage cheese (paneer), yoghurt, buttermilk, etc., to meet your calcium requirements. Be regular with your calcium supplements too, as it could help you meet the required daily levels of the same in case your diet lacks in providing you with the requisite amount.

Spinach and fenugreek
Leafy green vegetables, especially spinach and fenugreek, are rich sources of folic acid or folate. Folic acid is an important nutrient for your unborn baby. It helps in fetal brain development and also saves your baby from birth defects like spina bifida a congenital disorder caused due to incomplete closure of the embryonic neural tube. It also reduces risks of preterm labour and prevents preeclampsia in the mother. Apart from this, these leafy green vegetables also have traces of vital vitamins, minerals and calcium that can do you a great deal of good.

Broccoli
Till about a few years ago this vegetable was considered exotic. But now you can find broccoli in almost all the leading supermarkets. You have enough reasons to include it in your shopping cart, especially when you are pregnant. Broccoli is packed with an adequate amounts of calcium, manganese and potassium and contributes towards stronger bone development in the fetus.

Eggs and meat

Eggs are the best source of first class proteins, low in calories and packed with high-quality omega-3 fatty acids. They are also a good source of folic acid, choline and iron and help to keep your amniotic membranes strong while preventing birth defects in the fetus. Remember to have your eggs with the yolk so that you don’t miss out on choline.

Meat, on the other hand, is rich in animal protein that helps in cell and muscle development in the baby. Having adequate quantity of protein through diet can also help an expectant mother fight pregnancy induced fatigue. Opt for lean meat as they are the best source of high-quality protein sans the fats.

Fish

Intake of fish during pregnancy has always been a bit controversial because of the high mercury content in them, especially the seawater ones. However, fish is packed with good quality protein and omega-3 fatty acids that contribute towards the brain and eye development of the baby. To be on the safer side limit your fish intake to twice-a-week. Make sure you cook your fish thoroughly before consuming it and avoid having raw fish as it can increase your chances of an infection and harm your baby.

Pulses and legumes

They are the best source of plant-based proteins, fibre and other nutrients like zinc, iron and folate. Sprouted beans, on the other hand, are also a rich source of vitamin B 12 that helps in brain and liver development of the baby and also the mother. Include a variety of pulses and legumes in your diet to reap their nutritional benefits.

Tofu

Apart from being a rich source of calcium, tofu is also packed with iron, manganese vitamin A and K. It is also a rich source of folic acid and can be an excellent snack or a salad ingredient for an expectant mum.

Fruits and vegetables

Of course, you cannot miss eating them. But don’t limit your options when it comes to fruits and vegetables. Other than having the staple fruits like apple, banana and pear, opt for more colourful varieties. Ideally it is recommended that one should have five portions of fruits a day during pregnancy. Have foods rich in antioxidants like musk melons, strawberries, grapes, etc. Oranges are rich in vitamin C and would help in the absorption of iron while apples can help relieve constipation a common pregnancy woe, being fibre-rich. Eat more berries as they are packed with antioxidants that help to prevent birth defects and up the circulation. 

When it comes to vegetables, apply the same rule, more the colour the better. Shop for a variety of vegetables and ensure that you bring with you a vegetable basket that’s a riot of colours. Opt for bell peppers, pumpkins, eggplants, zucchini, tomatoes, cauliflower along with your green vegetables to make your diet wholesome. The antioxidants, minerals and vitamins in them would do your baby a whole deal of good.  

Water

You don’t need any explanation on why you should have water during pregnancy. This will not only help your body get rid of internal toxic build-up, but will also save you from urinary tract infections which are common during pregnancy. Sipping on coconut water or fresh orange juice would also help. 

Breakfast cereals and grains

They are a great source of carbohydrate and fibre and act as a storehouse of energy. Fibre in your diet will also help you from fighting constipation that is common during pregnancy. Including good carbs in your diet will ensure that you give each cell of your body adequate energy for proper functioning and maintain an overall healthy body to take on the stress of pregnancy and labour.

This parasite keeps millions in poverty

One of the most debilitating medical conditions in sub-Saharan Africa isn't fatal. In fact, it's easily curable. The culprit is small, but its impact is big. The chigoe flea, more commonly known as a jigger, typically burrows itself into the feet and hands. It prevents millions of children from attending school, stops farmers from working their land, and makes walking all but unbearable.

Kenyan businessman Stanley Kamau had jiggers as a kid, and he remembers how he was stigmatized by his classmates, for in his school, the parasite singled you out as poor.

"I almost dropped out of primary school because of the effects, because I could not stand the way my classmates laughed at me and used to harass me. They would step on me, and I didn't have shoes," he recalls.

Luckily, Kamau's family owned cattle, and had a cattle dip -- a bath filled with insecticide -- which they used to treat the cows. Kamau cured himself by dipping his hands and feet in the water. He was able to continue his studies, and went on to attend university in India.

After successfully launching a number of businesses, Kamau returned to his home village in Murang'a, where he decided to give back to his community. At first, he simply donated food and clothes, but soon he realized the adverse effect jiggers was having on his fellow villagers.

"I was shocked when I visited some of the homes and saw that some kids had never gone to school, that men and women weren't going to their farms. They were disabled because of the jigger menace."

Kamau set up the Ahadi Kenya Trust, which treats victims of jiggers throughout Kenya. Originally, the trust signed up four families. Today, 2.6 million Kenyans are registered with the group.

The banana solution

Kamau saw how jiggers entrenches families deeper into poverty. As a solution, he set up a banana farm on a stretch of land donated by his aunt. Jigger survivors can join the farm, and are given free materials, from seeds to fertilizer, to enrich their land back home.

"Every member has to duplicate what we are doing on their own particular farm," he says. "We provide them with seedlings to plant in the communal farm, and give them seedlings to plant in their own individual farm... it's like a learning center where every member of the community can learn more on how to do bananas."

Kamau has expanded the entrepreneurial side of his trust to include chicken and rabbit farming, as well as bee keeping.

The rural ambulance

In his attempt to eradicate jiggers from his home country, Kamau realized how difficult it can be for many living in rural communities to seek medical attention. He heard stories of people brought to hospitals in sacks and wheelbarrows. He even heard about a boy who broke his back in a motorcycle accident while he was being transported to a medical facility for a fractured arm.

"The fact is, most people who live at the bottom of poverty don't have mobile phones, they don't have radios or TV sets, they have no channel of communication. They might not even know what kind of a dispensary or hospital is near them," he notes.

It was then that he developed the ambulance Mashinani -- or village ambulance. It's basically a detachable bed -- complete with a medical and maternity kit -- that hooks onto a motorbike.

"You can have a hospital, but are people able to visit? Are they able to walk? Are they able to call? Are they able to even have information on those types of facilities? Let's not have a very beautiful hospital where people are not able to get access."

Here is India'a new Robin hood Army!

Every Sunday, at around 8.30 pm, a group of volunteers in green t-shirts heads out in different directions with packed food likevada pav, Khichdi and parathas to serve homeless people.

This service is the effort of two friends who have collaborated with different restaurants and eateries in Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Bangalore to help feed the homeless through their "Robin Hood Army", a four-month-old initiative.

They hope to change this from a weekly service to a daily one.

"From the very beginning we were clear that we won't be serving these people waste food. We requested the eateries to give us leftovers," Anand Sinha, 27, told news agency IANS.

"Some of the eateries were so excited with this concept that they chose to prepare fresh meals for us," he added.



Gurgaon-based restaurant Kebab Xpress provides them 100 fresh vada pavs,

while late-night delivery service Midnight Munchies provides fresh khichdi and parathas.

After getting some restaurants on board, they launched a Facebook page and succeeded in attracting 40 volunteers to collect and distribute food packages.

They now have 120 volunteers in the five cities who feed an estimate 1,600 people every Sunday.

"We all are working people so it becomes very difficult to do this activity every day. But with the kind of support and encouragement people have shown through our Facebook page, we would like to organise a bit more and do it on a daily basis," said Mr Sinha.

ICC Cricket World Cup 2015: Schedule

With the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup set to get underway in Australia and New Zealand in a few months’ time, the 14 participating teams have started preparing in full swing for the quadrennial event. The tournament kicks off with co-hosts New Zealand taking on Sri Lanka at Christchurch on February 14, 2015.

There are 42 group matches in all before we head to the business part of the tournament. The four quarter-finals will be played from March 18-21, after which there is a two-day break before the two semi-finals. The date of the all-important final is March 29, which will see the two top teams battling it out for the ultimate prize in front of 100,000 spectators at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in Melbourne.

Here is the full schedule of the 2015 ICC World Cup:

Group matches         

Date	Match	Venue
Sat Feb 14	Match 1, Pool A – New Zealand v Sri Lanka	Hagley Oval, Christchurch
Sat Feb 14	Match 2, Pool A – Australia v England	MCG
Sun Feb 15	Match 3, Pool B – South Africa v Zimbabwe	Seddon Park, Hamilton
Sun Feb 15	Match 4, Pool B – India v Pakistan	Adelaide Oval
Mon Feb 16	Match 5, Pool B – Ireland v West Indies	Saxton Oval, Nelson
Tue Feb 17	Match 6, Pool A – New Zealand v Scotland	University Oval, Dunedin
Wed Feb 18	Match 7, Pool A – Afghanistan v Bangladesh	Manuka Oval, Canberra
Thu Feb 19	Match 8, Pool B – UAE v Zimbabwe	Saxton Oval, Nelson
Fri Feb 20	Match 9, Pool A – New Zealand v England	Westpac Stadium, Wellington
Sat Feb 21	Match 10, Pool B – Pakistan v West Indies	Hagley Oval, Christchurch
Sat Feb 21	Match 11,  Pool A - Australia v Bangladesh	The Gabba, Brisbane
Sun Feb 22	Match 12, Pool A – Afghanistan v Sri Lanka	University Oval, Dunedin
Sun Feb 22	Match 13, Pool B – India v South Africa	MCG
Mon Feb 23	Match 14, Pool A – England v Scotland	Hagley Oval, Christchurch
Tue Feb 24	Match 15, Pool B – West Indies v Zimbabwe	Manuka Oval, Canberra
Wed Feb 25	Match 16, Pool B – Ireland v UAE	The Gabba, Brisbane
Thu Feb 26	Match 17, Pool A – Afghanistan v Scotland	University Oval, Dunedin
Thu Feb 26	Match 18, Pool A – Bangladesh v Sri Lanka	MCG
Fri Feb 27	Match 19, Pool B – South Africa v West Indies	Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG)
Sat Feb 28	Match 20, Pool B – India v UAE	Eden Park, Auckland
Sat Feb 28	Match 21, Pool A – New Zealand v Australia	WACA, Perth
Sun Mar 1	Match 22, Pool A – England v Sri Lanka	Westpac Stadium, Wellington
Sun Mar 1	Match 23, Pool B – Pakistan v Zimbabwe	The Gabba, Brisbane
Tue Mar 3	Match 24, Pool B – Ireland v South Africa	Manuka Oval, Canberra
Wed Mar 4	Match 25, Pool B – Pakistan v UAE	McLean Park, Napier
Wed Mar 4	Match 26, Pool A – Australia v Afghanistan	WACA, Perth
Thu Mar 5	Match 27, Pool A – Bangladesh v Scotland	Saxton Oval, Nelson
Fri Mar 6	Match 28, Pool B – India v West Indies	WACA, Perth
Sat Mar 7	Match 29, Pool B – Pakistan v South Africa	Eden Park, Auckland
Sat Mar 7	Match 30, Pool B – Ireland v Zimbabwe	Bellerive Oval, Hobart
Sun Mar 8	Match 31, Pool A – New Zealand v Afghanistan	McLean Park, Napier
Sun Mar 8	Match 32, Pool A – Australia v Sri Lanka	SCG
Mon Mar 9	Match 33, Pool A – England v Bangladesh	Adelaide Oval
Tue Mar 10	Match 34, Pool B – India v Ireland	Seddon Park, Hamilton
Wed Mar 11	Match 35, Pool A – Scotland v Sri Lanka	Bellerive Oval, Hobart
Thu Mar 12	Match 36, Pool B – South Africa v UAE	Westpac Stadium, Wellington
Fri Mar 13	Match 37, Pool A – New Zealand v Bangladesh	Seddon Park, Hamilton
Fri Mar 13	Match 38, Pool A – Afghanistan v England	SCG
Sat Mar 14	Match 39, Pool B – India v Zimbabwe	Eden Park, Auckland
Sat Mar 14	Match 40, Pool A – Australia v Scotland	Bellerive Oval, Hobart
Sun Mar 15	Match 41, Pool B – UAE v West Indies	McLean Park, Napier
Sun Mar 15	Match 42, Pool B – Ireland v Pakistan	Adelaide Oval

   Quarter Finals (QF)

Date	Match	Venue
Wed Mar 18	QF 1 – TBC v TBC (A1 v B4)	SCG
Thu Mar 19	QF 2 – TBC v TBC (A2 v B3)	MCG
Fri Mar 20	QF 3 – TBC v TBC (A3 v B2)	Adelaide Oval
Sat Mar 21	QF 4 – TBC v TBC (A4 v B1)	Westpac Stadium, Wellington

Semi Finals (SF)

Date	Match	Venue
Tue Mar 24	SF 1 – TBC v TBC	Eden Park, Auckland
Thu Mar 26	SF 2 – TBC v TBC	SCG

Final

Date	Match	Venue
Sun Mar 29	TBC v TBC	MCG