Q: I am hypertensive. My ideal body weight should be 65 kg. But I am bordering between 68-70 kg. I have tried to reduce my weight by going for salads, chapattis and fasting. But it has not improved. I go for walks regularly. I have severe mitral valve regurgitation. I go for periodical echo tests. I am afraid to do any weight reduction exercise because I don't want to pressurise my heart. What is the best way to reduce my weight?

A:It is great to hear that you are on a regular walking program and you are careful about what you eat. I am not sure how old you are but I gather from the date given that you might be around 65 years. The one piece of advice I can give you is this: as long as you are living a healthy life and are going through a sustainable fitness routine, you should not really be too affected by numbers. I can understand that you have calculated your ideal weight and found that you need to get down to 65 kilos. But think of it this way, that this ideal weight calculation is not the ONLY benchmark to go by. There are a number of other variables that give a good indication of your health like cardiac output or waist to hip ratio. You do also have to take into account your age. As far as your hypertension goes, there are a number ways you can lower levels ALONG with regular exercise. So stay with your walks, perhaps increase the timing of each walk or the frequency, if possible. If you can add some resistance training which use your own body weight like simple push-ups, abdominal crunches and back extensions every alternate day, that is great. Add some simple asanas from yoga that focus on flexibility and you are completing the fitness triangle. As long as you keep in mind that you are following healthy habits, you are on the right track. Here's to a healthy you!