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Ayurveda is an ancient Indian form of medicine and healing that is based on the premise that everything in the universe is made up of three basic forces or doshas, namely Vata (air), Pitta (fire) and Kapha (earth). When these three forces are in harmony within a person, that person will be healthy. To alleviate distress-causing imbalances in the doshas, Ayurvedic practitioners prescribe different types of exercise, amongst other things.
Find out what Ayurvedic type you are, Vata, Pitta or Kapha, and then see what exercises you are naturally more inclined to. Then try out the exercises that are suited to your type to rebalance your doshas.
| Ayurvedic type | You are | Your natural inclinations | Sports that bring balance |
| Vata (air) | Small-framed and therefore quick, light and agile, but your lack of muscle means you lack endurance. Your mind is active and your body is restless. You are a chatterbox and can't sit still for long periods of time. | Running, sprinting and any track events (including hurdles, long jump, high jump and relay). | You need something that will calm your restlessness. Try low-impact aerobics or jogging. Walking, cycling and swimming will all soothe your hyperactive nature. |
| Pitta (fire) | Medium-framed and strong with good co-ordination. You are a go-getter with a fiery, aggressive, competitive nature and you like taking the lead in all aspects of life. | Any competitive sport, for example, tennis, rugby or squash. | You need to steer away from intensely competitive sports and take up something that you can do on your own, like yoga, tai chi and pilates. Cycling, skiing, swimming or golf are also good balancers. |
| Kapha (earth) | Heavy-framed, strong and have great endurance. You are more easy-going, but are also slower moving and slower speaking than Vata or Pitta people. | You go for sports requiring power and endurance. Team sports especially are your thing and you thrive on motivation by others, be it your coach, team mates or loved ones. | You need to pick up the pace and speed things up a bit. Fast sports that require endurance will do the trick. Try tennis, rowing, high-impact aerobics and running. |
