Are you looking for an effective way to lose weight? Have your diet plans failed? It is time to give exercise a chance.

Celebrity nutritionist and fitness expert Rujuta Diwekar posted an infographic on Twitter, "Before you pop a pill, give exercise a shot." Her tweet also explained that exercise can prevent and treat all lifestyle disorders like diabetes, polycystic ovarian disease and blood pressure.

Benefits of exercise

Brain - It prevents forgetfulness and Alzheimer's disease - It fights depression - It improves neurogenesis in dentate gyrus, the learning centre in the brain

Bones - It helps assimilate calcium - It prevents osteoporosis - It improves bone mineral density

Heart - It strengthens heart - Lower heart rate at rest implies more efficient heart function. Hence, it reduces resting heart rate - It controls blood pressure

Hormones - It improves insulin sensitivity - It helps beat diabetes - It regulates growth hormone (GH) for better skin and hair - It regulates cortisol for better quality sleep at night and alertness in day

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Rules for exercise planning

1. Keep at least a two-day gap between two weight training sessions. 2. Schedule cardio a day after weight training 3. Build in recovery days to get the best out of the exercise days 4. Yoga asanas are an excellent form of exercise, recovery and much more. It can be done daily 5. Plan at least 150 minutes of total workout time in a week

See this video to master the ultimate weekly exercise guide

What to eat pre- and post-workout session.

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Pre-workout meal plan - Have a fruit 15-20 minutes before a workout OR - Have a full meal 60-90 minutes before

Post-workout meal Rehydrate: Drink enough water to quench your thirst and then have some more Replenish: Replenish the glycogen stores with a fruit like banana Repair: Drink a whey protein shake to help in the repair processes Recover: Have anti-oxidants like Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Selenium, Zinc, etc for quick recovery

Foods to improve your exercise performance

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Rice - Prefer single polished rice - Avoid brown rice - Rice keeps the guts strong - It is easy to digest - It is easily accessible - It is a good source of branch chain amino acids

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Tubers - Sabudana, arbi, sweet potato and suran are some tubers you should consider - They are rich in minerals, fibre and vitamins - They keep hormones balanced and give a glowing skin

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Aliv - This Indian superfood is also known as garden cress seeds - It is rich in iron and folic acid

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Whey Protein - It speeds up your recovery - It is easy the on stomach - It is useful for older adults who exercise routinely - It has the right ratio of essential to non-essential amino acids

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Coconut - Consume coconut tender, ripe, dry and the water - It regulates blood pressure - It is a strong fat burners - It boosts your immunity - It provides a wholesome meal

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When diets fail, Rujuta Diwekar's exercise guide comes to the rescue - Economic Times