Compare & Contrast (final copy)

Yoga VS Aerobics

Nowadays keeping fit is not easy. If you want to lose weight or keep in shape because you want to look good or because you want to be healthier, you must do some kind of exercise. Yoga and Aerobics are two excellent types of exercise to accomplish your objective. According to Livestrong.com (n.d.) “…yoga is a system of postures that stretches and strengthens your body”. On the other hand, aerobics means “with oxygen” and, this type of exercise helps you keep your heart and lungs in good shape. However, there are some differences between these types of exercise: the way you do it, their benefits and consequences.

The first difference between aerobics and yoga is the way you do it. Aerobics is an exercise where you have to use your oxygen to mobilize your body’s energy. It consists on steady, repetitive and rhythmic routines where you use some tools like weights and, you make your heart beat faster and your body sweats, burn calories and tone your muscles. On the other hand, yoga is done in one place with bare feet and there is no need for equipment of any kind, the movements are not brusque and they are done slowly, breathing is also of great importance in every movement.

Another difference between aerobics and yoga is the benefits you get. Doing aerobics is an excellent way to burn fat and to keep your body fit; moreover, it helps to prevent osteoporosis and heart disease because as you exercise your body you oxygenate it and as a consequence, you get a youthful appearance. On the other hand, doing yoga is more than just stretching your body and improving your flexibility. The greatest benefit that you get while doing yoga is the connection between your mind, body and spirit through respiratory techniques; it also helps you to fill your body with good energy and to release the negative one.

The last but not the least difference between aerobics and yoga is the consequences. As aerobics is a high-impact exercise, your joints can get hurt. It is very common that if you practice aerobics for a long period of time your knees get hurt; moreover, if you do not adopt a correct posture while exercising you can harm your spine. While doing yoga you get more benefits than consequences; however, like in any sport where you do not exercise in the correct way, you can end up hurting your spine.

Doing yoga is better than aerobics because while practicing yoga you oxygenate all your body and internal organs; besides, you improve your flexibility, and the best thing is that your body, spirit and mind get connected as one. If you want to keep fit but at the same time you want internal and spiritual benefits, you must practice yoga, by doing this your mental and physical health will be kept sharp at all times.

Movie Review

Life is hard and it can change in a Minute

“1973” is a Mexican documentary movie, filmed on January 1^st, 2005 that brings the audience in 96 minutes a real life of three young guys that were born in the same year (1973), grow up and live in Mexico City. They tell their own history seen through their eyes.

Antonino Isordia was the director of the film. He graduated from the film training Centre. During his studies he made several short films like “Sangre de tu sangre” in 1992, “Discurso del alcohol para una hija adormecida” in 1994 and “Descenso” in 2000.

In this movie Isordia tells the story of a “porro” Rodolfo Escogido, Maria Fernanda Ramos a girl whose life was full of excess and Alejandro Cota who become a criminal. Antonino Isordia shows how these three people face their lives in this great world where confused by their thoughts, feelings and excesses they make decisions without consider the consequences that will define the rest of their lives. The three stories are shocking; however, it is clear that there is a loss of values in society. It is a fact that more than one person can feel identified in one of the stories.

With all this crude but real stories it was nominated for Ariel awards and won a Silver Goddess Mexican Award and the JVC award of the Guadalajara International Film Festival, this last is the most important and prestigious film festival for Mexican and International independent filmmakers in Latin America for Spanish language film festivals  in the world.

This documentary is very interesting at the beginning it may seem a bit boring without sense because you only see people talking about their experiences in life; moreover, all scenes are just in black and white without color or things that attract your attention, sometimes the image was very dark and you cannot distinguish what was on it; moreover, during the movie there are several parts where you cannot understand what they are saying, they seem to mumble.

However, when you start paying attention to each one of the stories, understanding the causes that led those guys to commit such actions with irreversible changes, you can find a great message between lines. There is no doubt that the film is heartbreaking, because it shows the stark reality of our Mexico, but at the same time it is an opportunity for the spectators to analyze and address violence and drug addiction.

Something interesting about the movie is that the director showed things from the real life but it was more surprising that the characters had the courage and they dared to openly tell their lives and tell what they felt on that moment. During the movie the characters seems to be talking to the camera as if they were talking in a therapy session.