Choosing a Fun Fitness Routine!

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) encompass a vast group of diseases, like cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases, all of which are spreading rapidly in India. The NCDs are typically present in individuals aged 55 years or older in many developed countries too, but their onset oc­curs within age groups of 45 years or younger in India.

Recent research shows that a great many non-com­municable diseases stem from unhealthy lifestyle habits, while genes, the environment and the quality of healthcare contribute to other factors. A sedentary life is one of the main reasons for lifestyle diseases. Movement is a key fac­tor that keeps diseases at bay and helps combat them, so exercising is necessary.

Today though, exercise routines are not limited to hackneyed gym visits and jumping jacks. People are veer­ing towards routines that bringing about overall well-being and personal growth rather than mere weighing scale goals. The fitness-conscious  increasingly try out activi­ties that are also fun.

Manisha Khungar has been a swim coach for approximately 20 years and a fitness coach and consultant for 12. All these years of experience have taught her that a healthy body leads to a healthy mind and vice versa. So, she stresses the importance of putting in some effort to pick a sport or routine that works for you – and to do it #everydamnday. 

She has coached all age groups, from beginners to ath­letes, to those keen on recreational swimming and aquafit. “Swimming and swim exercise is gaining a lot of popular­ity in India. Fortunately, more and more people are keen to learn or exercise and we have more pools today than we had five years ago,” she says. Khungar has observed over the years that being in the water is not only a great form of exercise but has a host of other benefits too. She emphasises that “water exercises are easy on your joints, keep you injury free and are the best for rehabilitation as well. Swimming supports your spine, helps strengthen your core and leads to overall good posture.” 

“Swimming or water exercises make you burn calories and like every exercise, it works on your endorphins. So once you’re done with your time in the water, mentally you feel like a million bucks,” says Khungar. She has also coached special needs children and has found that just be­ing in the water has a therapeutic effect on them. They are calm and easy and happy. The interesting fallout of training in a sport you enjoy is that you long for it, instead of resist­ing it. Khungar says athletes preparing for a triathlon or swimathon, like to unwind in the water on their leisure time.  

Car crash survivor Kitty Kalra was told after an accident that she would never be able to walk. She got back on her feet through sheer grit and a Pilates training programme. Today Kitty is a celebrity fitness expert, health coach and motivator. She has trained with Stott Pilates, Zumba, Doonya and REHABFx. She says Pilates changed her life, making her physically and mentally strong. “And that’s exactly what it continues to be for all my students, who are hooked,” she says. 

What started a hundred years ago as an injury reha­bilitation programme for the army, has now become the most sought-after new-age fitness mantra. ‘Whatever you do, Pilates helps you do it better’ is their punch line. Pilates targets balance and stability, core strengthening and mental health. So, even if one is doing one’s regular gym, playing golf or any other sport every day, pilates still helps strengthen the smaller muscle groups (which act as stabilisers) that actually hold the bigger muscle groups like the quads, hamstrings, glutes, biceps etc.

“So, if your smaller muscles are strong, you have better balance, flexibility and coordination,” says Kalra. It’s an amazing way to tone the muscles and lose inches super fast (obviously, if you are eating right too). “Some of my clients actually drop a dress size within two weeks,” says Kalra.  It has a magical effect on prenatal and postnatal women too. The one thing about Pilates that everyone knows is that it strengthens the core, but the thing they don’t know is that it is a super fast way of getting flat abs. 

Since breathing is the key to Pilates, it requires a regu­lated pattern of breathing and concentration. It actually takes you away from thinking about your issues at home or work etc. and keeps you glued to your workout. And the best part is, that one can start Pilates at any age!

Chittharesh Nateshan is Mr World IBFF (overall cham­pion category, 2018) and a recipient of a professional body-building card by IBFF. He is a physical fitness instructor with a 12-year work experience. Nateshan seldom follows a routine with his clients. He never arrives with a plan and is always in flow. The plan emerges once he checks the pulse of the mood.  

His workouts range from TRX training, yoga, aerobics, functional training, with a peppering of Bachata and Salsa. He says, “I have noticed that if I am too regimented, the weight plateaus and the client gets bored easily. Therefore, I customise my plan and bring in fun elements. Because well-being isn’t just about reaching an ideal weight, it’s about being both mentally and physically fit.”

Dance instructor and choreographer, Neelakshi, runs iDance India, a New Delhi-based dance company. She feels that if there’s anything in the world that instantly brings one in a state of being present in the moment and ecstatic, it is music and dance. “When we dance, it is harder to stay mentally absent,” she says. Dancing, no doubt, improves muscle coordination, posture, body strength and agility. It regulates body weight and many even begin to look younger. These changes occur because dance puts people in a state of joy that allows their physiology to move into a state of balance and homeostasis.  

“In my students I have observed that dance lessons made them dig deeper into their creativity and evoked their child-like state, where they are mentally open and soon gain their playful state, becoming positive in life. Their body language improves and they gain confidence in expressing and conducting themselves better, as they become comfortable with themselves and their talent, no matter which level they are at,” says Neelakshi. 

Dance puts one in an aware, yet a meditative state. This state is absent when one pursues routine activities that are monotonous and mechanical. But dance demands that your mind and body be present together and even an hour’s session can uplift you for the whole day. As Neelak­shi says, “in all, dancing regularly keeps you like a joyous child at heart!”