Fun with fitness

In an era where everything around is created to save time and where the phrase ‘at the click of a button’ is more like an anthem, there is not much that people want to do on their own unless absolutely necessary. Nevertheless, with the growing awareness that being fit and healthy is an important way of life, many youngsters today are breaking the monotony of their usual exercise regimen and engaging in  workouts with a twist.

Several fitness enthusiasts are making exercises like Zumba, CrossFit and Pilates a part of their daily routine. And the growing popularity of these exercises is sure to turn the city into a healthier one.

Shwetambari Shetty, a Zumba enthusiast, co-founder of ‘The Tribe Fitness Club’ and Nike trainer for ‘Nike+ Training Club’, says that Zumba is a great cardio exercise and is very effective in one’s daily schedule.

“Just like any other cardio exercise, Zumba can be incorporated in the routine twice or thrice a week. The best part is that it burns anything between 500 to 900 calories in an hour,” she says.

This, she states, keeps the heart healthy and is similar to running, cycling and aerobics. “The difference is that it involves dance, making it absolutely fun,” she adds.

Since fitness is more of a luxury and not a necessity in India yet, what is making Zumba popular among people? “Mostly, it is only self-motivated and goal-driven individuals who make time for a daily workout. The rest wake up only when there is an ‘emergency’ (best friend’s wedding, an exotic vacation or worse still, a doctor’s prescription). The only way to get everyone to exercise is to make it absolutely fun. And Zumba has managed to do that; it is an exercise in disguise. That one hour when a person is in a Zumba class, they are on a happy high, lost in the great music and constantly moving but burning calories. It’s not only helping people lose weight and become healthy, but also working as a stress buster,” explains Shwetambari.

Pointing out that Zumba is not at all an age-constrained form of exercise, Namrata Verma, a Zumba instructor, points out that the exercise is designed for people of all ages and abilities.

“Our mission is to inspire a fitter generation by blending fun with fitness. Zumba provides fitness for everyone and can help make a bigger difference. All Zumba instructors are well-trained to coach one according to the dos and don’ts, which helps one in customising their style to suit their abilities,” says Namrata.

The benefits are endless — from feeling good about oneself and improving fitness and confidence to widening the social circle. Echoing these thoughts, Namrata Purohit, a celebrity fitness instructor and pilates practitioner, says that exercising is extremely important. And apart from its obvious benefits, Pilates also helps in lowering the risk of heart diseases and Type 2 Diabetes.

“Pilates is extremely effective since it not only works on the big muscles of the body but also the small deeper ones. It’s a more holistic way of exercising that concentrates on various areas of fitness, including strength, flexibility, stamina, balance and endurance,” says Namrata. 

So how important is it to follow a specific diet when it comes to exercises like these? “Nutrition plays a vital role in becoming fit and healthy. It helps one increase their energy levels and overall wellbeing. Nutrition and exercise go hand in hand, you must eat well in order to be fit along with exercising right. But remember being fit is not a punishment, so having something one enjoys once in a while is alright,” she details. 

As rightly said, being fit is the best thing one can gift their body, youngsters like Ektha Y P are taking up exercises like CrossFit more seriously now. Ektha has been practising CrossFit for the past two-and-a-half years and she says that this form of exercise is unlike any other weight training.

“CrossFit involves fitness of the entire body and at the same time, includes muscular fitness as well. The best part is that it helps one build stamina and strength at the same time. Like Zumba, CrossFit also helps one increase one’s sense of community (as it is done with a group of people),” says Ektha.

She adds that since CrossFit is quite new in India, it is something that everyone wants to try. “Hearing a fancy word, many tend to get attracted to CrossFit. At  least this happened with me, but once people actually witness the exercise is when the inspiration to follow CrossFit truly seeps in. It is all about pushing one’s limits. It is extremely motivating and addictive,” says Ektha. With a plethora of interesting fitness options now available, is there any excuse to not get in shape?