Make your own CHOICE!!!

Why are we always in a race to keep up with what others have to do for their fitness?? Why do the exact same thing when we are talking about two different people, two different bodies, different fitness levels and interests here?? When you do something of someone else’s interest there are chances you will discontinue it soon, loose interest in it faster than them and also your body might not be able to cope up with it as it is not your idea of fun. Instead, do what you like doing best and it becomes your exercise. When I say fitness and exercise I don’t mean it has to be in a gym premise. A workout need not only be pumping those muscles and walking on the treadmill with deafening music. Now that’s a myth. There are so many options available today. If you say you’re bored of the cliché gym cardio routine, its ok, you still have a chance to become fit and achieve your goal. I generally come across a lot of people complaining of how bored they get to do the same thing each day. It doesn’t feel different or challenging or fun. This way the motivation factor drops which directly leads to no exercise at all.

I would say, ask yourself as to what physical activity is it that you like doing. Only that can keep you motivated and regular at it which will help you see positive results and bring you closer to your health target.

Just because your best friend goes for dance classes out of his love for dance you need not accompany him to prove your dancing or non dancing skills when its not your area of interest, because after a point you will get over it and stop making the little effort you once did.

Similarly, if a colleague suggests a brilliant fat burning idea of going for a jog every morning you do not need to do it if you not a morning person and if jogging doesn’t suit your body. This will only lead to oversleeping and avoiding exercise completely or for that matter even your colleague.

Again, if a near by gym is offering a heavy annual membership, you need not act ambitious and get yourself enrolled if you are a total sports or an outdoor person, because the gym sessions will last only for a few weeks after which you will not only end up feeling guilty of wasting the membership money but also refrain yourself from paying up at a club to play your favourite sport.

What I mean to say from all the above examples is that make your own Choice, make your own routine. You can take up dance classes, aerobics and power yoga classes, go swimming, play tennis or squash, etc. Pick what you like; identify what suits you and your body the most. That ways you will end up being regular at it, following it because it is what you enjoy and not you’re best friend or colleague. Your body will be happy and thank you by showing positive results.

So do not follow “the trend” or “the Hot New Thing” if it’s not “Your Thing”

Make your own CHOICE and keep at it.

Plateau Breaking Truth !!

Here’s some truth about the very famous term used and heard on a day to day basis on the gym floor, “Plateau”. We all have heard of this word and even used it endlessly to cover up for our lack of motivation and hard work. This word is not only used in the right sense when the body gets used to the activity you’re doing and stops showing results or any difference, but also in the wrong sense when you’re not doing something challenging enough for your body to react. The truth is that plateau happens when you’re body gets used to doing the same activity at the same intensity for a prolonged period of time.

Now, the question is how do we break Plateau??

Just like you always need a change from you’re monotonous routine life, you’re body also needs constant change from the routine workout to show continuous positive results. Variety is the spice of life. Giving variety to your body will definitely spice up your fitness graph. Our body is so beautifully designed that it takes only a couple of weeks to accept change or the challenge given to it, after which it reaches a comfort zone. We have to continuously make an effort to bring it out of its comfort, increase the bar and make the activity challenging as time passes.

There are various ways to achieve a plateau break. It can either be done by altering your existing workout routine by introducing a different activity in it. For example if you have been doing regular weight training and cardio in the gym and you’re body has been accustomed to it, what you can do is introduce dance, aerobics, an outdoor sport or swimming, any form of cardio exercise you like instead of the typical treadmill and cross trainer in the gym. You can even compliment the workout by doing some Power Yoga or Pilates depending on how much your body can take. This will not only give your body a new challenge but also give you a change from the usual and keep you motivated. Now if you are not a dancer or you don’t enjoy playing a sport, no problem all you need to do is change the intensity of your current weight training and cardio plan. You can either change the poundage you carry, vary the amount of reps you do or even the sets. In general bring about a slight progression in your exercises, depending on your goal of weight gain or weight loss also depending on your body’s progress chart. You can at the same time alter the cardio workout by introducing interval training, incline walking, circuit training, etc., on your favourite cardio machine.

Surprisingly diet also plays an equal and important role when it comes to breaking the plateau. It’s advisable to keep a watch and alter your diet plan regularly as the body after a while gets used to the set food pattern.

These kinds of small yet necessary changes needs to be introduced frequently keeping your fitness level and goal in mind to achieve an ongoing growth. Keep monitoring your workouts and your progress as only that can help you solve the mystery and rescue you from the highly abused word. A little bit of challenge and a bit of extra hard work will help you see continuous results, keep you motivated and take you closer to your target.

Mangoes – Sadly Seasonal

You all must be wondering what made me update my blog so soon this time. Well its Mango time, that’s why and I dedicate it to all the Mango Lovers.

The title of the blog itself suggests it’s such a pity we get to enjoy the king of fruits only for a couple of months which makes us use it as an excuse only to convince ourselves to feast on a mango or even two in a day. I come across many different ways of convincing oneself to eat the so called seasonal fruit Guilt Free. Well actually this is the real reason that inspired me to write and clear some misconceptions.

We all wait for mangoes, a year long. And when the season arrives we go bizarre. Every other week there are dozens of mangoes bought by us or gifted to us by friends and family. I love the whole traditional touch to a fruit season. There are get togethers arranged specially to feed mangoes to everyone. Every other night we go out after dinner, not for a walk but a visit to the ice cream parlour for the mango with fresh cream, we feast on various kinds of mango preparations as often as we can after all the fruit is here only for a while. It all sounds and feels so crazy after a point, not only for the body to keep up to the functions and the food but also for it to take in so many calories… oops mangoes.

Undoubtedly mangoes are very beneficial for health. They are rich in Vitamins minerals and antioxidants but at the same time it is also high in sugar and so high in its calorie content. But some of us go overboard using its nutritional value as an excuse to kill our guilt. It’s as if we do not consume any Vitamin C or A, if it’s not for Mango season. Of course I understand we need to stock it up for the rest of the year (in our body) but what are you really stocking up on?

Mangoes or (unwanted) CALORIES?

I don’t say we should stop eating it completely but striking a balance is very important. In your defence you guys might say, we workout and so we can afford it. But that’s not the solution. You are working out and burning half the amount of calories you have consumed in that particular day. What about the rest? Like you desire, it’s getting stocked up. Everything eaten in moderation is best and harmless. Strike a balance and your body will be thankful to you. This rule sadly applies to the King too.

Make the time, its only for YOU!

Its time I get a new haircut or a new look, its time I go shopping because I need a new wardrobe, oh I need a manicure, how about a new hair colour, and I’ve had a long week I need a massage. Every now and then we talk about our “to-do” list to our friends. When have we ever said its time I hit the gym. Or rather when do we plan on saying that? Gym, exercise, health has conveniently taken a back seat in our life. Don’t forget there is only up to size XL available in the market. Of course there are tailor made double and triple XL’s also, but think about it, do we really want to get there?

Why is time always a constraint when it comes to health and workout? There is always time for your “to-do” list, which includes everything but YOU!

For a regular teenager, it’s always about looking hip and perfect. Gym class is always on their mind, but just before class if they get a call from a friend for a movie or coffee its goodbye gym. But does that really mean good bye extra kilos?

For a housewife whose life revolves around her husband and children, gym comes last on her list (thankfully it does), but if there is an outing with a friend or a social gathering, gym doesn’t fall into her list at all. You can always go tomorrow, but the question is-when is tomorrow?

For an office goer, the first challenge of his day is to punch his card on time at work. He will do anything to meet this challenge. He will start his day in a rush, behave grumpy, and abuse everyone and everything coming his way only to be at work on time (only to find himself standing there and grinning hearing a mental applause to have done it again), but he wont make an extra effort to wake up just an hour early to pump those muscles and start fresh.

I say, considering all of the above situations, it is even more important to take your health seriously with all the social pressure. It’s even more important to start respecting your body and giving yourself priority. But again, of course, I understand when you say “no time.” You will never find “the” time unless you make one.

In my career so far, I have met countless number of people who have convinced me of how busy their life is and how there is no time for health. It’s hard to believe but given the seriousness with which I am told all of this, I land up sympathizing with them and agreeing to what they have to say.

When I say make the time, it’s only for YOU. I mean it. I have seen a lot of people not giving the right amount of priority when it comes to themselves and their health. It only makes me wonder what can be more important than YOU. I don’t say go to the gym to get “the figure,” like I mentioned in my earlier blog they are mere numbers. You can go to the gym to achieve your individual goals. To build strength, stamina, muscle tone, loose the extra pounds, overall to be fit only to be a part of your daily routine but in a fitter position. Unless you make the time and the effort for it, you are not going to see any results. And once you do you’ll be shocked to see and feel the difference.

Then again, it is so important to entertain your friends over a cup of coffee or a movie. When I say movies, of course it means butter caramel popcorn and cold drinks. Come on!!!! It’s a compulsion or else the usher’s not going to show you the way and the movie’s not going to begin.

It is important to serve your family at a social gathering, which again means over eating as you have already got special comments from the elders that you look weak even though you are 10 kilos overweight. I thought the thick glasses they wear are supposed to show things bigger than their actual size, but I guess its not the case with the Indian make.

It is so important to please that life-saving job and boss we have by working like a donkey only to receive a heavy salary at the end of each month.

But have you ever wondered, where do YOU stand in this whole circus???

No offence, this is a part of life and we cannot avoid any event from the above, but all I am trying to emphasize is that this is just a part of life and not life itself. There are a lot more things that can be added to the daily drama. By the end of it all, you are so drained and tired of pleasing the whole world that you are left with no time and energy to please yourself, to please your body, and bring peace to your mind.

I have personally started to see a lot of change in the attitude of my clients who have started to take their health seriously in spite of their busy schedules and chores. I can see the effort, and they have already started to see a change.

Time is never a constraint unless you start treating it like one. Gyms have always been around and will always be, but when are YOU going to get there?

So the next time you make your “to-do” list or come across someone else’s, check for yourself. I won’t be wrong here.

Write to me about your experiences, time constraints and schedules I may be able to help you figure out some way and also share a few “to-do” lists if you come across any.

Fitness - your take

How many of us really know the true meaning of Fitness? Yes, I know most of you have raised your hands, and the rest have already googled it. But my real question is how many of us “understand” the true meaning of Fitness.

Every now and then we religiously read articles in newspapers or magazines, and some of us even subscribe to newsletters of various Exercise and Diet websites but what do we do after that - take a chai break, get back to work or gobble down a samosa in the canteen. There is always a tomorrow for exercise right? Obviously we are being very ambitious when we want an exercise routine or a diet plan to work wonders in a jiffy, and so when that doesn’t quite happen, we discontinue the regime. The reason being it dint work. Ya right, if only the regime came with some magic wand. I mean come on!!! when we all believe in patience is virtue and hard work pays off, then why don’t we apply these qualities to everything we do and not only to things we get paid for? When I say “hard work,” I mean real workout and patience required to obtain positive results, in other words, results that are healthy and permanent.

There are no short cuts to a healthy body and there are no tomorrows to start a health regime.

Now, if all of us become so dedicated what will happen to all the excuses that I as a fitness professional get to hear daily? Every other day, my clients give me very creative yet lame excuses for giving a gym class a miss. The excuse list is endless, and yes your excuse is on the list too. But let me share with you a few unrealistic reasons I have come across in my career so far because of which the client decides to get started with a workout.

• The vey famous and overrated 36-24-36 hour glass look. “The figure”. Girls love to be skinny and “thin,” but they fail to understand that thin doesn’t necessarily mean FIT!

I fail to understand why we are so obsessed with “the figure.” These are just plain numbers. I am not saying that these numbers are unachievable but not everyone can achieve them. Each body type is different, and our goals need to be set according to that. Therefore, there is no harm in talking about complete overall fitness and changing your habits and lifestyle, rather than concentrating on the measuring tape.

• I want to loose only the last 5 kilo’s and ill be fine.

However perfect this reason might sound it keeps me wondering - how will they ever be fine? Is this what being fit is all about? Reaching your ideal weight? Its like saying I will be eating for only 5 days and ill be fine for the rest of my life. We know that’s not practically possible. What after that? How about maintaining your weight and raising the “fitness” bar?

• This one’s a killer. I am getting married. Well, congratulations! Something finally shook you to get started. It’s the most important day for which you have been waiting all your life, and u never thought of following a health regime earlier until you realised you had to be able to fit in the same frame as your husband! Again, short term and temporary because after the wedding, you are going to be unrecognizable.

• Otherwise it’s just cool to workout at “the gym” with “the celebrities”. A reason good enough to get going. Life would be boring without all the live page 3 gossip. You regularly hit the gym but the only body parts that get exercised are the eyes and ears.

Such a pity, so much awareness all around about health and fitness, but so little has been done to put it into practice. Why can’t a reason for going to the gym simply be yourself so that you can make a difference in your lifestyle and overall health?

Just to be FIT!

My Take :

My take on fitness is completely different. For me, fitness holds a different meaning. I don’t really focus on having “the figure” or being “size zero” (another obsession). When I say being FIT. I mean overall fitness of the mind, body, and soul which can be achieved by a combination of a good workout and a balanced diet.

If I can comfortably do my household chores without complaining about any aches and pains, if I can comfortably walk for a couple of kilometres while I am on the phone without getting breathless, if I can carry a bag of potatoes weighing 10 pounds without pulling a muscle, go biking for a couple of hours and not complain of severe soreness, I am FIT! It doesn’t always have to be about the external hour-shaped body and tone, what also matters is fitness within.

I don’t see myself starving to death to fit into a jeans two sizes small. But I definitely see myself hitting the gym and taking the right route to achieve what I want. Size zero can stay with the actors.

Write to me about your take and your fitness mantras and any story you have come across relating to fitness. And the next time you think of becoming “thin”, ask yourself are you really going to become FIT!!