COVER STORY

Fitness Done Right

- By Batul Miyajiwala

With thousands of fitness hacks available online, it becomes quite toll taking to sit back and trust anything blindly. Fitness has been and always will be the most essential aspect of living a happy and healthy life. To dig into a few fitness-related assumptions and to gain a clearer understanding of how one can effectively work towards a healthy lifestyle, we have interviewed a few specialists. They are best in their respective fields and have an enormous amount of experience in the industry. Read on to know what they have to share and how it will help you devise your personal fitness plan!

A strong believer in the phrase “Behind every successful man, there is always a woman” Lucas Chinappa talks about how blessed he is to have the love and support of the women in his life. Lucas, a hairstylist who turned into a fitness enthusiast speaks about how his mom always believed in him, how his wife stood by his as a strong pillar and provided him with support, his daughters were always his best critics and his sister supported him in his salon venture. He also speaks about the how grateful he is towards his clients from both of his professions and dedicates his success to them.

Lucas Chinappa CEO, Lucas Salons

Tell us something about yourself. I came to the city of Nawabs a decade ago with a dream and a desire to achieve something. The best thing that I received from the city was its positive vibes. I come from a corporate background. I left my job overnight when I realized a 9-6 job was not my cup of tea. One of my brothers got me into hair dressing and the other got me into fitness. I did my masters in hairstyling from Vidal Sassoon, London. I have mastered the art of color and texture change services. I did my fitness course from an Australian certified organization.

How did the transition from a well known stylist to a fitness enthusiast happen? Fitness and hairstyling have always been my passion. I initially worked as a hairstylist as it supported me financially and helped me carry on with my other passion that is fitness. Now, both my passions help me financially.

How do you maintain a balance between your two different professions? Dedication, discipline and desire have helped me balance my professional life. I have a strong team back in my salon, and my wife also provides me with immense support. She has been my critic and my number one motivator.

Now that you are into fitness, what major difference do you notice in your way of living? Well nothing much has changed. I have learnt that one should love themselves first in order to love others. We ignore our health and just run towards acquiring more money and try to please others but amidst the bargain we forget that we are merely human. Fitness has taught me to chase my dreams and work them into reality.

What advice would you want to give to someone who has recently starting gymming? We all start somewhere. It’s not about how heavy you lift but about how right you lift. Go slow and steady, have a goal set in mind, make a note of your daily progress and it shall always keep you motivated. Or you can also log on to my fitness app.

Tell us something about your journey as a fitness expert. Well it wasn’t that all easy to be where I am today. A lot of early morning workouts, a lot of dedication and a disciplined lifestyle has made me what I am today. I handled my salon business along with working out consistently. Being a stylist, I am required to be on floor serving my client. Luckily, it was and is my passion and I am never going to be tired of doing a haircut or a color. After getting done with clients, I used to hit the gym and workout. Through everything my wife has always supported me in all my decision and hence I could achieve what I have today.

How often would you recommend a person to have a cheat day? What is your favorite cheat meal? Always listen to your body. You cannot simply follow what others are following. It may work for them but it may not necessarily work for you. So my advice would be that once in 3 weeks you can have a cheat day and preferably in the afternoon. Go for a brunch with your family, this way you shall be mentally and physically happy.

Tell us something you find in common between your two diverse professions Behind every successful man there is always a woman. Lucky for me, in both my professions, I am blessed with women from all walks of life. I work with women from every possible field; right from house wives to CEOs, Vice presidents to business entrepreneurs to college going students. All of them have their complete trust me in and my expertise. They understand my approach. The respect and gratitude that I have towards all my clients cannot be expressed in words.

A very common gym myth is that once you stop going to the gym, your body puts on double the weight. How far is that true? I really don’t understand the reason for someone to stop working out. if we love ourselves and like to be fit we can stop going to gym for a while but, in that short span of time we can indulge ourselves into other activities such as playing outdoor games, swimming, cycling, or just a good walk. This way, we shall not put on unnecessary weight. We only put on weight when we start eating junk. If you eat healthy and keep yourself hydrated all the time, you shall never put on excess weight.

How do you manage your personal life along with two careers? Initially my family was upset with the way I was handling myself as I wasn’t making enough time for them and for myself. But when they saw that all my efforts were slowly giving out great results and when everything started falling in place, they understood me and everything started going well from then on. Now, I balance my personal family life and both my professions well. When you do something with all your heart and dedication, when you turn your dreams into reality, all does go well.

Dr. Priti Challa M.S Gynaecology and obstetrics MD of Challa Multispeciality Hospital

What is your daily routine like? I wake up 4:45am every morning and drink a glass of water, immediately followed with cardio and yoga, updating myself with current medical journals is always a part of my mornings. Once I finish this, my real day starts. The most challenging part is getting my son ready for school; I see him off and make sure I reach my hospital no later than 7:55am. The first hour is spent doing hospital rounds and then its breakfast at approximately 9:00am. Post breakfast, its uninterrupted medical and administrative work until lunch time, which is from 1:00pm-1:30pm. Lunch done, I enter the Operation theatre up until 4.30pm. The hour of 4:30pm5:30pm is strictly reserved for my family. Then, I go back to attending to the needs of my patients till 8pm. By 8:10pm I am back home to more family time till my son goes to bed, he sleeps around 9:00pm and I retire for the day by 9.45pm.

What do you like best about your work? Everything! I am at peace when I am at work, honestly I feel like my work works for me, if that made any sense. It’s the best feeling in the world, when, as a doctor I watch not just the patient but their entire family walk out with smiles. The appreciation my patients and their families show for the time and efforts I put in as a doctor has no boundaries. Given the connection I develop with my patients, they understand that my ten long years of medical college with unmeasured sacrifices are only to provide the best and most affordable healthcare, while I am able to give back to the society beyond hospital care, in short being a doctor and being able to help so many people is the most amazing feeling for me. Along with being a doctor I also run my hospital. Being a doctor is one thing, but, running a setup is a whole different ball game, see, one has to understand that Challa is not just a hospital, it’s a legacy! And the honour to carry forward the legacy comes with immense pressure as well; however, the same motivates me to do better than my best every single day. With that said, after putting in a million percent efforts, even if I achieve 10% of what my doctor parents and doctor grandparents were able to achieve, I would consider myself the best in the business.

Can you tell me three essential exercises you suggest for overall fitness, and why? Cardio, Yoga and Abs. Cardio for at least 20 minutes, that’s the minimum. I personally like the Cross trainer. While some people may call it elliptical, I feel it’s an overall workout and doesn’t make you feel very tired. In Yoga I do suryanamaskara and the number of sets I do usually depends on the time I have at hand. Generally, I ensure at least 10 sets each day. Lastly, I do a 5 minute abs workout almost every alternate day which I feel is necessary post childbirth. The major part of staying fit is your diet. As they say, you are what you eat, so it’s important to watch the intake.”

Venket Madamala Director – Torque Gym

Tell us something about how you cultivated interest in this field. I was really fascinated by fitness and sports right from my childhood. I was always very keen on extracurricular activities and sports. I participated in all the games like running, badminton, high jump, pole jump etc. I always took these sporting events with a competitive spirit and won the 1st prize. I participated in many inter-school competitions and brought laurels to my school. It continued till my graduation. It then turned into hardcore fitness and training.

What is your training philosophy? My philosophy towards attaining fitness revolves mostly around natural means. I do take natural means into special consideration while guiding my clients. When it comes to six packs, it’s very crucial that we focus on natural toning and resistance. It takes little longer to develop six packs naturally but the results attained through natural means are sustainable. I am known by my clients for natural transformation. Taking hormones and supplements during shoots or through the workout regime gives quick results but their sustainability is short lived. My training includes a naturally balanced diet and high intensity workouts. The combination of these two makes our body, a fat burning machine. It also facilitates the production of testosterone. This helps to maintain viscosity. Once the target is achieved, it should be maintained through a healthy lifestyle, proper diet and regular exercise.

If someone has no time to exercise, what can they do to keep themselves fit? Running and jogging are the best options if the participant doesn’t want to go with the equipment. Running helps in losing weight and maintaining it. This is an excellent form of exercise to maintain weight and cardiovascular health too. Running offers the best form for overall fitness without any equipment and trainer.”

Disha Methi Khandelwal Dance Choreographer and Zumba Instructor

Being a Zumba instructor and a dance choreographer, how effective do you think these methods are to ensure good health and fitness? Zumba helps you lose those calories really quickly and you don’t even realise you’ve been working out all this while! There’s Latin music, pop, etc., and the moves you are doing are extremely easy to follow. It’s crazy fun to workout. The vibes are so great with everybody shouting and dancing and having the time of their lives. As compared to the gyms, there is no monotony; every workout is different. The best part is that you can really intensify the session based on your personal needs and requirements. Zumba really helps refresh your body and mind!

You were a national athlete a few years ago, how did you transcend into being a dance choreographer? That’s a very nice question. So there was this ICSE National Level Athletic Meet and I participated in it as a high jumper from my school. I was representing Andhra Pradesh in high jump. Dancing has been my number one passion since I was very young. I think it came down to me from my father and mother, when I saw them dancing I just took it in me. Dance is something I’ve always loved doing and as a matter of fact, I started teaching dance when I was at the age of 15. I had my first student almost when I was 14 and it just went on from there. When I was in my 11th grade, around 16 or 17 years old, I took my first Sangeet choreography and when I was 18 I took my first corporate client. Zumba from there just happened. I think the sports person in me was always there and as I was a dancer, zumba was the perfect combination of fitness and dance together. I heard about Zumba and in a week I became a trainer.

What is your schedule for classes, and can you walk me through a class from start to finish? The very first thing I personally give importance to is when I walk into the class, I greet everyone with a big smile. the first five minutes, literally, goes with greeting each one of them with a really big smile, asking them how their day went so far, asking them if everything is going well back home. We then commence our class with a short 9 minute warm up. The warm up is very high and intense with a really cool workout structure where they’re dancing, moving their body completely in different rhythms especially the pop. Then we start doing actual Zumba with Latin rhythms and there are many other kinds of dance forms included. After a while, I call for a break which is not more than 30 to 45 seconds. Everybody just takes a sip of water and hurries back to continue dancing. As we continue the class, there are these crazy fun elements included like, I sometimes in the middle of a move say statue or drop and everyone stops. When I say resume everyone then starts jumping around and it truly is fun. Sometimes I ask them to take a partner and just move around, or do a Hi-5 in the middle, so there are all these fun elements in the middle. This is a proper 60 minute session. Towards the end of the session I make them do crunches and planks and a bit of functional training. In zumba, there’s a definite cool down towards the end but I’ve just added this aspect and I call it the ‘DMK Magic.’ I just make them do a little more exercise after the Zumba class which is followed by a cool down. After the class ends, we take a zillion selfies and a couple of boomerangs and everybody goes back home with a glowing smile. I have mothers, corporate workers and students who attend these sessions and they always tell me how it helps them distress and learn more. It improves your leg and hand co-ordination which helps your brain function effectively.”

Marshal Michael Freelance Personal Fitness Trainer

What according to you is the most challenging part of following a fitness regiment? Fitness itself is a big challenge in one’s life. Some people find it very easy and incorporate it in their daily life while others find it quite challenging to start their fitness journey! The most challenging part of following a fitness regiment is people make excuses like they don’t have enough time to work out. If you don’t have time for a full workout then don’t worry about it, you can simple walk in your terrace or your lawn for 20 minutes because any form of physical activity is called fitness. The second most challenging part is waking up early in the morning and going out for a walk or an intense workout. Initially it will be very tough but once you’ve made it a habit then you will start loving it! Sometimes people feel bored doing the same set of exercises. A good way to tackle that would be to choose an activity which makes you happy and provides you with that feel good factor. Explore different options and this way you can stick to your routine! Being consistent and dedicated to what you are doing is a big challenge in any fitness regiment because of the amount of dedication & discipline it requires. Some people quit this mid-way giving many excuses like time, money, and all other excuses which do not exist. Staying focused towards your goal is equally important. Fitness is not for 3 months or 6 months just for some occasion… fitness should be incorporated as a habit in one’s lifestyle for the various benefits it gives in our day to day fast paced world!

What is your take on dietary supplements? Dietary supplements are designed to meet your daily intake of nutrients, including vitamins and minerals which are needed for your body to function for day to day activities. If over used, it can cause health issues. Dietary supplements include amino acids, fatty acids, enzymes, probiotics, etc.. It plays a very vital role in today’s fast paced world where people don’t have time and they keep eating junk and other unhealthy food items due to work stress. So, dietary supplements are an important part in one’s life today. That being said, nothing can replace food which has all nutrients like vegetables & fruits , grains. You should get all the nutrients you need from a balanced Diet. However supplements can provide you with those extra nutrients when your diet lacks them. So it’s okay to have supplements included in your daily diet for its different benefits. I use multivitamins, which act as micronutrients that your body needs in everyday activities.”

What are some of your personal favourite workouts? My personal favourite workouts would be 1. Barbell squats for your lower body strength 2. Dead lifts which works on full body 3. Side lateral raises for shoulders and 4 Bicep curls for your arms!

Dinaz Vervatwala Wellness Coach | Motivational Speaker

What role according to you, does our mind play in our fitness plan? Our fitness is controlled 100% by our mind and not our body. In order to have a fit body, we need to have worked on it mentally first and then the body takes action easily. It was in the year 2010, I wanted to do the mission impossible i.e., 26 hours non-stop aerobics and enter the Guinness Book of World Records. I started training mentally intitially, and then physically. I trained for about 8 hours every day physically, but the remaining training I did mentally to be able to complete the record. The reason I say one should be mentally prepared is because when you sit and visualize yourself achieving what you want, the Universe will create circumstances that will prompt us to take action. The results happen when we take massive action. You need to have a Fitness Mindset, and here is how you can do it… Step 1: Check your fitness levels by doing a Fitness assessment test. Step 2 : Dig deep and think of all the reasons why you would want to get fit. Your WHY should be more than wanting to look good in a bikini. Step 3 : Focus on how being unfit has damaged your health. When you are unfit, you are more likely to develop cancer, diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. These are all diseases that can be avoided by way of being fit. Step 4 : Get some help and support from friends and family. They will help you and build you up. Step 5 : Create an exercise plan that is deeply attuned to your goals. Write down the place, time, activity, and duration you would want to achieve each day. Step 6 : Give yourself rewards after achieving what you desired. Instead of focusing on running a marathon, set smaller goals that you can be proud of when you reach those milestones. Reward yourself with something special and be proud of yourself. Then move onto the next goal. Just follow all these steps to having a positive Fitness mindset!

Are there any quick and easy hacks to get the perfect figure in a short span of time? 1. Keep a Food Journal : People who write down foods that they eat usually have success at losing weight. Be accountable. No, you can’t sneak a dessert without writing it down! Write it down before it enters your mouth for best accountability. 2. Drink Water before Each Meal : Part of successful weight loss is staying hydrated with lots of water, so drink a glass of water before each meal to help fill you up so you eat a smaller portion. 3. Indulge in Small and Frequent Meals : Divide your intake to 5-6 meals instead of filling up three times a day. This helps in getting over mid-meals binges helping you energize on regular intervals. Eat carbs earlier of the day and then ensure that you take light dinner. Make smarter food choices and always stick to healthier options. This helps in boosting your metabolism, improving your digestion and keeping your energy levels high. 4. Use Small Plates : Making use of smaller bowls and plates mean less space to fill up with foods to make plates and bowls look full. With such approach, it is likely that you’ll eat 20% less and feel just as full, most especially if you eat slowly. This helps in avoiding portion distortion. 5. Skip Juices and Sodas : Nowadays, individuals consume about 20% of their daily calories through liquids. Juices made from healthy vegetables are great but a huge glass of apple juice will spike your sugars. It would be best to stick with non-dairy milk or water to reduce caloric intake vastly each day. Drinking the right amount of water regularly can also keep you hydrated. 6. Consume Healthy Snacks : There is nothing worse than always getting afternoon urge to eat snacks. If these snacks arrive and you’re unprepared, you might just grab something instant from the vending machine. Most of these foods are loaded with sodium, empty calories and sugar. Snacks like walnuts and almonds, fresh vegetables and fruits, kale chips, flax crackers are all good and healthy choices. In order to refrain from consuming junk foods, keep healthy snacks on your desk all the time. Ensure to watch what you eat as well and be mindful about the level of calories. 7. Exercise Regularly : While watching calories is essential, getting substantial workout orexercise is even more vital if you wanted to lose weight. According to some research, sedentary individuals have threefold increased mortality than fit adults. It’s also been proven that the less you work out, the more you are at risks for disease.

How important is Nutrition in creating a Fitness Routine? There are different kinds of nutrients your body needs to get fit and some of them are called macronutrients, specifically proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. Carbohydrates, proteins, and fats are called macronutrients because the body needs a substantial amount of the three to keep functioning smoothly throughout the day.”

Abhinav Parkour Founder of Abhinav Parkour Academy

Determine your fitness level and training age. Nope, not like your actual age or how old your body feels. “Your training age refers to the cumulative amount of time you’ve been training, your training age *isn’t* something you can quantify in a single number—you wouldn’t say, for instance, “My training age is 2.5 years.” Rather, training age is more of a concept that represents your body’s readiness for exercise, with a higher age representing readiness for more volume. Your training age is made up of three different components: How long you’ve been exercising, how long you’ve been competing in the specific sport/activity in question and how active your day-to-day life is.

Figure out your goals. Are you strength training because you want to compete in an Olympic Weightlifting competition, get strong enough to farmer’s carry your groceries, or because you heard strength training might help you crush your marathon PR? You need to know what you’re training for because different training goals will require a different number of reps per set, which will impact your training volume. Build muscular endurance or improve cardio: 12+ reps per set Increase overall strength and muscle tone: 6 to 12 reps per set Increase muscle mass or power: no more than 5 reps per set

Follow the 10 Percent Rule while increasing weight. Typically used in running, the 10 Percent Rule states that you should only increase your training volume by ten percent per week. If you’re new to strength training (or if you’re not new but have been MIA from the weight room for a while), this is a good strategy. Let’s say that during week one, you could dead lift 30kg for 5 sets of 5 reps. The next week, you might increase the weight by 10 percent and try a 35kg dead lift for the same number of sets and reps. “But the better trained an individual is, the less applicable the ten percent rule is,” says Daly.

Listen to your body. This may be the biggest fitness cliché of all time, but its solid advice, according to Chisholm. “Just because your workout program says you’re supposed to be lifting a certain amount of weight doesn’t mean your body is ready for it,” she says. The same goes for the number of days per week your program has you exercising.

How often should someone workout? Physical fitness and overall well being is achieved when you exercise and eat balanced meals every single day. If you made the decision to make a complete lifestyle change to become healthier, it is imperative that you know how long you should be exercising. Before you begin training, determine what your goals are. Working out is not just a decision you create on a whim. You have to plan it out, create a strategy and set goals. Building this framework will help you go through the expected challenges and succeed through the difficulties. My Goal Is To Lose Weight

The health risk from obesity or being fat and overweight is not a secret. By simply carrying more body fat than normal, you already put yourself at risk of many weight-related health problems. Weight loss is not an easy task. In fact, this is perhaps one of the most difficult goals when trying to become fit. It is recommended by health experts that you exercise three to five days a week. For beginners, it is advised that you only aim for three days and one rest-day in between. When you start to feel more comfortable with your training, you can gradually increase the intensity and the number of days from three to five days a week. My Goal Is To Build Muscle Mass Once you feel more confident about exercising, you can now move on to strength training to build your muscle mass. Many experts recommend that weight training or any resistance exercise should not be performed every day. For every effort you exert, you actually create small tears in your muscle fibers. These micro-injuries need to recover and it would take approximately 24 to 48 hours for your muscles to completely heal and repair themselves. This will allow them to grow bigger and stronger. Strength training should last for 45 minutes to an hour. Make sure that you incorporate this form of exercise 3 times a week, every other day. Always remember to stretch out your muscles before and after for best results.

My Goal Is To Maintain a Healthy Weight and an Active Lifestyle If you have achieved your fitness goal, the American Heart Association recommends 75 minutes of high-impact exercises and 150 minutes of moderate-impact exercises weekly to stay healthy. Though it does not seem to be much, following this recommendation can already benefit you by reducing your cholesterol, normalize blood sugar levels, improve cardiovascular health, lessen the risk of chronic inflammation and elate your mood. No matter what your age is, finding a routine that works for you is an easier way to stick to a healthy lifestyle.

What is your current fitness goal? My current fitness goal is to get fit day by day, make more people fit and help educate people about Parkour and gymnastics.