Working Towards A Healthier

Working Towards a Healthier and Happier 2021

When Indian poker player Ashutosh Balodhi, Spartan Poker’s Millionaire series winner told us that he lost 45 kgs in less than six months we were amazed at his perseverance. Like Balodhi, other poker players across the globe have taken several baby steps to stay fit during the pandemic.

International poker star, and six-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner, Daniel Negreanu, recently spoke about being fit and transforming himself despite being vegan. Steven Van Zadelhoff is another top international poker player who has time and again asked his fellow players to lead a healthy lifestyle.

But aren’t poker players

WORDS BY MANTHRA KOLIYER

the ones that sit in one spot and grind through the night? Yes, they are, but players these days have a different perspective towards fitness.

Fitness not only refers to being physically fit and healthy but also involves mental wellness, a healthy diet, and flexibility. Though hitting the gym and sweating calories is always given priority, bringing about minor changes in eating habits, sleeping patterns, intake of liquids, etc., is also seen to make a huge difference.

The pandemic forced all poker players that were gym freaks to look for creative ways to workout from home. From lifting buckets of water to sacks of potatoes, they have tried it all!

Ashutosh Balodhi is a prime example. He was

120 kg in the month of March and today he is around 75 kg.

“Each of us had to go through a change in lifestyle during the lockdown. When I was working on my diet, I was actually going through a very dark phase in my life. I wanted opportunities to appreciate myself, and this path helped me,” he says.

He emphasizes that he did not begin with the aim to lose kilos instantly. Looking at the figures, we could assume that Balodhi exercised rigorously to lose weight so drastically, but in actuallity he did not.

Balodhi’s workout routine consisted of enjoying every meal he consumed, meditation, basic yoga, and being in tune with his body.

CONSUMING THE RIGHT MEAL

Balodhi contradicts the concept of cutting down on carbs, junk food, aerated drinks, etc., to reduce one’s weight. He emphasizes that enjoying every meal you consume and being aware of what you eat is itself enough to regulate your diet.

When Balodhi chose to practise this, he was living by himself in Pune. He used to be a stress eater in the past, which eventually led to him bulking up.

During the lockdown he started cooking for himself, in the pursuit of knowing the ingredients being added in the food he ate through the day.

This did not mean that he stopped eating outside food. He simply change his relationship with food.

MENTAL PEACE

Balodhi says that just before the lockdown began, he went through a terrible breakup and was in a very dark phase of his life. “During this period of time, my movements were restricted and I only had the option of looking within,” he says. “My mindset was not fixed to do anything that was very difficult for the body to take. Going to the gym was not an option, hence I started looking for other ways. Reading about meditation was my first step to begin this regime.” He further adds, “Meditation helped me a lot. I wanted to create a balance which was rightly achieved by sheer concentration and basic yoga.”

KNOW YOUR BODY TYPE

Balodhi stresses that, “You do not need to look outside for clues. Your body itself throws signs at you. When I was under depression, I realized that our body needs to work according to us. The pimples that start showing up on your face, hair fall or even certain nervous breakdowns, all of this is a way of your body trying to drop hints at you.”

Balodhi suggests that one should process the hints and work on each of them. “It is very important to be aware of one’s body type before you begin working on it,” he concludes.

Working on the root, praying before eating, looking within and loving oneself; Balodhi’s routine is surely a holistic one. Chasing the pot and making it to the top, whether in poker or real life requires players to stay strong mentally as well as physically. Let us all take inspiration from Balodhi and march towards a healthier and happier 2021.