It’s five in the morning and subconsciously, Alpa Haria, a housewife, is hoping that her alarm clock doesn’t ring. Too bad, she gets her wake-up call on time.
Once she’s up, she rushes through the household chores so that she can spend at least two hours in the neighbourhood gym. But till two years back, Haria used to feel embarassed to step out of her house. At 110 kilos, such shyness is natural. But one fine day, she decided to hit the gym and get rid of her excess baggage.
“I’ve always been fat but it never bothered me,” Haria says. After marriage, for women the focus inevitably shifts from trying to look good, towards household chores. Haria, too, was engrossed with her children and continued to ignore her own health. Things changed when her 6-year old daughter declared that she must give up salwar-kameez and dress up “smartly” in jeans. “Her classmates’ mothers used to turn up at school in denims. And now she wanted me to do the same,” she says.
Truth be told, her daughter’s innocent comment shook her. She realised her kids were beginning to feel embarrassed with their mother’s looks. Haria decided it was time — to stop eating out, to say no to junk food, to start hitting the gym and to look forward to a new beginning altogether. “I stopped eating outside. I didn’t touch fried food or sweets for almost a year. Even now, I seldom eat any of that,” she admits.
Dieting alone can never help one lose weight. To stay fit and healthy, exercise is a must. Haria did everything right and now, at 75 kilos, she feels refreshed and more active. “My elder daughter, now 10, is on the heavier side. But with no good parks around, I’m worried about her health,” she adds.
The lack of parks and open spaces, is a routine problem in Mumbai. Although not everyone is unlucky, many benefit from the popular Joggers’ Park or even the Mahalaxmi Race Course.
“I prefer running in the open than at a gym as the same environment can get boring after a while,” says 33-year-old Rahul Mathew, an executive creative director with an advertising agency.
With increasing work pressure, regular physical activity has taken a backseat. However, many are slowly but surely realising the benefits of exercise. With Mumbaikars thronging to the increasing number of gyms opening up in the city, a new problems has surfaced -overcrowding in gyms. Which is why, Mathew says, “When I run at Carter Road promenade, I don’t have to wait for a treadmill or socialise with anyone.”
Gymming, however, isn’t the only way to lose kilos in Mumbai. Gone are the days when dance was considered merely an art form. Nowadays it’s also being accepted as a method that helps you get back in shape. From exotic dance forms like belly dancing to Capoeira (the traditional fusion of martial arts and dance), there is a lot one can choose from.
Take Urvashi Gulia for example. The 28 year-old writer got bored of jogging and never intended to join a gym. But when she saw a Capoeira troupe performing in Bandra, she decided to give it a try. Blessed with a never-say-no-to-anything attitude, she started attending classes soon. “Initially, I was nervous and thought I’ll never be able to do all those stunts. But with time I have become more comfortable with my body,” she says.
Although initially Gulia joined Capoeira classes to lose weight, lately it’s been helping to use her body to her advantage. She enjoys the session so much that even after partying on Friday night, she’s all set for a workout on Saturday.
“At times my body hurts so much than I can’t even move. But there’s no way I’d bunk a class,” she adds.
Like food, exercise too nourishes body
There are two main reasons behind the sudden increase of people joining gyms or doing any other physical activity. Firstly, people have become more aware and conscious about the diseases caused by our sedentary lifestyle. Today, hypertension, asthma, obesity are on the rise because people spend most of their time either sitting in front of the computer or TV. Secondly, everyone is inspired by the glamour industry and wants to look good. Unfortunately, the percentage of health enthusiasts is very low. However, it’s good to see people taking out time from their hectic schedules to exercise. We must not forget that exercising is as important as food. It too nourishes the body apart from keeping one physically fit.
Mickey Mehta, fitness expert
Comments