Fit formula

Jyotsna Dayal

Fitness is a part of modern-day lifestyles - be it flexing and pumping iron for that perfect body; grooving to music, stretching in coordination with breathing or by challenging your capacity with balls and kettle-bells. Here are some tricity women who are making an impact with their fitness regimens.

Get into the groove

Just one lively dance session can keep depression at bay and also help you lose weight, stay flexible and reduce stress …even if you lack rhythm!

“I am a firm believer that to be a true dancer, one should be able to sway to any music, irrespective of the dance form,” says Jas K Shan from Dance Dacha. She specialises in rhythm kickboxing, salsa and belly-dancing.

For her, fitness is an enjoyable journey that brings dance, fitness and fun on one stage. Rise, accept your body and sweat once a day with any activity of your choice – that is her mantra.

 “We will be soon introducing a dance form that helps build your self-defence techniques,” says the dance facilitator, who has represented Asia in the Rock and Roll World Cup in 2014 in Sochi, Russia.

Born with a beat

Gagan Kaur, who specialises in Latin-American dance forms, zumba and belly dancing, advices her students against joining dance classes for weight loss. She feels that losing inches is healthier than shedding kilos. Most of her students are women. “Men shy away from zumba. I feel if they can do bhangra, why not zumba,” she says. “A combination of salsa and aerobics, zumba provides a workout for the entire body,” she adds.

Her mantra is that dance provides joy in life. The moment you feel sad, start dancing! She feels that dance is like meditation, as through it one can turn negativity into positivity.

Food for the soul

“Yoga is a wonderful science that works on strength and flexibility, builds focus, develops patience and calms the mind, which helps one realise one’s true potential,” beams Shobhna Juneja, who has been teaching this age-old practice to tricity residents for the last five years.

“This is the reason why many athletes are nowadays including yoga in their training,” says Juneja, who has given private yoga lessons to Olympic gold medallist shooter Abhinav Bindra. “Any athlete can benefit hugely by adding yoga to their fitness regime,” she adds.

She teaches hatha, power and pre-natal yoga, besides various other forms. “It is a great way to help improve your overall health, be it strengthening your core muscles or supplementing your general cardio routine,” says Juneja. 

“Yoga works on our internal organs by stimulating and improvising the functioning of glands and balancing the hormonal system,” the yoga expert adds. 

Musical motivation 

For Kiran Sidhu, an instructor, fitness is a part of everyday life. She feels that music helps in keeping the motivation high. Her workouts are intense. She focuses on weights (barbells, kettle-bells and dumbbells), with high-intensity cardio in-between.

“I feel that it has become fashionable to say you are working out, but in the long run, people who stick to it are the ones who benefit the most,” says Kiran, who has been taking fitness classes in Chandigarh for the last 12 years.

“Before I started exercising, I was having problems keeping my weight in check. I did the usual crash-dieting, but it is not a healthy option. Discovering exercise at 18 was a major light-bulb moment. I found a way to keep my weight in a healthy range without denying myself occasional treats,” says the mother of two. Her students are in the age group of 18 to 50.

“Mostly people come for weight loss, but then get addicted to the natural high of intensive workouts and the resulting fitness,” she shares.

Classical route

“My tryst with dance began when I was seven,” says kathak exponent Samira Koser, who feels that classical dance is a complete fitness regimen in itself, and involving grace and beauty.

 “It helps in blood circulation, improves stamina and endurance. I call it vitamin for the mind. Your body and mind learn to work in sync. If we move our body in rhythm, it creates happy hormones, and the fast foot movements release stress,” says the kathak exponent.

“We also get a mental break through dance. Our body starts getting toned up from the very first day,” says the danseuse.

Though age is no bar, teach them young is the mantra. The best age to start learning classical dance is four years and the best time to practice it is before dawn. “It’s beneficial for students as it improves concentration and dedication,” she adds.