Lightness of being
Women from diverse professions reveal how they find the time and inclination to look their best.
SEEMA JOLLY(39)
Farmer, Mohali
Spelling Fitness For Seema Jolly, mother to two boys aged nine and seven, fitness has a yogic connotation.''Exercising the body through asanas, and the mind through pranayama and meditations, makes yoga a complete fitness regime for me. I played a lot of sports in school and continued some in college but I used to suffer from the worst migraines. I was non-functional for days and therefore not fit. Around ten years back, I chanced upon a yoga book that recommended some exercises for migraines, started practicing them and was soon healed.''
Vigour cocktail Yoga and brisk walking
Beyond Beauty Ever since she started practicing yoga, Jolly has seen a marked difference in how she feels.''I feel active, positive, happy, fresh and alert. I had sciatica a few years ago. The difficulty in walking up the stairs to my room, pain in making car journeys and confinement to the house made me very sad. I would have gone into depression but then I pulled myself out of it. Tried physiotherapy and lots more and eventually yoga helped me'' she says.
Crash Dieting Jolly says that she has never needed to diet. Adding that she has always been very disciplined about eating and exercising, she says, ''thanks to my fast metabolism, I eat at regular intervals.''
GULSHANVIRK (48)
Cosmetologist, Chandigarh
Spelling Fitness Virk, who makes it a point to do her Pranayam everyday besides an hour of brisk walking thinks it's important to have clear goals. ''I am not going to walk a ramp. What I am looking for is being presentable and feeling good'' she says.
Vigour Cocktail Brisk walking, lightweights and yoga.
Keeping Up Virk feels that there has been a paradigm shift in the attitude towards fitness.''Realisation of the benefits of good health and healthy living has set in. Thanks to social media, television, accessibility to gyms, health spas, people across age groups have adopted a more active lifestyle, or are at least striving towards it. This was not really the case with the previous generation.''
Lead Me On Believing that it is very important to train under a certified instructor, be it yoga or the gym, Virk elaborates,''This is to avoid injuries which can prolong and affect your lifestyle. I prefer personal trainers rather than group classes as every individual has different levels of flexibility and endurance.''
Rock On For her, paying attention to fitness doesn't mean avoiding parties.''Why should I? When it comes to eating and drinking, a certain discipline has to be maintained. But hey, it is ok to indulge once in a while, just like I do,'' she says.
VARDHINI VERMA (36)
Furniture Designer, Chandigarh
Spelling Fitness She is clear that fitness is all about a routine that keeps one mentally and physically agile.''With so much awareness about mental health, one does realise that being emotionally sturdy is a prerequisite to being fit and being able to carry on in this maneat-man world,'' she says. Adding that there is much to be done and experienced in our short life span, she says, ''so we certainly do not want to feel like we cannot do something just because we aren't 'fit' or 'healthy' enough to embark on it-be it a trek with the children or a change of career-anything that's a stretch.''
Beyond Beauty For this mother of two boys aged ten and five, one possibly can't call herself/himself fit if the mind is forever stressed.''What is the point of looking presentable when you are not really a happy person. Let us not forget that being physically fit and happy doesn't necessarily happen naturally. We have to condition ourselves to workout, eat better, be conscious of what we're eating etc. When I push my body, I know there is more oxygen reaching the brain. Mentally, I'm sharper the day I work out, compared to the days I do not. The days I workout, I'm perhaps more productive even at work and that makes me feel great about myself,'' she says.
Vigour Cocktail Swimming, running and yoga.
ROOPA GREWAL (47)
Founder, Kinderpillar Ivy League Play Schools, Chandigarh
Spelling Fitness Roopa, whose sons, aged 23 and 18 study abroad, says that like most women of her generation, she doesn't look at physical and mental fitness in isolation.''They are really inter-related. The moment one starts pushing the body, she realises how much she is gaining mentally and emotionally. For me, fitness is all about looking good, feeling energetic and remaining calm.''
Vigour Cocktail Yoga, strength training and brisk walking.
Beyond Beauty Grewal says that she feels a marked difference in her emotional health whenever she is regular with her workouts.''In the face of modern-day tensions, when things don't take long to start getting at your nerves, exercising ensures not just less stress but also some time alone from everyone and everything.''
Crash Dieting ''Why would I ever believe in starvation? The key is balance. If I like to eat something, even if it is calorie rich, I ensure that it is burned. Dieting is something I have never believed in, and would never recommend.''
Rock On Grewal does look forward to her cheat days and that happens when she has to attend a party. ''Frankly, I don't binge. Moreover, I plan my exercise regime for the next day in advance,'' she says.
HEMA BEDI (46)
Public Speaking Facilitator,Chandigarh
Spelling Fitness Hema Bedi stays fit to ensure mental and physical well-being. She says that being fit physically keeps her active, alert and in shape.''Fitness to me means physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. Staying in shape keeps me energised and enthusiastic.''
Beyond Beauty Mother of two, a daughter who is 21 and an 18-year-old son, Bedi says that exercising and doing yoga has definitely helped her emotionally. ''I am calmer and focussed now as compared to several years back when fitness was not part of my life. Believe me when I say it, now I am able to take more rational decisions and feel equipped to take on whatever is flowing towards me. Now I look at life positively and feel the strength to sail through even when tough days knock,'' she says.
''Please, I don't believe in starvation. When I was younger, I did try these non-eating tactics and I ended up feeling bloated with ulcers in my mouth. Eating a balanced diet has stabilised my system and I feel fitter than ever before. I was a fat child and teenager. It was when I turned 21 that I realised how out of shape I had become. I started walking then and understood food. Gradually I lost the extra weight, but understood that you cannot lose weight once and stop. Fitness and eating right has to be a part of the daily regime,'' she says.
Rock On ''I am a bit laid back at parties. I like my drink and enjoy the evening. Not that I go crazy eating and drinking, but I do not like to feel deprived. I balance on the day of the party and the next day as well.''
SHEENA SIDHU (45)
Content Writer, Chandigarh
Spelling Fitness Mother of a 17-year-old girl, Sheena Sidhu has always believed that fitness stands for complete alignment of body and mind. ''It's about being disease-free and not having to think twice before eating a slice of your favourite calorie-rich pizza,'' she says.
Vigour Cocktail Gym, yoga and running
Beyond Beauty Sidhu lays more emphasis on the influence of workout on her mind. ''t definitely controls my temper. In present times, when the whole world seems to be testing that, snatching some time through an exercise schedule does help,'' she says.
Crash Dieting Admitting that she did try crash dieting once but failed miserably, Sidhu elaborates,'' Now, I do not see any point in depriving myself of what is accessible to me. I feel my grandmother was right-she would enjoy her two stiff drinks of scotch every evening and insisted that life is about pampering the taste buds.''
Fit and Fine Sidhu feels that the internet and media have facilitated the fitness boom. '' Fitter bodies in magazines and on TV, variety of chic clothing and a need to compete is what led to women taking better care of themselves. Models and actresses have set the precedent. Voluptuous bodies have been replaced by toned, glistening and near perfect ones. Suddenly, everyone wants to look good,'' she says.