Being fit is so important; we owe it to our body for working non-stop. We talk to the Fitness Enthusiasts in the city who give us so much of inspiration. Real people with real fit bodies.

Shilpa Reddy,  Entrepreneur & Fashion Designer

What is that one thing you wanted to achieve in life?

There are many things I want to do in life and I know I will do them.

I constantly work  to heighten my self awareness, have a clear conscience and a carry a heart full of love for everything and everyone- these are a few things in life that can be worked upon every single day and there is still room for more.

What is more important for you – fitness? Or fashion?

Undoubtedly fitness! Withou fitness what is the point of fashion? I want to epitomise fitness as fashion, strong as sexy.

How do you plan on devoting time for both fitness and fashion?

One cannot be motivated every single day. Only when you bring discipline and regimentation in your life will you be able to strike a balance  and live a healthy, fit and a fulfilling life.. Fashion is my profession so I don’t specifically allot time for it-when I work, I WORK! I love creativity and express it through fashion.

What is your secret to success?

Success means many things to many .

Clarity of thought, prioritization and unwavering discipline- these are the secrets to my success.

What was the toughest professional hurdle you ever faced and how did you overcome it?

I don’t look at anything as tough. Superficial external things don’t have much power on me., every hurdle is a consequence of our own actions. If it’s caused it can also be solved with a proper understanding of the issue.

If God grants you two wishes, what would they be?

Physical and mental health and heightened self  and spiritual awareness.

If you wish to change something about your profession / field of interest, what would it be?

I’d like people to be more open creativity and not be stuck to a stigma. Fashion influencers are so powerful today that real people who would finally buy and wear the fashion have lost all love and confidence in their own choice. I wish that more people embrace their personal style and choice and ape others less.

Where do you wish to see your company / brand, in the next five years?

I am completely against fast fashion and believe in two collections a year module. We currently do a lot more because of the need of the market and the clients. But I wish that people start believing in buy less but buy better and invest in extravagant but fewer in number clothes.

Please share with us about your success on new venture –or any new venture?

I am currently working on a project around urban couture clothing. Indian women today are a lot more powerful and are more open to dressing the same way. They are also open to buying Indian designers that don’t make traditional outfits. Very excited about how this will turn out.

Reetika Parmar,  Yoga Enthusiast

Tell us something about yourself as an individual?

I’m from the serene and beautiful town of Dehradun. A Masters in Business Administration by qualification, an ardent yogini by nature and a mother by right, I came to Hyderabad in December 2013 and fell in love with the city and people. I completed my first teachers training as a registered teacher with the Yoga Alliance and since then I have been associated as a  yoga trainer with corporates like Google, AMD and Dr. Reddys.

Your Fitness Routine?

I don’t really have a fitness routine. I believe Fitness is a routine in itself and it includes positive thinking, nutritious eating, regular exercising and right living. Since I was born and brought up in the foothills of the Himalayas, I have always had a fit lifestyle. Ever since I moved to Hyderabad.

I make sure that I lead an active lifestyle and not a dormant one. Walking to me is meditation and my most go to exercise. My morning comprises a cup of ginger tea after five minutes of headstand and that keeps my batteries charged all day long.

One thing you hate about working out?

Well the only thing I hate about workout would be days when I dont get enough time to do my regular yoga practice.

A fitness trick that always works for you?

The word fitness to me isn’t limited to being physically fit. It means to attain a balanced state of mind body and soul! So the trick to fitness is stay happy eat well and do some form of physical activity everyday. It can be yoga or working out in the gym or just a 30mins walk!

When did you first ever work out?

Like I said I am a yogini by nature. The need to exercise was not taught, it was an innate thing. I was into exercising ever since I gained my senses!!

Ahmed Jibran,Student

Tell us something about yourself as an individual?

A simple man with simple needs. I love indulging myself in various activities but what interests me the most is cars, gyming & how can I forget my latest obsession i.e. mixed martial arts training. Well if you go to see my evolution as to what I was & where I am today; I feel extremely content & proud to be where I am today. I can well & truly say, I am a Fitness Freak & I thoroughly enjoy being that.

Your fitness routine?

A disciplined lifestyle, good workout routine & a healthy diet is my mantra to stay in shape. My day begins at 6.30am with heavy martial arts training followed by a vigorous workout session at the gym every evening after work which is planned in such a way to enable me strengthen my muscles giving me a sense of physical & mental satisfaction. Despite my hectic corporate & social life, I make it a point to train for at least 5 days a week.

Your most go to exercise?

My workout out mantra is to try new things to make it fun & break the monotony as I strongly believe that hooking on to one particular exercise for too long wouldn’t yeild any great results. Thus, for me, there is nothing like a most go to exercise & instead I focus on a single muscle a day in order to enable me to work on my muscles & body strengthening to my utmost potential without stressing my muscles out way too much.

Your diet routine?

Coming to my diet, I don’t exactly follow any particular diet plan as I always believe that one should “Eat everything but eat at the right time.” So for my diet I follow one basic rule that I do not restrict myself from any food but instead make it a point to sweat it all out by training hard & most importantly eating after every few hours.

The thing you hate the most about working out?

Procrastination is something I cannot tolerate when it comes to fitness. Thus, I always prefer to work out alone rather than with friends who pull you down & lower your fitness morale by not working out them self & not allowing you to be focused towards your fitness goals too.

A fitness trick that always works for you?

I can withstand everything except criticism on my body shape especially from those people who see me practically every day. A negative remark from anyone of them on my body physique & there from that moment onwards you would find me working out more harder towards my fitness goals with no looking back.

When did you first ever workout?

Even before reaching adolescence, after drawing inspiration from my elder brother I had my first taste of workout at the age of 17 where I hit the gym to discover not only a fitter but also a healthier me.

Shivani Sen,  EMCEE & Model

Tell us something about yourself as an individual?

“Born in a Kashmiri family, married to a Bengali, I have spent my childhood in New Delhi. I shifted to Hyderabad way back in 2005 and I am a proud mother of one, Kabir.  Since the last 12 years, I have been anchoring live corporate events, weddings, conferences all over India and abroad. My work is my passion. Although there are many areas that require our attention I firmly believe in equality and education for all. People like Mahatma Gandhi, Malala Yousafzai, PV Sindhu, Geeta Phogat, Poorna are my inspirations.“

Tell us your fitness routine?

I workout 5-6 days a week. Every day I try to add some form of physical activity to my day except the days when I am not well.

I start with stretches and a five minute jog on the treadmill to warm up the body. Everyday two major muscle groups are worked out in circuit training and a small one is added.

Your most go to exercise?

My most go to exercise is burpees. It is a compound exercise and also acts as a cardio workout. It requires just a small space and not even a mat. It works on almost all body parts. Initially I couldn’t do even two burpees. Thankfully, now I am better at it. Burpees may be my go to time saving exercise however squats remain my favorite.

Tip: Keep changing the exercises. And read about metabolism rate.

Your diet routine?

I don’t eat rice, refined flour and refined flour products, sugar, biscuits, deep fried or spicy food. I also avoid drinking juices or milk. I usually have two cups of milk tea in a day with little honey. My morning is always a cup of tea with newspaper.

Breakfast: 2 -3 scrambled eggs (no yolks), If I get hungry, I eat a fruit or drink buttermilk

Lunch: usually consist of a piece of chicken, vegetable, dal/ curd and two chapatis.

Evening: tea again while chatting with my friends on a free day

I workout in the evening so my dinner is usually late.

Dinner: 1 piece of chicken or vegetable and raita with 1 small chapatti.

Tip: Never ever miss breakfast or any meal for that matter. Your metabolism will get slow and next WHATEVER you eat will be stored as fat. Your body can think.

A fitness trick that always works for you?

Everyone’s body responds differently to different exercises. When on a inch loss spree (I never check weight) I combine sprinting and walking for 30mins.

I sprint for 15 seconds and walk for 30 seconds and I keep repeating this, increasing or decreasing the sprint and walk time according to how my heart rate is responding. Within a week I see amazing results.

I of course continue my abs routine to it.

When did you first ever workout?

That is actually a small incident (laughs). After shifting to Hyderabad, newly married and completely in love, my husband and I used to eat out a lot. All my favorite denims were getting tighter around the middle. One day we went to Bangalore for some work and bumped into an old colleague. After a small chat she kept a hand on my tummy and asked me if I was pregnant. I went red in the face and immediately promised to myself that this wouldn’t repeat. I bought workout DVDs and my first ever workout happened at home. Soon after I joined Shiamak Davar Dance classes along with a gym, and researched a lot about diet. This three pronged approach helped me shed that little weight that had started on me.

Farhad Shanawaz,Model

Tell us something about yourself as an individual?

I am a very simple guy, level headed and self made. I have been in the industry for around a decade, worked in films, ads, TV dramas, dance shows and modeled. I am a very passionate person. I love challenges and taking them head on is what keeps me going.

Your fitness routine?

I exercise everyday but I believe it is only a small part of my routine. Fitness is about striking the right balance  between what you eat and what you do. I gym 6 days a week and my whole diet depends on the workout I am doing that day. It includes weights, core and cardio. I sometimes push myself to do more and that’s how I have managed to look the way I look.

Your most go to exercise?

My main focus in body building has always been building the core and working on my abs. I make sure that I do ab exercises every alternate day. While lifting is very important I have always been of the opinion that building core is what needs to be worked on the most.

Your diet routine?

You are what you eat, and I am most particular about what I eat , especially during the six days I am working out. My diet is always a balanced combination of protein and carbs. Just know what quantity of carbs your body requires and how much are you burning everyday. It’s a must to eat vegetable and fruits.

The thing you hate the most about working out?

I was a skinny person who was never satisfied with his body and working out changed that in my life forever. I owe everything that I have achieved to the hard work I have put in the gym. There is nothing that I hate about working out. I just love each and every part of it.

A fitness trick that always works for you?

Fitness is not about the tricks. It’s about hard work , sweat and more. There is no easy way to be fit. It requires a lot more than you see. But every bit of hard work put into workout is worth it. Being fit is not only about having a fit body but a fit mind an that can only happen when you exercise and make it a routine. Anyone who joins a fitness regime would feel the difference.

When did you first ever workout?

I was a thin lean boy and was never happy about myself. Sometimes I would be very low on confidence but then I hit a gym and things started changing. It’s not only my body which has seen the drastic change but also my self esteem. The only advice I give my friends ever is that there needs to be a physical activity in our daily lives for sure. That’s to keep your body moving. Even if you are in a job which requires lot of sitting at one place, move every now and than. Be fit and things will change for all of us.