Fitness Itchiness

Fitness is one of the most breached new year resolutions across the world. If you are reading this on planet Earth and are on the wrong side of forty, then you certainly don’t need a research-based data to agree to this – we all have done it in the past so many times - some of us stood by it diligently and rest will continue promising to themselves as a recurring deposit waiting for that one fine day for redemption of their pent up desire. And just like money can't buy happiness it can neither buy fitness. The reason why so many of us flout fitness resolutions to ourselves is that we want to achieve fitness without going through the grind. There are endless stories of expensive bicycles, jogging shoes fancy gym memberships waiting for their turn to hit the turf and ultimately find asylum with OLX or the likes to try another person brewing with the fresh fitness syndrome.

The adoption of fitness is swift initially as long as it is the turn of money to move out of the pockets and arrange the gear and stuff -it fizzles out in dithering minds when one needs to invest themselves in full rigor and routine. The resolved ones take it to the next level, actually do it on their own silently – the lesser resolved ones need peer pressure to workout hence install watchdogs thru social media to supplement their drive with likes and shares and the balance (majority) of the lot subscribe to DND with their inner self and wait for another calling again on a new year morning - The DISSOLVED ones!!!

Fitness as a game has witnessed a complete makeover of the arena. What we saw some two decades ago - an iron-pumping community place called GYM has now undergone an evolution with new blends of functional and activity taking over with a much better engagement and focussed approach. Most probably It will continue shaping up in new forms and formats till we reach a point where “Before and After” is no more like a trip to the moon – It has to happen with a clap of a hand if not with a click of the mouse. If science has invented so many machines to give the desired outputs, these 24X7 body garages should also cut out a chiseled and a trimmer version within minutes. There has to be a real-time photoshop tool to shed all the round corners from the body and VOILA -you are done !!! Alternatively, medical science should also figure out ways of donating excess fat to the skinny ones –Imagine, we will not only keep the energy constant, we will also have better demographics and then no remorse for increasing the weight for someone else actually 😊 A Sumo will only melt to puff up others who need it.

Fitness is a sure shot AMRUT for cardio – One can run to try this or keep swiping the credit card for aspiring levels of fitness – the pace of heartbeat keeps you jumping fit either way. Moreover, the journey is a toll tax at every step with fast tags on your mind which never let you realize the pinch on the pocket. The bicycle (the most common fitness kit)with the same set of wheels and gears may be costlier than a car and those peppy and spunky shoes may cost you more than a monthly EMI of your Sedan. The fee structure in the Gold and Silver Gyms is in advance with auto-debit as default and by the time one gets a grip of workouts another guiding star pops up – The Personal Trainer !! You are told that a personal trainer is unavoidable and will certainly decode all the ropes and pulleys for customized surgical strikes on your body. What dawns, in the end, to keep you on the track and journey intact is a conviction with yourself – “ Lose to Win”.

The adoption of fitness in food is another booming industry – we love to grab anything and everything which has a prefix of the four-letter word DIET ( and yes it's not a Taboo 😊but a Jadoo) – The word diet plays a dual role – ONE it absolves us from all the guilt of pouring in those extra shots of favorite cola or coffee and at the same time it also gives a cheat code to devour some extra French fries or pakoras to balance the calory count under the canopy of mindful binge. The word DIET acts like a mass vaccination for our consciousness. Anything flagging this four-letter word has a green channel for all the UNHEALTHYRAMs.They go a step ahead to serve us greasy Bhaturas fried deep in Olive oil and sugar-free Sandes mithai caps your guilt completely.

If we are not done with fitness appealing to our culinary senses there is more happening in the world around to challenge us visually and redeem us. The word SLIM has an adhesive connection with glorified imagery of oneself and since so many of us ( including myself) are nowhere near to be called slim with our screwed BMIs – it certainly gives a distinctive high to wear slim fits, carry slim mobile phones and anything which subtly enhances the body contours for that matter. The appeal of this SLIM word is beyond the style quotient. We love indulging in SLIM Kaju Katlis and the LED televisions in our homes have already gone size ZERO.

Fitness is akin to Spirituality – One can go on looking for the same in the Himalayas doing trekking or biking or one can feel it every moment around us only. On a closer look, some routine tasks in daily chores are nothing less than a gym workout when it comes to making you feel FIT at least. It can be walking your dog, dropping your kid off the school bus, watering your plants, mowing your lawn, or even cleaning your bikes or cars. We all have our daily share of stress and activity which just collates your mind and soul and makes you walk a few steps or makes you feel better with some perspiration becomes a routine you start loving and feel fit as long as you can do it. Moreover, the last two years ( courtesy lockdowns) have drawn HYBID parallels beyond the workplaces and schools – While frequent lockdowns were initially indulgence with cooking and baking a lot of us invented in-house versions of gym and workouts to stay fit from head to toe like a foe. The smart bands and smartwatches have added to the firepower with FITNESS always on the mind. Gone are the days when breaths were counted, it is the STEPS that count and matter. We have transformed from “ Mind your Steps” to “ Count your Steps”.

Quick Inferences:

Question: How are you?

Answer: I am “fit” is more specific than just being “fine” – It speaks about the readiness for anything!!

Let us leave the word “ Fine” for weather and chose to be “ FIT” - Fighting Fit !!