Forget the gym, just get out!

This week, it’s time ask yourself a simple question. Do you really have to hit some smelly gym for a great workout? How about the great outdoors, into the fantastic wild that’s all around us. The trend of “getting away during the weekend” to give both mind and body much-needed activity is picking up. In fact, countries ranging from Sri Lanka to Australia are now opening up their adventure hotspots to woo tourists and many from the city are travelling hundreds of kilometres for the next big rush.

Because it’s simply, the best way to stay fit! Sabina Xavier, MD of Y-Axis, and husband Xavier Augustin, the CEO of the firm, have just completed a 12-day coast-to-coast walk across England. “We were walking for eight hours a day along with our backpacks. It was raining, it was windy, the ground was slippery but we covered 228.5 km, from the Irish Sea to the North Sea. My knee was busted and we also suffered from blisters. But it was such a beautiful experience. It was also a spiritual detox because such outdoor activities kickstart metabolism like nothing else. Also, I love travelling. So, we got best of both worlds,” Sabina says.

In fact, the couple go overseas every few months to feed their appetite for adventure. “This year, I’ve already been to Machu Picchu, into the Amazon, to the Angkor Wat temple complex, cycled from Prague to Budapest. Gymming is convenient, but it doesn’t change you as a person. Outside, you’re more in sync with nature. It helps you understand the world better and better yet, I found my trips helping me professionally... with new ideas and better strategies,” Xavier reveals.

Meanwhile, there are others desperate to break the monotony of a gym. Vishnu Raju, chairman of Exciga, began cycling four years ago. He’s so passionate about cycling that recently, he rode through nine countries across Europe — starting from Italy and ending up in the Netherlands.

“It was exhausting as we rode through the Italian, Austrian and Swiss Alps. At one point, we were cycling at 7,850 feet. But it was an experience of a lifetime,” Vishnu admits. To prepare for this trip, he had to cycle 50-km a day for three hours.

There are Tollywood stars, too. Actress Regina Cassandra recently hit headlines for her 150-km charity bicycle ride and after some prodding finally revealed the adventure junkie within her. “Whenever I am home in Chennai, I go surfing. In fact, I went to Sri Lanka, just to surf, for three days. A major downside to all this is the tanning so I literally have to bathe in sunscreen before stepping out. Outdoor activities are thrilling and a great way to stay fit. They test your willpower and endurance because once you get off that bike after riding 25 km, your butt will be burning and your legs are screaming in pain. But you go on, because you’ll soon grow to love that pain,” the actress says.

The ones taking up such trips are confident that this is the best way to a perfect, healthy mind and body and it all starts small. Greeshma Kawali, who went trekking near the Bandipur reserve last week, says small lifestyle changes can go a long way. “Walk. Park your cars far away. Don’t be lazy. Take the stairs. And don’t aim to be size zero. Instead, eat healthy. Play those outdoor sports because your body wants to do the right thing.”

Others, explain a certain natural connect between humans and the great outdoors. “It’s actually in our DNA to connect with nature,” explains Diyanat Ali, founder of the Great Hyderabad Adventure Club (GHAC). “Our system inside loves nature. Moreover, when you have a stressful life, you want your focus to change from gadgets to the greens. On these trips, you meet all kinds of people and there’s always an element of surprise, which you won’t find in a gym,” he adds.